The Battle of Monmouth: The Archaeology of Molly Pitcher, the Royal Highlanders,and Colonel Cilley’s Light Infantry

by Daniel M. SivilichGarry Wheeler Stone, Ph.D.

The Battle of Monmouth began when the Continental Army took a cautious swipe at the rear of aBritish army marching from Philadelphia to New York. The British parried and thrust back. Washingtontook refuge on a hill behind an artillery line, beat back British attacks, and won one of the largest battlesof the American Revolution. For a dozen years, archaeologists and historians, most of them volunteers,have studied the archaeology, history, and mythology of the Battle of Monmouth. We will start ourpresentation with myth. Can archaeology and history screen fact from fiction?

From memories of the battle grew two myths: one is of patriotism and courage triumphing overcowardice and treachery. The other is of the courage of the American woman, as represented by MollyPitcher, the woman at the gun (Figure 1). Since the centennial, Molly has been one of the all-Americanicons that has kept food on the tables of a multitude of artists and publishers. These images are meresymbols (Figure 2), sometimes ridiculous (Figure 3). Note how this Molly is going to be run-over as thegun recoils.

Figure 1 - Anonymous Molly.

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Figure 3 - Ridiculous Molly.

igure 2 - Humorous Molly.

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In a century & a half of illustration, only a couple of Molly images show the teamwork required tofire a gun 5, 6, or 7 times a minute. As shown in Figure 4, working a field piece was an assembly-lineprocess. The officer supervised the operation and pointed the gun while the bombardier placed a round inthe runner’s secure haversack. At the muzzle, one man searched and loaded while the other rammed andsponged. At the breech, one man tended the vent and primed while the other fired. A round of canistershot was equivalent to an infantry volley. As soon as the #1 Matross sees the muzzle flash, he spongesthe gun for the next round as the runner dashes up with a refilled haversack.

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In his memoir, Jocartridges to a loader, "att

“We had a four-po. .. A woman . . . of reaching a cartra cannon shot frodamage than carry

Joseph Plumb Mar Martin implies that this end of the Continental gposition.

gure 4 - Typical gun crew positions (at time of loading).

seph Plumb Martin, a Connecticut private, writes of watching a woman runending the piece the whole time":

under on the left of our pieces which kept a constant fire on the enemy .attended with her husband at the piece the whole time. While in the actidge and having one of her feet as far before the other as she could step,m the enemy passed directly between her legs without doing any othering away the lower part of her petticoat.”

tin, 8th CTwas a light field piece, one that fired a four-pound projectile, a piece at the leftun line. Through battlefield archaeology, we appear to have located this gun

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The Battle of Monmouth, June 28, 1778, was one of the longest and largest land battles of theRevolutionary War. The Americans had approximately 15,000 people and the British approximately21,000 including soldiers and non military personnel. It was a fluid battle, traversing nearly 20 miles. Sowhere does one begin to find the Battle of Monmouth? Figure 5 shows the 1778 Simcoe map of thebattle. This was a British map and since the British left the field of battle, the map must have been drawnfrom memory since the topography and land features are not accurate.

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igure 5 - Lt. Col John Simcoe's watercolor of the battle.

Figure 6 shows a section of the 1778 map done by Michel Capitaine du Chesnoy, cartographer forhe Marquis de Lafayette. Since the Americans took the field, this map was probably done by eye and is aood representation of the terrain. However, are the troop positions and movements accurate?

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Figure 6 - Section of the Capitaine Map.

A section of the battlefield has been preserved by the state of New Jersey as Monmouth BattlefieldState Park. Due to the size of this park, the classical archaeological approach of excavating 5’ by 5’squares is not feasible. Monmouth Battlefield State Park is nearly 3 square miles in area. This representsover 3.3 million 5’ x 5’ squares. Excavating at a rate of 3 squares per day, the project would take over3,000 years to complete. Therefore, new techniques were required for:

- Evaluating large areas quickly- Retrieving artifacts efficiently- Surveying locations of artifacts- Mapping and interpreting data

This is accomplished by using electronic metal detectors that can pinpoint ferrous and nonferrousartifacts quickly. This technique was first applied by Douglas D. Scott and Richard A. Fox, Jr. at theLittle Bighorn National Park in 1984. The artifacts are then excavated and processed using a systemcalled Bag-Tag-Flag developed by Dan Sivilich and Ralph Phillips of BRAVO. The artifacts are placedin polyethylene bags. Each bag is marked with a field identification number. The spatial location of theartifact is marked with a brightly-colored, plastic-stemmed pin flag. Permanent survey control points orbench marks were placed throughout the park in strategic locations by Neal Barton, BRAVO member andprofessional land surveyor. A total station laser transit is then used to locate each artifact in State PlaneCoordinates (North American Datum, 1983) in relation to the nearest bench marks. The collected data is

5then combined with the artifact analysis data into a database program written by Dan Sivilich. Thisdata is then linked to a digital topographical map of the site using ArcView GIS (GeographicalInformation System) software by ESRI, Inc. The result is a map of the artifact locations. MonmouthBattlefield is the first Revolutionary War battlefield ever to be fully excavated. Members of BRAVOhave pioneered many of the procedures currently being used in battlefield archaeology today.

This paper will examine one segment of the Battle of Monmouth that took place on the DerickSutfin farm between the 42nd Regiment of Foot and a group of Continental soldiers from New Englandand demonstrate how the results were analyzed and interpreted. Figure 7 is a map of all military artifactsexcavated at this site. It shows intense areas of conflict where the New Englanders clashed with theRoyal Highlanders, but this data is difficult to interpret and does not distinguish any specific details aboutthe battle.

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igure 7 – All military artifacts.

By organizing artifact classes into GIS layers and viewing these layers individually, specificvents and sometimes features can be isolated. Using a combination of historical text and thisrchaeological data, the battle between the American New England troops and the 42nd Regiment of Footnfolds as follows:

The British 3rd Brigade divested themselves of their packs and crossed Spotswood Middle Brookn an attempt to flank the American line. They moved west until they are spotted by the American artillerynd a barrage of canister and grapeshot stopped their advance. The 1st battalion of the Royal Highlandersnd another regiment swing north, while the remainder of the brigade, the 2nd battalion of the

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42nd

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6Highlanders, the 42nd Regiment of Foot (decades later known as the Black Watch) hunkered down inan apple orchard. Figure 8 shows a potential location for the orchard, but is it correct? Can historicaldocument research and archaeology locate the missing orchard?

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igure 8 - The 42nd Regiment of Foot in Orchard.

Fortunately, we have a Continental account that connects the “woman who attended the piece”ith a Continental artillery unit. A physician wrote of watching Washington admire “the manner inhich Proctor was handling” the enemy right. Mary Hays, the woman most often connected with theolly Pitcher myth, was the wife of a gunner in Captain Francis Proctor's artillery company.

“He saw Washington standing to the right of the line, . . . and saw a cannon ball strike awet hole in the side of the hill, and the dirt fly on him. The General, coolly standing in hisstirrups, was said to say to the officers who urged that that was no place for him, he beingobserved by the enemy, . . . ‘that he was admiring the manner in which Proctor washandling their right.”

Dr. William Read

When people think of cannons firing, they think of cannon balls flying through enemy lines.owever, cannon balls were not very effective anti-personnel ordnance. Cannons could be used like giant

hot guns using specialty scatter shot.

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The American artillery opened fire with two ounce grapeshot and lead canister shot. TheHighlanders took cover in a swale in Derick Sutfin’s cider orchard. The location of this orchard can beeasily identified by the cluster of ordnance excavated as shown in Figure 9. The data shows that theAmericans’ aim into the orchard was accurate.

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igure 9 – Locations of excavated two ounce grapeshot and lead canister shot.

Grapeshot is a cluster of iron balls in a linen sack. When fired from a cannon the bag burnt offnd the balls scattered like the pellets from a giant shot gun. This is a very effective anti-personneleapon. The data shows more than just the impact locations of the grapeshot. Figure 10 shows a clusterf grape excavated at the American artillery line. The American guns were out of range for Britishrapeshot. However, if the canvas sack ripped, the shot could spill out as we see with this cluster of 4ieces. They are all 2 ounce balls probably from the same round. This gives us a very good indication ofhe actual location of the artillery piece. The historical text indicates this to be in the vicinity of Proctor’srtillery … the gun attended to by Molly.

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Grape 2 oz 7 Canister

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Canister the muzzle of a in front of the ethrown into the e

Figure 1

igure 10 - Cluster of dropped 2 ounce grapeshot.

shot is a tin can filled with lead musket balls. It does not necessarily rupture upon exitingcannon. Therefore, it is fired at a low, flat angle to hit the ground approximately 75 yardsnemy. The can ruptures as it glances off the ground and lead balls and earthen debris arenemy ranks. The force of this impact is so great that it often fuses the shot together.

µ0 50 100 150 200 25025Feet

1 - Examples of canister shot fused from force of impact.

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While the 42nd was in the orchard, the American and British artillery bombarded each otherintensely for several hours. This was the longest and largest artillery duel of the Revolutionary War. TheBritish had two 5 1/2” howitzers that they fired accurately into the American artillery line. Shellfragments rained down on the American position, but the historical text do not indicate any great level ofcasualties. However, the locations of these artifacts, when plotted onto the GIS maps, confirm thelocation of this artillery line as shown in Figure 12.

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igure 12 - British Howitzer Shell Fragments.

Howitzers were short-barreled artillery pieces that were capable of firing at higher elevations thantandard cannons. This could lob a projectile over an enemy fortification. Howitzer shells were hollowast iron balls filled with black powder and had a fuse timed to explode the shell in the enemy position.he shell would fragment into a multitude of sharp cast iron projectiles which could inflict seriousamage.

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Figure 13 is a photograph of several howitzer shell fragments excavated from the Americanartillery position. Note that their glossy appearance is due to the artifacts being conserved to preventfuture rusting and deterioration.

The archaeologicFigure 14 shows the locathe orchard area) and theby the Americans at the three basic diameter ranencompass a variety of smuskets which were bediameter are usually assoBased on the data, the Bballs in the orchard areamuskets, and were thereaccurate than muskets an

Figure 13 - Four 5 1/2” Howitzer shell fragments.

al work shows that the men of the 42nd Regiment faced sniper fire from the north.tions where impacted musket balls were excavated. Based on their locations (in two ranges of diameters, it can be concluded that these musket balls were fired

Highlanders. Based on the work done by BRAVO, musket balls are grouped intoges. Less than 0.60" in diameter are typically used by rifles. 0.60" - 0.66" canmooth bore muskets, but are most commonly associated with French Charlevilleing supplied by France to America and British fusils. Greater than 0.66" inciated with large fowling pieces and military issued British Brown Bess muskets.ritish were not using rifles at Monmouth, but the majority of impacted musket

were from rifles. Rifles took a greater amount of time to load than smooth borefore not preferred as combat weapons. However, they were significantly mored were preferred by snipers.

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Figure 14 - Impacted Musket Balls (less than 0.60” and 0.60” - 0.66” diameter).

Cylindrical shot were also being fired at the Highlanders in the orchard. A Continental sniperaltered round musket balls by hammering them into cylinders or “Sluggs”. This is equivalent to modern,illegal “dum-dum” bullets. This shot would tumble after firing and rip through human targets causingmassive, irreparable injury.

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FeetLegendA Musket Balls < 0.60"8 Musket Balls 0.60" - 0.66"

igure 15 - Examples of cylinder shot excavated in the orchard site

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The GIS data (Figure 16) shows the accuracy at which these sluggs were being fired. With suchtight patterns we might envision an intended target. Such determined fire might suggest a Highlandofficer was being sighted. The question was raised as to what type of weapon was being used to fire thesesluggs.

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igure 16 – Locations of altered musket ball or “sluggs”

They were all hammered down to a diameter of less than 0.60” in diameter suggesting that theyay have been altered to fit a rifle. Could it simply be that a rifleman ran out of ammunition and tookrger musket balls and made them fit his weapon? We thought we had something very unique.owever, the use of cylindrical shot is not unique to Monmouth and appears to have a long history. Five

pecimens were excavated from the pirate ship Whydah which sank off Cape Cod in 1717.

The shot were found in the same leather pouch with 23 round musket balls. An analysis of thealculated diameters of the cylindrical shot, using the Sivilich Formula, shows they were all made from.63” diameter musket balls. This strongly suggests that they were for the same smooth bore musket ase round shot. Therefore, it is concluded that a Continental sniper was firing the sluggs from a musket atonmouth.

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Figure 17 - Whydah Cylinder shot and musket balls

Having failed to breach the Continental Army defenses, the British Commander beganwithdrawing. Washington seized the opportunity to launch another limited attack, sending two battalionsof light infantry to attack the Highlanders in the orchard. In front were 350 New Englanders under thecommand of Colonel Joseph Cilley.

“His excellency ordered me to take the battalion that I commanded, consisting of 350 rankand file, . . . to go and see what I could do with the enemy’s right wing, which was formedin an orchard in our front.”

Colonel Joseph Cilley, 1st NH22 July 1778

Threatened on two sides, the Highlanders quickly filed off. They withdrew south through theorchard and along the fence line. The Continentals pursued in formation. Quickly Colonel Cilley saw thathis men, hampered by trees and fences, could not overtake the Highlanders. So he dispatched men to runafter the Highlanders in an attempt to slow their withdrawal.

“Colonel Cilley, finding that we were not likely to overtake the enemy . . . on account offences and other obstructions, ordered three or four platoons from the right of our corps topursue and attack them, and thus keep them in play till the rest of the detachment couldcome up. I was in this party; we pursued without order. As I passed through the orchard,I saw a number of the enemy lying under the trees, killed by our fieldpiece, mentionedbefore.”

Joseph Plumb Martin, 8th CT

The skirmishers caught up to the Highlanders as they formed on a hill to fire at their pursuers. Nodocument records the skirmishers’ fire, but the evidence in the form of impacted musket balls survived inthe ground. By looking at the two layers of smaller diameter impacted musket balls in Figure 18, one canclearly see where the 42nd was fired on by the American skirmishers.

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Figure 18 - The 42nd make a second stand and are pursued and fired upon by Cilley’s hand-pickedskirmishers.

“The enemy, when we were taking down the last fence, gave us a very heavy fire which wedid not return. We marched on with arms shouldered . . .. The enemy finding we weredetermined to close with them filed off from the left and run off upon our right into aswamp and formed in the edge of it. We wheeled to the right and advanced towards them.They began a heavy fire upon us.”

Lt. Col. Henry Dearborn, 3rd NH

After firing at the New Englanders, the Highlanders filed off again. The Continentals wheeledtheir line to follow. As they did so, the British opened fire with two grasshoppers—light weight 3-pounders—held back to cover the Highlanders’ withdrawal. The first shot killed two men fromLexington, MA, and wounded a third. Archaeology revealed that the British were firing 1 or 1 ¼-ouncecase shot as shown in Figure 19.

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Figure 19 - the 42nd withdraws with supporting cover fire from two grasshoppers.

With shouldered muskets, the Continental light infantry marched steadily into heavy fire from theHighlanders. When at point-blank range, the light infantry began firing, advancing with leveled bayonetsbetween volleys. Finding that the Continentals were determined to close, the Highlanders broke off,crossed the brook, and joined their main body. The fighting on the Continental left was over. No longerable to pursue, Cilley’s light infantry rested. The more mercenary looted the dead Highlanders; the morecompassionate tended to the wounded. Heavily chewed musket balls remain on the battlefield to identifythe location of the wounded.

“When our commander saw them retreating and nearly joined with their main body, heshouted, ‘Come, my boys, reload your pieces, and we will give them a set-off.’ We did so, .. . and the firing on both sides ceased. We then laid ourselves down under the fences andbushes to take breath, for we had need of it. I presume everyone has heard of the heat ofthat day, but none can realize it that did not feel it. Fighting is hot work in cool weather,how much more so in such weather as it was on the twenty-eighth of June, 1778.”

Joseph Plumb Martin, 8th CT

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After the Highlanders crossed Spotswood Middle Brook, they joined the general British retreat.The hand-picked new England troops took the field, tended to the wounded, and looted British bodies.The Americans claimed a victory and took the field of battle. However, Martin describes the battlefieldhaving a number of wounded soldiers scattered about. Martin helped one back to Tennent Meeting housewhich served as a hospital. Archaeology indicates that some may have been tended to in the field.Anesthetics were not yet invented. Officers may have been given some rum if it was available. Lowlyprivates were simply given a lead ball or a stick to bear down on while a limb was amputated in the field.This prevented them from biting their tongues or breaking their teeth. Thus the term “Bite the Bullet”was born.

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However, numerous lightly chewed musket ballanine and incisor teeth rather than molars that are ususket balls with front teeth impressions suggest that sas 96° in the shade that day and a significant number ould put pebbles under their tongues to promote salivusket balls for the same purpose, only chewing on the

ncisors separated by a space along with small round inf some soldier. It is obvious that the people of theoisoning.

Our fieldwork is continuing at Monmouth. As wore precise, we are experimenting with using statistica

redictive modeling may be able to identify specific firhe Battle of Monmouth has significantly changed and ayside exhibits for self-guided tours of the Park.

Figure 20 - heavily chewed musket ball withhuman molar impressions.

Figure 21 – lightly chewed musket ball withhuman incisor and canine teeth impressions.

s have been excavated. They have impressions ofed to bear down on objects when in pain. Theseoldiers were chewing on them to relieve thirst. Itof men died from heat exhaustion. As the Indiansation, it appears that soldiers were using cool leadm to help create spit. Figure 21 clearly shows twodentations from the sharp and pointed canine teeth 18th century did not have a knowledge of lead

e collect more artifacts, and their patterns becomel techniques to further refine our analysis. Futureing positions. In the interim, the interpretation ofsignificant event locations are being marked with