BARREN HILL.
This map is sketched and reduced from a MS. map preserved in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, signed "Major Capitaine, A. D. C. du Genl. Lafayette", and called Plan de la retraite de Barrenhill en Pensilvanie, où un detachement de 2,200 hommes sous le Général la Fayette, etoit entourré par l'armée Anglaise sous les Gx. Howe, Clinton, et Grant, le 28 May, 1778. It bears the following Key: (translation) a. Position of the American detachment on Barren Hill, eleven miles from Philadelphia and twelve miles from Valley Forge, on the right bank of the Schuylkill. b. Pickets of the Americans, which retired on the approach of the enemy. c. A French company under Captain M'Clean, with fifty Indians. e. Place where the militia were ordered to gather, but they failed to do so. f. March of Maj.-Gen. Grant at the head of grenadiers and chasseurs, and two brigades, making in all 8,000 men, with 15 pieces of cannon. g. Where the enemy were first discovered. h. Americans occupying the meeting-house and burial-ground, deploying to defend their left flank. i. March of the detachment on the second warning to reach Matson's Ford. k. Chasseurs detached to confront Gen. Grant. l. Body of English cavalry, followed by a body of grenadiers and chasseurs. m. March of Gen. Grant, always following the Americans. n. Matson's Ford, which the Americans gained and passed, when they occupied the highlands, o, while a small force was sent to Swede's Ford. p. Rich road by which Howe and Clinton advanced with the rest of the British army. q. Point where Howe and Grant formed, whence, seeing that their attempt had failed, they returned to Philadelphia. r. Road from Swede's Ford, by which the American detachment returned the next day to occupy Barren Hill.
There is among the Sparks maps at Cornell University a duplicate copy of this map, made from Lafayette's original. Cf. maps in Sparks, v. 378; Carrington's Battles, p. 408; Lossing, ii. 329; and the view of the church (p. 322).
Clinton, on relieving Howe from the command in Philadelphia, was instructed to evacuate the city (Sparks, v. 548). This materially changed the plans for the campaign, which had been determined upon prior to the announcement of the French alliance (Sparks MSS., xlv. and lviii.). Washington meanwhile was considering an alternative of plans, and getting the opinions of his general officers;[947] but the movements of the British to evacuate Philadelphia soon changed all.[948]
PLAN OF MONMOUTH BATTLE.
From a plan in Hilliard d'Auberteuil's Essais, i. p. 270. Key: The English had passed the night at a. Lee's advance showed itself at 3, when the British debouched from their position at 1, while their guns at 2 fired on the Americans. The Americans at 3 retired into the wood, and joined Lee's main body, which debouched from the wood at 4, their guns taking position at 6 and 7, while the British guns were at 5. The Americans (4, 8, and 10) retired and took position at 11; and while still further retreating, the British attacked at 12, and the Americans made a stand at 13, and before all could retire still farther the British again attacked at 14. The Americans again formed at 15, when Washington, coming up by way of the new Baptist meeting-house with the main body, formed at 16, Stirling and Greene in front, and Lafayette in the rear, while Lee's men at 15 passed to Washington's rear, a British reconnoitring force appearing meanwhile at 17, and Plessis-Mauduit's battery, supported by 500 men, taking position at 18. The British at 14 and 17, being repulsed, united at 19, whence they were further repulsed and took position at 20. They formed again at 21 after Washington's attack. They passed the night at 22.
This map was apparently engraved from an original, followed in two plans, differently drawn, but in effect the same, which are among the maps in the Sparks collection at Cornell University, and which were copied from Lafayette's own plan at Lagrange. It is called Carte de l'affaire de Montmouth, où le général Washington commandait l'armée Américaine et le général Clinton commandait l'armée Anglaise, le 28 Juin, 1778. The "legende" shows references from 1 to 22, with extra ones a and b, the latter (b) being at the junction of the two dotted lines in the rear of 16, and is explained as the "movement of the second line, commanded by General Lafayette, which, as soon as the column at 17 was perceived, was detached to occupy the wood west of the meeting-house, which the column 17 was approaching; but when this column 17 was repulsed the line was restored."