"Order out of confusion": Marching to Monmouth Courthouse

Monmouth Battlefield Special Event, 24-26 June 2016 (Model Company)

Follow the course of the Battle of Monmouth Courthouse (28 June 1778) with a company of the 4th
Connecticut Regiment serving with Maj. Gen. Charles Lee's Advance force.
Saturday 25 June 2016 (main event) - 11 mile march from Englishtown to Freehold, and then back to
Perrine Ridge, following the route of Varnum's Brigade at the Battle of Monmouth. Sunday, 26 June 2016
- Approx. 2 miles march from Perrine Ridge to Combs Hill, then living history for the public until circa 2
PM.
Also on Saturday, at the Craig House, local civilians (householders and refugees), and militia will interact
with the public and discuss the British occupation, impact of the war, daily life, and other matters.
Itinerary for Saturday march:
1. Begin march at Tavern at Englishtown
2. Tennant Meeting
3. Causeway/Bridge over morass (discuss early morning skirmish, New Jersey militia and
British light horse)
4. Craig House
5. Furthest point of advance by Varnum and Scott (also discuss furthest point of advance by
Wayne and Butler)
6. Point of Woods
7. Hedgerow
8. Causeway over morass (discuss pell mell advance of Clinton with Grenadiers)
9. Reach Perrine Ridge at around 1 PM
10. Action at the Sutphin Orchard
11. Parsonage Farm attack

Weekend Schedule (Draft, 3 May 2016)

Monmouth Battle Special Event, 24-26 June 2016 (Model Company)
Moon phase, June 24 and 25, 2016, waning gibbous

24

25

Waning gibbous
Visible: 84%
Age: 20 days

Waning gibbous
Visible: 75%
Age: 21 days

Waning gibbous moon

Schedule
Saturday - Craig House civilian living history: Householder, refugees, and local militia.
____________
(Possible optional activity, to be determined later)
Friday morning and day: recreate march of Lees detachment from near Manalapan River
bridge to Village Inn, Englishtown (approximately 6 miles).
____________
Friday afternoon and night:
All participants need to arrive Friday afternoon or very early evening
Camp will be at Village Inn, Englishtown.
Activities Form, drill, and maneuver the company.

On Friday evening rations will be issued to each mess as follows: one day ration of bread. Mess
groups will supplement the ration with types of foods or beverages then (June 1778) available for
purchase via sutlers or from local inhabitants, or by foraging. Lists of available foods and
beverages, and in-season produce, will be provided to participants.

Saturday morning:
Eat breakfast of cold rations
Form, drill, and maneuver the company prior to departure at circa 7:30-8:00 AM
March begins circa 7:30-8:00 AM
(While Lees troops left their knapsacks at Englishtown, I would like to march from Englishtown
with knapsacks and cooking gear to at or near Perrine Ridge, where we would leave those items
before we continued on to Freehold. That would entail: a) leaving someone to watch over the gear,
either a member of the company who volunteers or a park employee, or b) placing our trust in the
honesty of humankind and leaving it unguarded.)

List of stopping/discussion points during the march:

12. Tavern at Englishtown
13. Tennant Meeting (Pastor of the Meeting)
14. Causeway/Bridge over morass (discuss early morning skirmish, New Jersey militia
and British light horse)
15. Craig House
16. Furthest point of advance by Varnum and Scott (also discuss furthest point of
advance by Wayne and Butler) (John Rees)
17. Point of Woods
18. Hedgerow
19. Causeway over morass (discuss pell mell advance of Clinton with Grenadiers)
20. Reach Perrine Ridge at around 1 PM
21. Action at the Sutphin Orchard
22. Parsonage Farm attack
At this point the troops took position in front of and behind Perrine Ridge. It was also the time
when the afternoon cannonade took place.
Circa 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM, extended break to rest, water, and feed. (Ghostly, silent,
cannonade taking place.)
(Note: if anyone knows of a cannon and crew who would be willing to participate, please let
me know: John Rees ju_rees@msn.com )
A very smart cannonading ensued from both sides.: Continental Artillery at Monmouth Courthouse, 28 June 1778
Appendices
1. Col. Richard Butlers 1778 Map of the Monmouth Battle (drawn by William Gray)
2. The Company was sent to Eastown with the pieces taken at Saratoga : Brig. Gen. William Maxwells Jersey
Brigade Artillery at Monmouth.
https://www.scribd.com/doc/139365107/A-very-smart-cannonading-ensued-from-both-sides-ContinentalArtillery-at-Monmouth-Courthouse-28-June-1778

23. Sutphin Orchard

At about 2:30 PM, we will move to portray the action at the Sutphin Farm orchard. Since the 4th
Connecticut did not take part in this action, or the one at the Parsonage Farm on the other flank,
for both of these movements we will either change into hunting shirts, or merely take our coats
off. At least one volley will be fired when we reach the proper position.
24. Parsonage/Hedgerow (also discuss Combs Hill position)
After that movement we will return to Perrine Ridge, the move to the Parsonage farm site to
portray the action there. One or several volleys will be fired when we reach the correct position.
Then back to
25. Perrine Ridge (circa 3:30-4:00 PM)
Ration issue: one day of beef or pork and one day of biscuit OR bread.
Evening meal cooked and consumed
Company sentinels will posted overnight, beginning at dusk.
(Question: One or two hour sentry stints?)
Those off-duty may indulge in fraternization, relatively subdued merriment, etc.
__________
During the morning march, our afternoon break, at the Parsonage Farm site, and after we march
back to Perrine Ridge for the night, we will have time to interact with any public present.
If we only issue one days ration Friday night, then another ration issue will be done at Perrine
Ridge and supper will be cooked.
Sunday
Breakfast on food from haversacks, or cook if anything available.
Anyone who wishes or needs to leave may do so (especially those with a long drive home); those
remaining will pack up and march to Combs Hill, site of the Park Visitor Center. We will
interact with the public, do some demonstrations as a unit, and check out the exhibits. Tentative
time for leaving, 2:00 PM.

Concerns and Items to Address

1. I would like to form mess groups before the event to, among other things, ensure
each mess has a kettle and any other desired cooking equipment.
2. I need to ensure bathroom facilities and water at the Village Inn on Friday. Fires
are not allowed, but Id still like to figure out how to get hot coffee for those who
want it.
3. Need to drop water at selected sites on the Saturday march to Freehold and back.
4. Ensure bathroom facilities, water, firewood, and place to build fires at Perrine
Ridge on Saturday.
5. Need to park cars at Visitor Center parking lot on Friday, and shuttle participants
to Village Inn.
6. For rations issues, need to determine where to purchase foodstuff, quantity needed
for each day (each person 1 pound beef or pound pork, and 1 pound bread or
biscuit)
7. Company sentinels will posted overnight Saturday/Sunday beginning at dusk.
Question: Should the sentrys stints be one or two hours?

Company Organization
(53 men)
Captain Stuart Lilie
1st Lieutenant Alan Kraus (if he attends and wishes to be an officer, otherwise only two
company officers)
2d Lieutenant Andrew Watson Kirk
1st Serjeant Matt Keagle
2d Serjeant Rob Welch
3d Serjeant Carl Ivar
4th Serjeant Nick Spadone
1st Corporal Gibb Zea
2d Corporal Jeff Blessing
3d Corporal David Niescior
4th Corporal John Rees
Drummer Daryian Kelton
Fifer Matt Skic
Privates (41)
Travis Shaw
Matt White
Damian Niescior
Patrick Eckelmann
Peter Stratton
William S. Z. Crawford
Valentine Povinelli
Keith Minsinger

Alex Cain
Kurt Lewis
Robert Braun
Justin Blocksom
John Bradley
Mark Texel
Matthew Maciolek
Jesse Campana
Charles Kohler
Joshua Blessing
Jason Wickersty
David Wilson
James Bevan
William Michel
Matt Mickletz
Kenneth Gavin
Rob Doscher
Patrick Morton
Dana Shoaf
Thomas Rousseau
Marvin Alonzo-Greer
LC Gamm
Joseph Berry

Mark Ernest Grimm

Joel Anderson
Todd Lacy
Dave Palmer
Will Tatum
Kyle Timmons
Jesse Nokes

Aaron Walker
Phil Mead
Jeremy Becnel

Bryant White
(3) Women with Fitchs Company, 4th Connecticut
1. Carrie Fellows
2. Jennifer Wilbur
3. Mary Sherlock
4. Jana Violante
Civilians at the Craig House
Kirsten Hammerstrom
Anna Gruber Kiefer
Bryan Kennedy
(Maybe Becky Mooneyhan)
(Maybe Pat Morton)

As of March 10, 2016

Registered as Maybe
Zech Yaw
Frank Mahon
Wade Rogers
Shaun Pekar
Christopher Wilson
Jason Melius
Connor Swaim
Antoine Watts
Scott Stephenson
Scott Lance
Nick Johnson
Tyler Grecco
Nathan Joel Putterrman Hoffman
Barry Dusel
Jack Marshall
Matt Payson
Timothy Abbot
Jeremy Becnel
Greg Theberge
Robert Weber
Brandon Aglio

Scott Douglas
Travis Shaw
Cameron Green
George Efinger
George Louis Myers
Dan Center
Thomas Salemi