What was Charles Lee’s role in the Battle of Monmouth?

Gen. George Washington had ordered an assault on the rear of a British column that was marching from Philadelphia to New York. Lee had opposed the plan from the outset, but when he learned that Lafayette would be leading a force of several thousand troops, he asked Washington for the command. Lee’s attack miscarried from the outset, and his lack of communication with both his subordinates and Washington led to confusion throughout the American ranks. A general rout was avoided by Washington’s timely arrival on the battlefield, and Lee was court-martialed for his “unnecessary, disorderly, and shameful retreat.”