June 28, 1778 – Celebrating the 240th Anniversary of the Battle of Monmouth
This year marks the 240th anniversary of the Battle of Monmouth, an American Revolutionary War battle fought on June 28, 1778, in Monmouth County, New Jersey. 
The Continental Army under General George Washington attacked the rear of the British Army column commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton as they left Monmouth Court House.
At the time, the Americans were having a great deal of difficulty fighting against the British. British commander Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis was able to seize the advantage, but George Washington’s arrival to the battlefield allowed the Americans to establish a perimeter along the hilltop.
Cornwallis pressed on through and captured the hill position in horrific heat.
Washington led his troops to form a new line behind a marshy position.
Major General Nathanael Greene, on nearby Combs Hill, attacked the British line, forcing Cornwallis withdraw.
Washington tried to finish off Cornwallis, but nightfall came, not allowing him to finish off the British there.
Washington fought his opponent to a standstill, representing the first time that Washington’s army had achieved such a result. The battle demonstrated the growing effectiveness of the Continental Army after its six-month encampment at Valley Forge, where constant drilling under officers such as Major General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, Major General Gilbert du Motier, and the Marquis de Lafayette greatly improved discipline and morale.
General George Washington’s soldiers battled the British in the longest land battle of the American Revolutionary War. It was at Monmouth that the tactics and training of von Steuben developed at Valley Forge during the prior winter proved to be a deciding factor.