Major General Charles Lee to George Washington, 27 June 1778

On 27 June 1778, Maj. Gen. Charles Lee sent the following letter to General Washington. On that day Lee had taken over command of troops near English Town, New Jersey, from General Lafayette. Lee was instructed by Washington to attack the rear of the British troops when the British moved from their position at Monmouth Courthouse. In this letter, Lee relates the placement of his troops. The next day would bring the Battle of Monmouth and in Lee’s next letter to Washington he would complain of a perceived slight from words spoken by the General during the day’s fighting.

Original manuscript images of Lee’s letter at the Library of Congress: Page 1 | Page 2

Also see the introduction to Washington’s correspondence with Lee.