Battle of Monmouth

As the British army marched across New Jersey after evacuating Philadelphia, Washington attacked their rear guard near Monmouth Courthouse. When General Charles Lee ordered a premature retreat, Washington personally rode to the front and rallied the troops. In sweltering heat that killed soldiers on both sides, the Continental Army fought the British to a standstill, demonstrating the improved discipline gained from Baron von Steuben's training at Valley Forge. The legend of 'Molly Pitcher,' a woman who supposedly took over her husband's cannon, was born from this battle.