To George Washington from Colonel Stephen Moylan, 28 June 1778
From Colonel Stephen Moylan
[Near Monmouth Court House, N.J., 28 June 1778]
½ past two sunday
Sir
at twelve ô clock the enemy were halted, at Polhemos hill which is on, what is calld, the fifteen hundred acres,1 they are now again in motion & seem to bend their course towards Midletown, thro’ bye roads which were not suspected to be passable, but there are So many intersections in the roads, that it is impossible to judge whether they will go to Midleton or go on to the falls. I have them full in view, and must move as a party is endeavoring to Surround me.2 I am yrs
S. Moylan
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. This hill apparently was located on property owned by Tobias Polhemus (c.1708–1779), who lived a few miles northeast of Monmouth Court House in Upper Freehold Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey.
2. Moylan wrote an undated letter to Maj. Gen. Charles Lee, apparently on this date, from a place “on the midleton road six miles from the Courthouse”: “it is ten o’clock [a.m.] the enemy turnd of[f] at Carnans fields 4½ miles from the Courthouse to the Shrewsbury road, there is a place Calld the falls about six miles from Carnans where there is another road to Midleton Shoud they chuse to go that rout I believe they will halt at the falls as it is advantageous ground if they do you will hear soon” (NN). The “Falls” were Tinton Falls, on the Nevisink River in Shrewsbury Township, Monmouth County, about nine miles east of Monmouth Court House.