In 1846 and in 1854 special efforts were made to accomplish the erection of a monument to commemorate the Battle of Monmouth. The first step taken was the publication of an advertisement in the Monmouth Inquirer of June 18, 1846, and was as follows:
THE citizens of Monmouth county, who are in favor of taking measures to erect a monument to commemorate the Battle of Monmouth, are requested to meet in the Court House, in the village of Freehold, on SATURDAY, the 27th inst., at 3 o'clock, P. M.
JOHN HULL,
WILLIAM H. BENNETT,
ENOCH COWARD,
D. V. McLEAN,
A. C. McLEAN,
J. B. THROCKMORTON,
H. D. POLHEMUS,
B. F. RANDOLPH.
Freehold, June 18, 1846.
Next, a copy of the Democrat of July 2, 1846, contained a report of the proceedings of the meeting as follows:
A call for a meeting of the inhabitants of the county of Monmouth, to take measures to erect a monument in commemoration of the Battle of Monmouth, having been published in the Freehold papers, a number of persons met at the time appointed.
Enoch Coward, Sen., was called to the chair, and A. C. McLean appointed Secretary.
The object of the meeting was stated by Rev. D. V. McLean, and remarks made by J. B. Throckmorton, B. Connolly, Rev. A. Marcellus and others.
The following resolutions were offered by D. B. McLean, and adopted:
1. Resolved, That it is the duty of a grateful posterity to commemorate not only in their hearts, but by suitable monuments, the noble deeds of their fathers, and the important events in their history.
2. Resolved, That among the important events of our Revolutionary struggle, the Battle of Monmouth should never be forgotten.
3. Resolved, That we believe the time has fully come when the citizens of Monmouth county should unite and erect a suitable monument to commemorate that important event.
4. Resolved, That the proceedings of this meeting be published in the Freehold papers.
The meeting then adjourned to meet in the Court House on the 4th day of August, at 2 o'clock, P. M.