Henry Monckton
Henry Monckton | |
---|---|
Born | 13 July 1740 |
Died | 28 June 1778 Freehold Borough, New Jersey | (aged 37)
Allegiance | Great Britain |
Branch | British Army |
Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
Conflict |
Henry Monckton (13 July 1740 – 28 June 1778) was the fourth son of John Monckton, 1st Viscount Galway, and the younger half-brother of the more famous Robert Monckton.
During the
He was killed leading his soldiers at the Battle of Monmouth on 28 June 1778.
Early career
Born on 13 July 1740, Monckton was the fourth son of
Monckton commanded the
Philadelphia campaign
At the Battle of Brandywine on 11 September 1777, Monckton led the 2nd Grenadier Battalion, which was formed from 15 grenadier companies taken from the regiments of foot. As the British advanced south from Osborne's Hill, the left flank of the 2nd Grenadiers touched the Birmingham road while the 1st Grenadiers deployed on their right.[9] The battalion struck Thomas Conway's 3rd Pennsylvania Brigade, driving it back.[10]
Near sunset, the advancing 2nd Grenadiers walked into a trap set by
On 26 September, the British Army marched into the rebel capital of Philadelphia. One witness remembered Monckton leading both British grenadier battalions.[14] His circle of friends among the British officers included Sir George Osborn, 4th Baronet, William Harcourt, Richard FitzPatrick, and Sir John Wrottesley, 8th Baronet.[15] On 4 October, the Battle of Germantown was fought. Monckton double-timed his grenadiers from their barracks in Philadelphia to the field of action. On the way they passed the slower-moving Hessian grenadiers.[16] Led by Cornwallis, the grenadiers arrived just as the American attack collapsed. They led the pursuit up Germantown Road as far as Chestnut Hill.[17]
Death at Monmouth
In March 1778, Secretary of State for the American Colonies
Meanwhile, Washington moved his army northeast from Valley Forge, Pennsylvania and crossed the Delaware at Coryell's Ferry. On 23 June, the American army reached Hopewell, New Jersey, and moved east to intercept Clinton. After some hesitation, Washington appointed his second-in-command, Charles Lee to lead his advance guard.[21] At 4:00 a.m., on 28 June, Knyphausen's division began its march from Monmouth Court House, followed at 8:00 a.m. by Cornwallis' division. Lee failed to scout the terrain and told his subordinates that he had no plan of battle other than to act according to circumstances. He only began moving forward at 7:00 a.m. with 5,000 troops and 10 cannons. When Lee arrived near the British positions, Clinton turned back to assist his covering party with strong rear guard forces, including the two grenadier battalions. After some attacks miscarried, Lee's division retreated with Clinton in pursuit.[22]
At length, Lee's withdrawing troops met Washington's main body moving forward. Washington relieved Lee of command, but apparently relented and allowed Lee to cobble together a defensive line with the troops at hand. He placed
The 16th Light Dragoons tried to charge the hedgerow but Olney's men repulsed them with a blast of gunfire. Clinton personally led forward the 2nd Grenadiers and one wing of the 1st Grenadiers, calling out, "Charge, grenadiers, never heed forming." Case shot from Oswald's guns ripped into the grenadiers from a range of 40 yards (37 m), but they stormed the hedgerow anyway, driving back Olney's men. During the desperate action, Washington's chief of artillery Henry Knox ordered Oswald to pull back. Covered by Olney's brigade, he managed to get across the bridge without losing any guns. The action was so chaotic that a party of 16 grenadiers found themselves amid Olney's brigade, but the Americans were so focused on getting away that they paid no attention to their enemies. Sometime during the action at the hedgerow, a British officer saw Monckton fall, struck by grape shot. He detailed some of his soldiers to retrieve his commander, but apparently this was not done. After the battle some men of the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment found Monckton.[25] The mortally wounded officer was taken to the Old Tennent Church where he died the same day.[1]
Oddly, Clinton did not mention Monckton in his report of the battle. However, Hessian Adjutant General Carl Leopold Baurmeister wrote, "Colonel Monckton was killed, a great loss indeed."
Notes
- ^ a b c d Dodge, Monckton
- ^ University of Nottingham: Biography of John Monckton, 1st Viscount Galway (1695–1751)
- ^ a b Boatner, 711
- ^ Fischer, 389
- ^ Fischer, 393
- ^ Fischer, 410
- ^ Fischer, 292
- ^ Fischer, 343
- ^ McGuire 2006, p. 205.
- ^ McGuire 2006, p. 235.
- ^ McGuire 2006, pp. 255–259.
- ^ McGuire 2006, p. 226.
- ^ McGuire 2006, p. 231.
- ^ McGuire 2007, p. 14,
- ^ McGuire 2007, p. 49.
- ^ McGuire 2007, p. 75.
- ^ McGuire 2007, pp. 120–121.
- ^ Morrissey, p. 32.
- ^ Morrissey, p. 33.
- ^ Morrissey, pp. 34–37.
- ^ Morrissey, pp. 40–41.
- ^ Boatner, pp. 719–721.
- ^ Morrissey, p. 65.
- ^ Morrissey, p. 69.
- ^ Morrissey, pp. 69–70.
- ^ Morrissey, p. 76.
- ^ Boatner, p. 724.
- ^ Preston, p. 331.
References
- Boatner, Mark M. III (1994). Encyclopedia of the American Revolution. Mechanicsburg, Pa.: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-0578-1.
- ISBN 978-0-19-518159-3.
- McGuire, Thomas J. (2006). The Philadelphia Campaign, Volume I. Mechanicsburg, Penn.: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-0178-6.
- McGuire, Thomas J. (2007). The Philadelphia Campaign, Volume II. Mechanicsburg, Penn.: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-0206-5.
- Morrissey, Brendan (2008). Monmouth Courthouse 1778: The last great battle in the North. Long Island City, N.Y.: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-772-7.
- Preston, John Hyde (1962). Revolution 1776. New York, N.Y.: Washington Square Press.