During the afternoon of Sunday, June 28, 1778, hills and meadows were covered by clouds of gun smoke, and when the firing ended, more than 600 men were dead, dying, or wounded while the Continental Army held the field. The Battle of Monmouth became a turning point in the American Revolutionary War. In 1776 and 1777, the British Army had repeatedly defeated the main Continental Army, and by the beginning of 1778 General George Washington and his army desperately needed a victory. On June 18, the British, concerned that the French might block the Delaware River, abandoned Philadelphia and marched 20,000 British, German, and Loyalist troops across New Jersey toward their main base in New York City. On June 19, Washington and 13,000 men, fresh from Von Steuben’s military training at Valley Forge, set out to intercept them. The battle began at about 10 AM, two miles east at Monmouth Courthouse, and lasted more than seven hours, making it one of the longest battles of the Revolution. By 5:30 PM, the British had retreated and the firing ceased. At dawn the next day, Washington moved fresh troops forward to renew the fight, but the British had slipped away during the night and continued toward New York City. The battle was a political triumph for Washington and the Continental Army, which had met the British in open field, held their own, and forced them to retreat in their first victory in two years.