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Battle of Monmouth order of battle

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Color painting showing a mounted general with raised sword rallying his troops
Battle of Monmouth painting shows George Washington rallying his men while an embarrassed Charles Lee waits nearby.

The Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778 saw a colonial American army under Major General George Washington fight a British army led by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton. After evacuating Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 18, Clinton intended to march his 13,000-man army to New York City. Washington sent 6,400 troops commanded by Major General Charles Lee to attack the British column of march near Monmouth Court House, New Jersey. When Clinton counterattacked, Lee ordered his badly deployed troops to fall back immediately. Washington brought up 7,000 men to support Lee's withdrawing wing and held his ground against repeated British assaults. That evening Clinton retreated from the field and continued his march to Sandy Hook, where the British fleet waited to ferry his army to New York. Both armies' casualties were about even in the last major battle in the northern colonies. Lee was court martialed for his behavior during the battle.[1]

British order of battle

Color painting of a white-wigged Henry Clinton in a red coat with dark blue lapels
Sir Henry Clinton

Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton (est. 18,000 - 19,000)[2]

  • Staff:
    • Adjutant General: Lieutenant Colonel Francis Lord Rawdon
    • Deputy Adjutant General: Major Stephen Kemble, Captain George Hutchinson
    • Assistant Adjutant General: Lieutenant James Cramond
    • Quartermaster General: Brigadier General Sir William Erskine
    • Royal Artillery Commander: Brigadier General James Pattison
    • Senior Engineer Officer: Captain John Montresor (Absent)
    • Aide-de-Camp: Major Duncan Drummond, Captains William Sutherland, Lord William Cathcart, William Crosbie, Alexander von Wilmowsky, Ernst von Munchhausen
    • Military Secretary: Captain John Smith
    • Deputy Inspector General of Provincial Forces: Captain Henry Rooke
    • Deputy Muster-Master of Provincial Forces: Andrew Bell

1st Division

The 1st Division was commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis and comprised 9,440 combat troops.[3]

Unit Commander Strength Notes
Rearguard Brigadier General Sir William Erskine (Afternoon only)
Queen's American Rangers Lieutenant Colonel John Graves Simcoe 454 British foot regiments each contained a company of light infantry, but during the American Revolutionary War these were detached to form the separate Light Infantry Battalion.[4]
16th Queen's Light Dragoons Lieutenant Colonel William Harcourt 365
1st Battalion Light Infantry Lieutenant Colonel Robert Abercromby 730
Grenadiers
1st Battalion Lieutenant Colonel William Meadows 761 British foot regiments each contained a company of Grenadiers, but during the American Revolutionary War these were detached to form separate Grenadier battalions.[4]
2nd Battalion Lieutenant Colonel Henry Monckton 737
Guards Brigadier General Edward Mathew
1st Battalion Colonel Henry Trelawny 502 The Guards battalions were formed for service in North America by drawing fifteen men from each of the sixty-four Guards companies of the Foot Guard regiments.[5]
2nd Battalion Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Howard 480
3rd Brigade Major General Charles Grey
15th Regiment of Foot Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Stopford(?) 352
17th Regiment of Foot Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood 330
42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Stirling 639
44th Regiment of Foot Lieutenant Colonel Henry Hope 334
4th Brigade Major General Charles Grey
33rd Regiment of Foot Lieutenant Colonel James Webster 365
37th Regiment of Foot Major James Cousseau 386
46th Regiment of Foot Lieutenant Colonel Enoch Markham 319
64th Regiment of Foot Major Robert McLeroth 426
5th Brigade Brigadier General Alexander Leslie
7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fusiliers) Lieutenant Colonel Alured Clarke 333
26th Regiment of Foot Lieutenant Colonel Charles Stuart 314
63rd Regiment of Foot Colonel James Paterson(?) 305
Hessian Grenadiers Colonel Heinrich Julius von Kospoth
Linsing Lieutenant Colonel Otto Christian von Linsing 411
Minnigerode Lieutenant Colonel Friedrich L. von Minnigerode 427
Lengerke Lieutenant Colonel Georg Emanuel Lengerke 453
Noncombatants
Women 355 Number of women granted permission to accompany the army. Because many women who were supposed to have been transported from Philadelphia by sea chose to accompany the army overland, the actual number was greater.[6]

Artillery

The artillery was divided between the two divisions.[7]

Unit Commander Strength Notes
Artillery Brigadier General James Pattison
Royal Artillery 634 The British employed a mix of howitzers and 1.5-, 3-, 6-, 12- and 24-pounder guns.[8] The New Jersey Volunteers comprised four companies of matrosses.[9]
Drivers 261
2nd Battalion, New Jersey Volunteers 129
Hessian Artillery 39
Anspach Artillery 34
Noncombatants
Women 34 Number of women granted permission to accompany the army. Because many women who were supposed to have been transported from Philadelphia by sea chose to accompany the army overland, the actual number was greater.[6]
Children 3

2nd Division

Black-and-white print of a bewigged Wilhelm von Knyphausen wearing a metal cuirass
Wilhelm von Knyphausen

The 2nd Division was commanded by Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen and comprised 8,229 combat troops and 1,394 noncombatants.[10] While the 1st Division fought at Monmouth Court House, the 2nd Division proceeded with the 1,500 wagons of the baggage train towards Middletown. It endured only light harassment from American militia along the way.[11]

Unit Commander Strength Notes
17th Light Dragoons Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Birch 333 British foot regiments each contained a company of light infantry, but during the American Revolutionary War these were detached to form the separate Light Infantry Battalion.[4]
2nd Battalion Light Infantry Lieutenant Colonel John Maitland 799
Jäger Korps Lieutenant Colonel Ludwig von Wurmb
Hessian Jägers 701 Of the Hessian Jägers, 37 were mounted and 664 were infantry.[12]
Anspach Chasseurs 92
1st Brigade Major General James Grant
4th (King's Own) Regiment of Foot Lieutenant Colonel James Ogilvie 321
23rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Welsh Fusiliers): Lieutenant Colonel Nesbitt Balfour 432
28th Regiment of Foot: Lieutenant Colonel Robert Prescott 313
49th Regiment of Foot: Lieutenant Colonel Sir Henry Calder 372
2nd Brigade Major General James Grant
5th Regiment of Foot Major George Harris(?) 367
10th Regiment of Foot Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith 135
27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot Lieutenant Colonel Edward Mitchell 340
40th Regiment of Foot Lieutenant Colonel Sir Thomas Musgrave 322
55th Regiment of Foot Lieutenant Colonel Cornelius Cuyler 268
Stirn's Brigade Major General Johann Daniel Stirn
Leib Infantry Regiment Colonel Friedrich W. von Wurmb 573
Infantry-Regiment von Donop Colonel David von Gosen 580
Loos's Brigade Colonel Johann August von Loos
Fusilier Regiment von Alt Lossberg Colonel Johann August von Loos 276 Grenadier Regiment von Woellworth was distributed between the two Fusilier regiments.[13]
Fusilier Regiment von Knyphausen Major Johann Friedrich von Stein 253
Grenadier Regiment von Woellworth 257
Provincial Infantry
Guides and pioneers Captain Simon Fraser 206
Roman Catholic Volunteers Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Clifton 207
Maryland Loyalists Lieutenant Colonel James Chambers 370
Pennsylvania Loyalists Lieutenant Colonel William Allen 168
New Jersey Volunteers Lieutenant Colonel John Van Dyke 211
Bucks County Volunteers Captain William Thomas 76
Provincial Horse
Philadelphia Light Dragoons Captain Richard Hovenden 116
Bucks County Light Dragoons Lieutenant Walter Willet 60
Provincial Recruits
3rd Battalion of New Jersey Volunteers 17
Caledonian Volunteers Captain William Sutherland 9
Volunteers of Ireland Lieutenant Colonel Francis Lord Rawdon 16
Emmericks Chasseurs Captain Christian Huck 11
Noncombatants
Black pioneers Captain Allen Stewart 49 The quantity shown for women represents the official figure of those granted permission to accompany the army. Because many women who were supposed to have been transported from Philadelphia by sea chose to accompany the army overland, the actual number was greater.[6]
Paymaster's guard and suite 10
Lieutenant Colonel Rawdon's guard and suite 3
Deputy Inspector General of Provincial Forces Captain Henry Rooke 3
Quartermaster General Department Sir William Erskine 494
Engineer's Department 138
Bridgemaster's Department 21
Royal Artillery Company of Conductors and Artificers 51
Surgeons etc. 19
Sick and attendants of general hospital 134
Provost Martial, guard, prisoners and criminals 57
Refugees 91
Women 318
Children 6

American order of battle

Color painting of a white-haired George Washington in a dark blue military uniform with gold epaulettes and white collar
George Washington

General George Washington (est. 15,000 - 16,000)[14]
{Curly Brackets indicate Brigade/Regimental/Battalion Strength}

Vanguard

Painting of a youthful La Fayette in a dark military coat with buff lapels and waistcoat
Marquis de La Fayette

The vanguard was commanded by Major General Charles Lee and comprised approximately 4,540 troops.[15]

Unit Commander Strength Notes
Scott's Brigade Colonel William Grayson 600
Combined 4th, 8th and 12th Virginia Regiments* Colonel William Grayson
Grayson's and Patton's Additional Continental Regiments Lieutenant Colonel John Parke
Company, Crane's Artillery Regiment Captain Thomas Wells 2 guns
Varnum's Brigade Colonel John Durkee 300–350
Combined 4th and 8th Connecticut Regiments Colonel John Durkee
Combined 1st and 2nd Rhode Island Regiments Lieutenant Colonel Jeremeiah Olney
Company, Crane's Artillery Regiment Captain David Cook 2 guns
Wayne's Detachment Brigadier General Anthony Wayne* 1,000 Commanded by Major General the Marquis de Lafayette during the morning attack on the British rearguard.
Livingston's Battalion Colonel Henry Beekman Livingston Picked men (elite, ad hoc light infantry battalions formed by taking the best troops from across all regiments).[16]
Stewart's Battalion Colonel Walter Stewart
Wesson's Battalion Colonel James Wesson
Company, Crane's Artillery Regiment Captain Thomas Seward 2 guns
Scott's Detachment Brigadier General Charles Scott 1,440
Cilley's Battalion Colonel Joseph Cilley Picked men
Parker's Battalion Colonel Richard Parker
Butler's Battalion* Colonel Richard Butler
Gist's Battalion Colonel Nathaniel Gist[17]
Artillery 4 guns Unit not known
Jackson's Detachment* Colonel Henry Jackson 200–300
Jackson's Additional Continental Regiment Colonel Henry Jackson
Henley's Additional Continental Regiment Unknown
Lee's Additional Continental Regiment Unknown
New Jersey Brigade Brigadier General William Maxwell 1,000
1st New Jersey Regiment Colonel Matthias Ogden
2nd New Jersey Regiment Colonel Israel Shreve
3rd New Jersey Regiment Colonel Elias Dayton
4th New Jersey Regiment Lieutenant Colonel David Brearley
Independent artillery company Captain Thomas Randall 2 guns
New Jersey Militia Light Horse Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Walton White
Somerset County Light Horse Captain John Stryker
Middlesex County Light Horse Captain Robert Nixon

* Lee reshuffled his troops before launching his attack on the British rearguard, and put Wayne in charge of a detachment comprising Grayson's combined Virginia regiments, Butler's battalion and Jackson's detachment. Lafayette took over command of Wayne's original detachment.[18][19]

Other advanced forces

Unit Commander Strength Notes
New Jersey and Pennsylvania Militia Major General Philemon Dickinson 1,200+[20]
Hunterdon Light Horse Captain Israel Carle Operating from Tennent's Meeting House
1st Burlington Colonel William Shreve
1st Cumberland Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Ogden
2nd Cumberland Major Thomas Ewing
1st Essex Colonel Samuel Potter
2nd Essex Colonel Philip Van Courtland
Hunterdon Artillery (as infantry) Captain Joseph Clunn
1st Hunterdon Colonel Joseph Philips
2nd Hunterdon Colonel Joseph Beavers
3rd Hunterdon Colonel David Chambers
4th Hunterdon Colonel John Taylor
3rd Middlesex Colonel Jacob Hyer
1st Salem Colonel Samuel Dick
1st Somerset Colonel Frederick Frelinghuysen
2nd Somerset Hendrick Van Dyke
Pennsylvania Volunteers Brigadier General John Cadwalader
Eastern Morris and other militia Colonel Sylvanus Seely Operating from Foreman's Mill
1st Middlesex Colonel John Webster Operating from the vicinity of Scots Meeting House and Van Doren's Mill
2nd Middlesex Colonel John Neilson
3rd Monmouth Colonel Daniel Hendrickson
Rifle and light infantry detachment Colonel Daniel Morgan 824 Because of a series of miscommunications, Morgan remained at Richmond Mills, some two miles (three kilometres) to the south of Monmouth Court House, and did not participate in the battle.[21]
Various Rifle companies detached from the 1st, 4th and 12th Pennsylvania Regiments, and from the 6th, 7th, 8th and 11th Virginia Regiments

Light infantry companies detached from the 1st and 2nd North Carolina Regiments
Detachment of Washington's life guards

1st Monmouth Colonel Asher Holmes New Jersey Militia
2nd Monmouth Colonel Samuel Forman
2nd Burlington Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Haight
Monmouth County Artillery Captain Joshua Huddy
Dragoon detachment Colonel Stephen Moylan Harassed the British 2nd Division as it marched towards Middletown
Detachments of the 1st, 3rd and 4th Light Dragoons
Source: Lender & Stone pp. 453–455

Main line of defenses

Color painting of gray-haired Nathanael Greene in 1783 by Charles Willson Peale. Greene wears his general's uniform with a dark blue coat, a buff vest and turnbacks, and brass buttons.
Nathanael Greene
Unit Commander Strength Notes
Learned's Brigade Colonel John Bailey (probable) 373
2nd Massachusetts Regiment Colonel John Bailey
8th Massachusetts Regiment Colonel Michael Jackson
9th Massachusetts Regiment Colonel James Wesson*
Glover's Brigade Unknown 636
1st Massachusetts Regiment Colonel Joseph Vose
4th Massachusetts Regiment Colonel William Shepard
13th Massachusetts Regiment Colonel Edward Wigglesworth
15th Massachusetts Regiment Colonel Timothy Bigelow
Huntington's Brigade Brigadier General Jedediah Huntington 632
1st and 7th Connecticut Regiments Colonel Hernan Swift
2nd and 5th Connecticut Regiments Colonel Philip Burr Bradley
Poor's Brigade Brigadier General Enoch Poor 754
1st New Hampshire Regiment Colonel Joseph Cilley*
2nd New Hampshire Regiment Lieutenant Colonel George Reid
3rd New Hampshire Regiment Lieutenant Colonel Henry Dearborn*
2nd New York Regiment Colonel Philip Van Cortlandt
4th New York Regiment Colonel Henry Beekman Livingston*
Artillery Brigadier General Henry Knox 10–12 guns
* Detached from their regiments to lead detachments of picked men.
Source: Lender & Stone 2016 pp. 457–458

Forward screen

Unit Commander Strength Notes
Scott's detachment (partial) Brigadier General Charles Scott c.720
Cilley's Battalion Colonel Joseph Cilley Picked men
Parker's Battalion Colonel Richard Parker
1st Pennsylvania Brigade Brigadier General Anthony Wayne* 429 Colonel William Irvine took over in Wayne's absence
1st Pennsylvania Regiment Colonel James Chambers
2nd Pennsylvania Regiment Colonel Henry Bicker
7th Pennsylvania Regiment Colonel William Irvine
10th Pennsylvania Regiment Colonel George Nagel
2nd Pennsylvania Brigade Unknown 487
1st New York Regiment Colonel Goose Van Schaick
4th Pennsylvania Regiment Lieutenant Colonel William Butler*
5th Pennsylvania Regiment Colonel Francis Johnston
11th Pennsylvania Regiment Colonel Richard Humpton(?)
3rd Pennsylvania Brigade Colonel Oliver Spencer (probable) 438
3rd Pennsylvania Regiment Colonel Thomas Craig
6th Pennsylvania Regiment Lieutenant Colonel Josiah Harmar
9th Pennsylvania Regiment Colonel Richard Butler*
12th Pennsylvania Regiment Unknown
Malcolm's Additional Continental Regiment Lieutenant Colonel Aaron Burr
Spencer's Additional Continental Regiment Colonel Oliver Spencer
* Detached from their regiments to lead detachments of picked men.
Source: Lender & Stone 2016 pp. 456–457

Reserve (Perrine's Hill)

Forces commanded by Lafayette shadowed the British flanking column then rested behind the main defensive line at Perrine's Hill.[22]

Unit Commander Strength Notes
North Carolina Brigade Colonel Thomas Clark 425
1st North Carolina Regiment Colonel Thomas Clark
2nd North Carolina Regiment Colonel John Patten
1st Maryland Brigade Brigadier General William Smallwood 790
1st Maryland Regiment Colonel John Hoskins Stone
3rd Maryland Regiment Colonel Mordecai Gist*
5th Maryland Regiment Colonel William Richardson
7th Maryland Regiment Colonel John Gunby
1st Delaware Regiment Colonel David Hall
New Jersey Brigade (partial) Unknown c.500
2nd New Jersey Regiment Colonel Israel Shreve
1st New Jersey Regiment Colonel Matthias Ogden
Source: Lender & Stone 2016 p. 458

Combs Hill

When the main body reached Tennent's Meeting House, some two miles (three kilometres) east of Englishtown, Washington ordered Major General Nathanael Greene to take a brigade to cover the right flank. Greene was guided to Combs Hill by Lieutenant Colonel David Rhea of the 2nd New Jersey Militia.[23]

Unit Commander Strength Notes
Woodford's Brigade Brigadier General William Woodford 475
3rd and 7th Virginia Regiments Lieutenant Colonel Holt Richardson
11th and 15th Virginia Regiments Lieutenant Colonel John Cropper
Artillery Lieutenant Colonel chevalier du Plessis-Mauduit 4 guns
Source: Lender & Stone 2016 p. 459

Reserve (Englishtown)

Washington sent four brigades under Major General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben back to Englishtown to form a reserve.[24]

Unit Commander Strength Notes
Paterson's Brigade Brigadier General John Paterson 485
10th Massachusetts Regiment Colonel Thomas Marshall
11th Massachusetts Regiment Colonel Benjamin Tupper
12th Massachusetts Regiment Colonel Samuel Brewer
14th Massachusetts Regiment Colonel Gamaliel Bradford
2nd Maryland Brigade Unknown 602
2nd Maryland Regiment Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Woolford
4th Maryland Regiment Colonel Josias Carvil Hall
6th Maryland Regiment Colonel Otho Holland Williams
Muhlenberg's Brigade Brigadier General Peter Muhlenberg 711
1st, 5th and 9th Virginia Regiments Colonel Richard Parker*
1st Virginia State Regiment Colonel George Gibson
2nd Virginia State Regiment Colonel Gregory Smith
German Battalion Lieutenant Colonel Ludowick Weltner
Weeden's Brigade Brigadier General George Weeden 587
2nd Virginia Regiment Colonel Christian Febiger
6th Virginia Regiment Colonel John Gibson
10th Virginia Regiment Colonel John Green
14th Virginia Regiment Colonel William Davies
* Detached from regiment to lead a detachment of picked men.
Source: Lender & Stone 2016 pp. 460–461

Notes

Footnotes
Citations
  1. ^ Eggenberger, 282
  2. ^ Johnson, 95. Johnson listed the British total strength and the organization down to brigade and detachment level.
  3. ^ Lender & Stone 2016 pp. 468–470
  4. ^ a b c Lender & Stone 2016 pp. 48, 49
  5. ^ Lender & Stone 2016 p. 48
  6. ^ a b c Lender & Stone 2016 p. 548
  7. ^ Lender & Stone 2016 pp. 467–468
  8. ^ Lender & Stone 2016 p. 54
  9. ^ Lender & Stone 2016 p. 468
  10. ^ Lender & Stone 2016 pp. 463–467
  11. ^ Lender & Stone 2016 pp. 97–98, 350–352
  12. ^ Lender & Stone 2016 p. 463
  13. ^ Lender & Stone 2016 p. 465
  14. ^ Morrissey (2008), 86
  15. ^ Lender & Stone 2016 pp. 451–453
  16. ^ Bilby & Jenkins 2010 pp. 26, 128
  17. ^ Lender, Mark Edward; Stone, Garry Wheeler (2016). Fatal Sunday: George Washington, the Monmouth Campaign, and the Politics of Battle. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0-8061-5335-3. Pg.452
  18. ^ Bilby & Jenkins 2010 pp. 186, 195
  19. ^ Lender & Stone 2016 p. 253
  20. ^ Lender & Stone p. 234
  21. ^ Lender & Stone 2016 pp. 185, 194, 234–236
  22. ^ Lender & Stone 2016 p. 458
  23. ^ Lender & Stone 2016 pp. 284, 333
  24. ^ Lender & Stone 2016 pp. 315–317

References

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