Monmouth Battlefield State Park. Atop Combs Hill.  By Paul Goldfinger 2014. ©. Click once to enlarge.

Paul Goldfinger, MD, Editor Blogfinger.net

The Battle of Monmouth took place in the vicinity of Monmouth Courthouse in Freehold.

On a blistering hot day on June 28, 1778 the land that is now Monmouth Battlefield State Park was the site of one of the longest battles of the American Revolutionary War.

From the State Parks information:   “Here at Monmouth, Washington restored a reputation battered by defeats in 1777.   In the day-long battle in the hills, wood lots, farm fields and meadows, the main Continental Army, retrained at Valley Forge, repulsed attacks by the main British Army.

 By the end, over 600 men were dead, dying or wounded and the Continental Army held the field.”

The vista above is from Combs Hill where the Continental Army had placed their artillery.

The park is a beautiful place where you can visit, picnic, ride horses or sleighs.  The visitor center is near where I was standing to make this photograph. The address is 16 Rt 33  Business in Manalapan.

I enjoy photographing battlefields, although this is only my second.  The first is Gettysburg which we have visited quite a few times.  Battlefields are evocative of so many qualities of man including bravery, fighting for right and freedom, loyalty and sacrifice.

It seems as if you can time- travel back in such a place as this, and that is an emotional experience.

I tried to capture that mood in this photograph which is much better felt in black and white than with color.  —

Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net

BAND OF HM ROYAL MARINES:  “Main Theme from Saving Private Ryan”  (2006)  Written by John Williams.