David Rhea Complains about Lee's Continentals in Monmouth

As noted in prior articles, David Rhea was a lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army early in the war who served with distinction at the Battle of Monmouth. In late 1778, he wished to return to Monmouth County as the Continental Army’s Quartermaster agent. He wrote Moore Furman, leading the Quartermaster office, on October 30: “You had thoughts of appointing me to that office if I thought it proper to retire from the Army... I can leave the Army on the shortest notice." Rhea received the appointment and established an office at Allentown. He hired a small staff and set up a second office at Freehold (in a house purchased amidst scandal). By early 1779, he and John Lloyd, agent for the Commissary Department, were purchasing food, hay, and grains for the Army and its horses.

In January 1779, George Washington sent the cavalry regiment of Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee into Monmouth County. The reasons for doing so were not explicit but, based on related orders and events, it is probable that Washington was seeking to increase the county’s security (he had sent a regiment of Pennsylvania Continentals to Tilton Falls a few weeks earlier). Also, Washington likely hoped to place Lee’s men in a place with a large winter store of forage. This second reason would put Lee in conflict with Rhea who was purchasing forage for the main body of the Continental Army.

David Rhea’s Complaints about Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee

David Rhea first complained about Lee to Clement Biddle on February 12, 1779, even before Lee arrived. He wrote: “The light horse have not made their appearance, pray do not send them to these parts as yet; the country are all in arms about grain prices, send no more wagons here." In the same letter, Rhea referred to a growing controversy regarding Middletown’s Benjamin Van Cleave, which Rhea instigated by asking the Freehold Magistrate to seize Van Cleave’s hay. Van Cleave claimed the hay was to be used for poor relief and the Middletown Magistrate sided with him. A frustrated Rhea wrote of his own county, “it is a damnation country to do business with."

Lee’s regiment came and went in early 1779, but returned in the summer of 1779 to search for and initiate communication with the expected French fleet. While other Continental regiments set up camp near the shore (at Tinton Falls and Middletown), Lee set up camp at Freehold and sent small parties to the shore. The co-location of Lee and Rhea purchasing forage in the village of Freehold was bound to cause conflict. On October 12, Rhea complained about Lee to Moore Furman: "Major Lee's dragoons have done as they please since they have been in this county.”

Rhea went on describe a specific grievance with Lee’s request for wagons and a horse team:

Major Lee has called for some light wagons and says it will be much less expense to ye public to have baggage in some light wagons and two horses, then the way he now moves -- I have none [for him], he wants me to have them made & to purchase large strong horses for that purpose. I have put him off in such a manner that I believe he will not ask again -- I think I shall have no more of it -- those horse consume a large quantity of forage, and at a very high price. I know not what to do --I hope they will not stay long, the inhabitants have fixed their price and the Major, I trust, would not alter it.

In this last line, Rhea revealed a key aspect of his complaint. Lee was negotiating purchases directly with local farmers rather than deferring to Rhea, whose job it was to make those purchases.

While stationed in Monmouth County, Lee issued passports to locals to go to New York (as spies, Lee reported) and proposed a plan whereby his men would impound the cattle of locals living near the shore, where they might be sold to London Traders or taken by Loyalist raiders. However, Lee lacked the authority to perform these acts. Lee’s sharp elbows not only bothered Rhea, but also bothered Judge John Imlay. Imlay asked Governor William Livingston to write Washington about Lee, and Washington abruptly removed Lee from Monmouth County in January 1780.

When the French fleet was again expected on the Jersey shore in summer 1780, Washington returned Lee to Monmouth County. Lee again set up his headquarters at Freehold and again aggravated Rhea. Rhea wrote Furman on July 1, to complain that Lee had hired teamsters from Trenton into service to carry forage to Trenton, but Lee did not have forage for them to transport:

Early this morning, some teams that were impressed by the Light Horse returned from Trenton, as they say, and report that they are not wanted... I will discharge the horsemen [teamsters] this evening; they have been a great deal of trouble.

If events transpired as Rhea suggests, Lee was purchasing and raising forage in direct competition with Rhea, a move sure to draw his ire. It also suggests that Rhea, at least in Lee’s eyes, may have lacked energy in executing his duty.

Rhea complained about Lee again a few weeks later. On July 21, he wrote Furman about the need for meal for the prisoners in the Monmouth County jail at Freehold. Rhea wrote “there are a number of prisoners, very impudent, in the gaol now." He then complained that "Major Lee's troops have consumed all the meal at Walton's & Conover's mills" which was intended for the prison.

If all Revolutionary War documents had survived, it is very likely that additional complaints about Lee would surface; similarly, Lee likely complained about Rhea or other Monmouth County officials who he likely regarded as uncooperative. Based on available documentation, Lee did exceed authority more than once and was corrected by Washington and Livingston accordingly. Lee also likely perceived, with some merit, that local officials like Rhea were not doing all they could to support the Amry—much less his own regiment.

Caption: Monmouth County’s Quartermaster Agent, David Rhea, used two-horse teams to bring wagon-loads of hay and grains to the Army. He feuded with Major Henry Lee who purchased his own forage.

Related Historic Site: US Army Quartermaster Museum (Virginia)

Sources: David Rhea to Clement Biddle, National Archives, Papers of the Continental Congress, M247, I173, Letters from Nathanael Greene, v3, p37; David Rhea to Moore Furman, New Jersey State Archives, Dept. of Defense, Revolutionary War, Numbered Manuscripts, #5599; David Rhea to Moore Furman, New Jersey State Archives, Dept. of Defense, Revolutionary War, Numbered Manuscripts, #5591-5592; David Rhea to Moore Furman, New Jersey State Archives, Dept. of Defense, Revolutionary War, Numbered Manuscripts, #5593.