At Monmouth Courthouse in east-central New Jersey, General Washington s Continental Army came of age. Leavened by their experiences during the winter encampment at Valley Forge, the Continentals would give as good as they got on that sweltering mid-summer s day: June 28th, 1778. Monmouth, considered a draw by most historians, was not only the longest battle of the war; it was essentially the last major engagement fought in the North. Following the ensuing strategic stalemate, major operations shifted to the Southern theater.