Revolutionary War musket ball from the Monmouth, NJ Battlefield (SOLD)

The ball was recovered many years ago from the Monmouth, NJ Battlefield. The Battle of Monmouth (June 28, 1778) was part of the Philadelphia Campaign 1777-78. The Continental Army attacked the rear of the British Army column as they left Monmouth Court House.

Unsteady handling of lead Continental elements by Major General Charles Lee had allowed British rearguard commander, Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis, to seize the initiative, but Washington’s timely arrival on the battlefield rallied the Americans along a hilltop hedgerow. Sensing the opportunity to smash the Continentals, Cornwallis pressed his attack and captured the hedgerow in stifling heat.

Washington consolidated his troops in a new line on heights behind marshy ground, used his artillery to fix the British in their positions, then brought up a four-gun battery under Major General Nathanael Greene on nearby Combs Hill to enfilade the British line, requiring Cornwallis to withdraw.

Finally, Washington tried to hit the exhausted British rear guard on both flanks, but darkness forced the end of the engagement. Both armies held the field, but the British Commanding General Henry Clinton withdrew undetected at midnight to resume his army’s march to New York City. While Cornwallis protected the main British column from any further American attack, Washington had fought his opponent to a standstill after a pitched and prolonged engagement. This was the first time that Washington’s army had achieved such a result.

Any artifacts from the Monmouth Battlefield are very rare. The musket ball comes in the glass top display case pictured.