For these purposes you will attack them as occasion may require by detachment, and, if a proper opening should be given, by operating against them with the whole force of your command. You will naturally take such precautions as will secure you against surprise, and maintain your communication with this army. Given at Kings. ton, this 25th day of June, 1778."

In the mean time, Lee had repented of having declined the command. He solicited Lafayette to relinquish it; then yielded, and again solicited. "It is my fortune and honor," said he to Lafayette, "that are placed in your hands: you are too generous to cause the loss of both." Ever noble and generous, Lafayette the next day wrote to Gen. Washington from Icetown, to which he had advanced, and was making vigilant preparations for an attack upon the enemy: "I want to repeat to you in writing what I have told to you, which is, that if you believe it, or if it is believed necessary or useful to the good of the service and the honor of General Lee, to send him down with a couple of thousand men, or any greater force, I will cheerfully obey and serve him, not only out of duty, but out of what I owe to that gentleman's character." On the receipt of this letter, (June 26,) Gen. Washington wrote to Gen. Lee. "Your uneasiness on account of the command of yesterday's detachment fills me with concern, as it is not in my power fully to remove it without wounding the feelings of the Marquis de Lafayette." As an expedient, however, which might in some measure meet the views of both, he proposed that Lee should march towards the marquis with two additional brigades; give him notice that he was advancing to support him, and was, as the senior officer, to have command of the whole advanced body, &c. He wrote also to Lafayette: "General Lee's uneasiness on account of yesterday's transaction, rather increasing than abating, and your politeness in wishing to ease him of it, have induced me to detach him from this army with a part of it, to reinforce, or at least cover the several detachments at present under your command. At the same time that I felt for General Lee's distress of mind, I have had an eye to your wishes, and the delicacy of your situation; and have therefore obtained a promise from him, that, when he gives you notice of his approach and command, he will request you to prosecute any plan you may have already concerted for the purpose of at tacking, or otherwise annoying the enemy. This is the

only expedient I could think of to answer the views of both. General Lee seems satisfied with the measure, and I wish it may prove agreeable to you, as I am with the warmest wishes for your honor and glory, and with the sincerest esteem and affection, yours, &c."

To this arrangement Lafayette yielded cheerfully. The British army had encamped upon the high grounds, about Monmouth Court-House, in a strong position, secured on nearly all sides by woods and marshy ground. On ascertaining their position, Washington moved forward with his whole army; and sent orders to Lee, who was at Englishtown, with the advance, lately commanded by Lafayette, to move on and attack the enemy, "unless there should be very powerful reasons to the contrary." The British army set forward on the morning of the 28th. The baggage was placed under the care of Gen. Knyphausen, while the strength and flower of the army, entirely unincumbered, formed the rear division, under the particular command of Lord Cornwallis, who was accompanied by Sir Henry Clinton himself. Gen. Lee appeared on the Heights of Freetown, soon after Cornwallis had left them; followed the enemy into the plain, and made dispositions for attack. But he seems to have vacillated in his plans, as much as he had done in reference to taking the command of the detachment. He directed Lafayette to cross the plain, and attack the left flank of the enemy, by which he was exposed to the fire of the English artillery; and Lee then sent him word to fall back into the village in which were placed the rest of the troops. Lafayette behaved with the greatest presence of mind and bravery. A party of British troops having moved towards Lee's right flank, and so placed itself that Lafayette thought there was a fair opportunity for cutting it off, he rode quickly up to Lee and suggested to him that an advantageous attack might be made in that quarter. "Sir," replied Lee, "You do not know British soldiers; we cannot stand against them; we shall certainly be driven back at first, and we must be cautious." Lafayette answered, that "it might be so, but British soldiers had been beaten, and it was to be presumed they might be beaten again, and at any rate he was for making the trial.”

After some slight skirmishing, Lee began to give way,

with his whole division of five thousand men, although he knew Gen. Washington, with the entire army, was marching his to support. At the first retrogade movement, Lafayette sent information to Gen. Washington of what was passing, and that his presence was extremely important. Washington rode immediately to the scene of action, when he found the troops retreating in confusion. "You know," said Lee, "that all this was against my advice." General Washington replied with much severity. The presence of Washington gave courage to the troops. With the aid of Lafayette, and the other officers, they were rallied, and the enemy held in check, until the main body of the American army came up. Gen. Washington immediately made his dispositions for a general battle. When the order of battle was completed, Gen. Greene commanded the right of the first line, Lord Sterling the left, and Lafayette the second line. Being warmly opposed in front, the enemy attempted to turn the left flank of the Americans, but were repulsed. A similar attempt on the right, was resisted with equal bravery and success, by the troops with artillery, under General Greene; and Gen. Wayne, with a body of infantry, assailed the enemy, with a hot and well directed fire, in front, and compelled them to retire behind a marshy ravine, to the ground they had occupied before the beginning of the battle. Dispositions were made by Gen. Washington for attacking the enemy on the right and left, while the artillery should advance and play on their front; but night coming on, arrested these movements, and put an end to the engagement.

From four o'clock in the morning until night, Lafayette had been incessantly active. The heat had been so intense that many of the soldiers fell dead merely from its effects. Washington and Lafayette passed the night lying on the ground upon the same mantle, in the midst of the soldiers, talking over the events of the day, and particularly the conduct of Lee, who was next day arrested, and eventually tried and convicted by a court-martial, and sentenced to be suspended for one year.

The next morning, it was discovered that the enemy had marched off during the night, and had gained such a position, that from the make of the country it was deemed unadvisable to follow them further. The enemy left two

hundred and forty-five non-commissioned officers and privates, and four officers, one of whom was Colonel Monckton of the grenadiers, dead on the field, and those afterwards found and buried by the inhabitants increased the number of killed to upwards of three hundred. Upwards of one hundred were taken prisoners. The number of dead which they buried, and the wounded carried off, could not be ascertained. The Americans lost seven officers, and fifty-two rank and file killed, and seven officers and one hundred and twenty rank and file wounded.

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Such was the Battle of Monmouth, in which Lafayette, although deprived by the caprice of Lee of an honorable command, distinguished himself by the greatest valor, skill, and devotion. Amidst the intensity of his own duties, he did not fail to observe with admiration, and afterwards to bear testimony to, the brave and skilful conduct of the Commander-in-chief. Washington (he says,) was never greater in battle than in this action. His presence stopped the retreat; his arrangements secured the victory. His graceful bearing on horseback, his calm and dignified deportment, which still retained some trace of the displeas ure he had expressed in the morning, were all calculated to excite the highest degree of enthusiasm."

The British army passed through New Jersey, and encamped in three divisions on Staten Island, York Island, and Long Island. Gen. Washington's army marched leisurely for

ward, crossed the North River at King's Ferry, and encamped near White Plains. While the two armies were marching from the Delaware to the Hudson, the French fleet, under the Count D'Estaing, arrived on the coast. It consisted of eleven ships of the line and six frigates, having on board a numerous body of troops, with a supply of arms and munitions of war -an acceptable aid to the Americans, and the first fruits they had derived from the alliance with France. Having touched at the Capes of Delaware (July 7,) and finding that the British army and fleet had gone to New York, Count D'Estaing despatched a frigate up the river, with M. Gerard, the first minister from France to the United States, and sailed for Sandy Hook. Not being able to co-operate with Gen. Washington on a plan proposed by him, for an attack upon the British fleet and army at New York, from the impracticability, as pronounced by the pilots, of getting his heavy ships over the bar, the French admiral sailed for Rhode Island, with the design of attacking the British force of about 5000 men, then stationed at Newport.

The arrival of the French fleet was a source of gratification to Lafayette. He had been desirous, and had exerted his whole influence, to induce the French government, not only to espouse openly the cause of American independence, but to aid it substantially and efficiently. General Washington, therefore, conferred upon Lafayette an acceptable duty, and a new and delicate proof of confidence, when, for the purpose of co-operating with the expedition of the French squadron against the enemy at Rhode Island, he assigned to him, by an order of 22d July, 1778, the immediate command of a detachment of two brigades, with direction to march with all convenient speed and by the best route to Providence, and place himself under the orders of General Sullivan, who had the command at that station. He concludes the order, by expressing, "the most perfect reliance on Lafayette's activity and zeal, and wishing him all the success, honor, and glory that his heart could wish." Gen. Greene was soon after sent by Gen. Washington to participate in this command, and was the bearer of the following explanatory letter to Lafayette:

"Head Quarters, White Plains, 27th July, 1778. "DEAR MARQUIS--This will be delivered to you by Major-General Greene, whose thorough knowledge of Rhode Island, of which he is a