“Though young at the commencement of our revolution, I took part in it, and its principles have invariably guided me since.”
James Monroe, 1817
Just a year and a half after beginning his studies at William and Mary and amid revolutionary fervor, James Monroe dropped out of school and joined the 3rd Virginia Infantry Regiment of the Continental Army. At just 18, he followed took part in General George Washington’s surprise attack against Hessian auxiliaries garrisoned at Trenton, New Jersey on December 26, 1776.. This battle, where Monroe survived a near-fatal injury, was instrumental in boosting the morale of the Continental Army and supporters of the Revolution. In 1777, serving as an aide to General William Alexander (Lord Stirling), Monroe struck up a close friendship with the Marquis de Lafayette. He saw combat for the last time at the Battle of Monmouth in 1778, although he attempted twice after this to recruit members for his own regiment. In 1781, the same year that the Revolutionary War ended, Monroe sold his childhood farm.
Timeline:
- 1776: Commissioned lieutenant, 3rd Virginia Infantry Regiment, Continental Army
- 1776: Fights in battles of Harlem Heights, White Plains, and Trenton (wounded)
- 1777: Promoted to major; aide to General William Alexander, Lord Stirling
- 1777: Fights in battles of Brandywine and Germantown
- 1778: Fights in Battle of Monmouth (last time in combat)
- 1779: Commissioned lieutenant-colonel, Virginia Line
- 1780: Appointed Military Commissioner by Governor Thomas Jefferson
- 1781: Sells Westmoreland County farm
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