The writings of George Washington

28 June 1778

Battle of Monmouth

TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

Having mentioned the subject of seditious papers, I beg leave to observe, that the commissioners in their late proclamation and manifesto have touched upon every thing to awaken the fears of the people. They have thrown out an implied threat to change the man¬ ner of the war to one of a more predatory and destruc¬ tive kind. They may have done this only in terror em ; but it is possible that it may be intended as a serious principle of practice. It perhaps may not be improvi¬ dent to guard against it, by fortifying our most valuable and most accessible seaports. Immediately after the action at Monmouth, I sent General Duportail to form a plan of fortification for the Delaware. While he was in the execution of this task, he was called away at Gen¬ eral Lee’s instance as a witness in his trial. After this was over, I thought it was necessary that he should turn his attention to the Highland posts ; and lately the pos¬ sibility of an enterprise against the French fleet and the

TO GOVERNOR LIVINGSTON.

I have information through a channel, which has sel¬ dom deceived me, that the enemy intend shortly to make a forage upon the Monmouth coast. The dis¬ tance of any Continental troops from that quarter, and the necessity they are under of employing every mo¬ ment in providing covering for the winter, oblige me to desire your Excellency to give orders to the militia in that county to remove the stock, wrhich is near the coast, and to have a particular regard to the houses of the disaffected, who always have previous notice of the designs of the enemy, and lay up stores of provisions, that they may be at hand when they make a descent. By doing this, they screen themselves from the charge of having voluntarily contributed. I shall set out to¬ morrow for Middlebrook, at which place I shall be hap¬ py to receive your Excellency’s favors. I am, &c.

WASHINGTON'S WRITINGS.

* This was a long and elaborate article, signed by General Lee, and containing a free discussion of the affair at Monmouth, and of some points relating to his trial. Boastful and egotistic, it met with little, favor from any party. It was reprinted in Rivington's Gazette .

VOL. VI.

right to resume your proper station in the line, on the resignation of this office. It was not in my opinion understood, that you were to retain an actual perma¬ nent command, a proof of which is, that you imme¬ diately relinquished your division, and have continued out of command ever since, except upon two occasions of an extraordinary nature and by special appointment. My idea was, that you were to stand precisely upon the same footing, in proportion to your rank, as quarter- master-generals in other services, who, from the best information I have been able to obtain, do not usually exercise a regular lineal command, but are eligible by order of the officer at the head of the army to occa¬ sional commands, either on detachment or in the line, when, in his opinion, it is for the good of the service to employ them in this manner, and it does not inter¬ fere with the duties of the department, or with the par¬ ticular and proper command of other officers. Upon this principle you were appointed to the right wing in the affair of Monmouth, and were sent to take a com- mand under General Sullivan, and both, as far as I have ever heard, were agreeable to the general sense of the army. To attempt a more precise definition of the cases, in which you may be invested with actual com¬ mand, might only lead to misapprehension, discontent on one side or another, embarrassing discussions, and perhaps confusion.