Larry Mendte Curtis Sliwa America 250th June 18

Larry and Curtis discussed the Battle of Monmouth, highlighting its role in the American Revolution and its reputation as one of the war’s largest battles. They also touched on its local importance to New Jersey history and the legends and stories that have grown around the battle over the years.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Curtis and Larry celebrate two fifty stories that made America
on sevent ten Wars. In June of seventeen seventy eight,
the Continental Army was emboldened. They had survived the winter
at Valley Forge and emerged from its stronger a stronger
fighting force than ever before. Thanks to the training drills

(00:23):
of Persian General Frederick von Steuben. French forces arrived to
join the American Revolution, and for the first time, the
British were on the run. They gave up Philadelphia without
a fight and were retreating to the safety of New York,
where there were loyalists galore, fresh troops and safe haven.

(00:46):
New York had become the Brits stronghold in the war.
They occupied it, they fortified it. They took not only
the city, but the surrounding area. The British retreat to
New York from Philadelphia was led by General Sir Henry Clinton.
Washington was determined to cut the fleeing British troops off
before they could get to New York. There was a

(01:09):
major change in the war. For the first time, the
Continental Army was in pursuit of the all powerful British
Army and not vice versa. It was the mouse now
chasing the cat. Washington seemed like he was solidly in command,
but it wasn't the battle front ahead of him that

(01:29):
he had to worry about. It was happening behind his back,
as it is today. It was in seventeen seventy eight,
politics was threatening the war. In Philadelphia. An Irish born
French officer named Thomas Conway was lobbying the Continental Congress
to replace Washington, claiming Washington was way too cautious and

(01:53):
stayed far too long in Valley Forge. They called this
internal uprising the Conway Cabal. Word of the attempted French
coup in Philadelphia reached Washington as he was shadowing the
British troops into Monmouth County and Sandy Hook. Washington had
fourteen thousand men, the British seventeen thousand. The commander's senior

(02:19):
officers were once again urging caution, but it was now
politically important for Washington not to allow the British to
get away unscathed. Washington sent one third of his troops,
under the command of General Charles Lee ahead to flank
the British troops and cut off their path to Sandy hook,

(02:40):
but Lee, who was one of the officers lobbying for retreat,
failed in what Washington believed was a half hearted effort. However,
half hearted may have been enough. It gave Washington time
to gain higher ground for his artillery. The heart of
the Battle of Monmouth was a two hour artillery battle.

(03:04):
It culminated with a Continental Army infantry attack, and the
British retreated into the sunset. General Washington's troops and General
Clinton's troops were just one mile apart when each side
retired for the night. When Washington awoke, the British were gone,
they fled to New York in the night. The battle

(03:27):
was tactically inconclusive and strategically irrelevant, but Washington's troops were
able to go toe to toe with the Great British Army,
and it was the British who had to flee In
New York, the British General Clinton warned of the new
aggressiveness and proficiency of the Continental Army. Washington returned to

(03:51):
Philadelphia and was able to present himself as a victor
to Congress. He had generally arrested and court martialed. Immediately,
the Conway Cabal was quelled Washington not only won the
military battle in Monmouth, New Jersey, but the political battle
in Philadelphia. His command was now secure. Outstanding another outstanding contribution.

(04:19):
You should know, ladies and gentlemen, we are the only
station of any type who is doing a daily tribute
to our American Revolution of free ourselves from the tyranny
of the crown. Every day, Larry'll take a New Jersey story.
I'll take the New York story of the American Revolution.
Shame on the rest of us