George Bancroft, History of the United States from the Discovery of the American Continent, Vol. 10

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On the twenty-sixth Lee was sent forward with

Chap. IV.} 1778. June 27.

two brigades, to command the whole advance party, with orders to attack the enemy's rear. Intense heat and heavy rains held both armies quiet on the twentyseventh; but just after noon on that day Washington, summoning the generals to headquarters, instructed them to engage the enemy on the next morning; and he directed Lee to concert with his officers the mode of attack. But when Lafayette, Wayne, and Maxwell at the appointed hour came to Lee, he refused to form a plan, so that none was made. Nor did he attempt to gain knowledge of the ground on which he was ordered to fight. In the evening he was charged by Washington to detach a party of six or eight hundred skirmishers to lie very near the enemy, and delay them, if they should move off at night, or early in the morning. The order was executed too tardily to have effect.

Informed, at five in the morning of the twenty-

28.

eighth, that the British had begun their march from Monmouth, Lee remained inert, till Washington, who was the first to be in motion, sent him orders to attack the British rear, unless there should be very powerful reasons to the contrary, promising to come up rapidly to his support. He obeyed so far as to move, but languidly, without a plan, and without any concert with his generals, or of them with one another. To a proposal of Lafayette, Lee answered: ‘You don't know the British soldiers: we cannot stand against them.’ Upon this Lafayette sent to Washington, that his presence on the field was needed; and twice were similar messages sent by Laurens. Having orders to attack the enemy's left, Lafayette received