New Jersey Militia Harasses British March

As Clinton's British army marched across New Jersey from Philadelphia in June 1778, New Jersey militia units under General Philemon Dickinson harassed the column, destroying bridges, blocking roads, removing or poisoning wells, and skirmishing with British foragers and flanking parties. The militia actions slowed Clinton's march, limited the British ability to gather intelligence about Washington's approaching army, and degraded British morale by keeping the troops under constant low-level threat. The militia's contribution, while not decisive in itself, shaped the conditions under which the Battle of Monmouth was fought: Clinton's army arrived at Monmouth Court House tired, hot, and harassed, while Washington's army had gained time to position itself for attack.