Editing James Monroe (section)

==Revolutionary War service==
[[File:The Capture of the Hessians at Trenton December 26 1776.jpeg|thumb|303x303px|''[[The Capture of the Hessians at Trenton, December 26, 1776]]'', by [[John Trumbull]], showing Captain [[William Washington]], with a wounded hand, on the right and Lt. Monroe, severely wounded and helped by Dr. John Riker, left of center, behind the mortally wounded Hessian Colonel [[Johann Rall|Johann Gottlieb Rall]]. Rall is being helped by American Major [[William Stephens Smith]]|left]]
In early 1776, about a year and a half after his enrollment, Monroe dropped out of college and joined the [[3rd Virginia Regiment]] in the [[Continental Army]], despite mourning the death of his brother Spence, who had died shortly before.<ref name=":0">{{harvnb|Ammon|1971|pages=3–8}}.</ref> As the fledgling army valued literacy in its officers, Monroe was commissioned with the rank of lieutenant, serving under Colonel [[George Weedon]] and later Captain [[William Washington]]. After months of training, Monroe and 700 Virginia infantrymen were called north to serve in the [[New York and New Jersey campaign]]. Monroe's regiment played a central role in the [[George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River|Continental Army's retreat across the Delaware River]] on December 7 in response to the loss of Fort Washington. In late December, Monroe took part in a surprise attack on a [[Hessian (soldier)|Hessian encampment]] at the [[Battle of Trenton]]. Though the attack was successful, Monroe suffered a severed artery in the battle and nearly died. In the aftermath, Washington cited Monroe and William Washington for their bravery, and promoted Monroe to captain.<ref>{{harvnb|Unger|2009|pp=20–27}}</ref>

After recovering for two months, Monroe returned to Virginia to recruit his own company of soldiers. Lacking the wealth to induce soldiers to join his company, Monroe instead asked his uncle to return him to the front. Monroe was assigned to the staff of General [[William Alexander, Lord Stirling]] as an auxiliary officer. At the [[Battle of Brandywine]], he formed a close friendship with the [[Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette|Marquis de Lafayette]], a French volunteer who encouraged him to view the war as part of a wider struggle against religious and political tyranny. Monroe served in the [[Philadelphia campaign]] and spent the winter of 1777–78 at the encampment of [[Valley Forge]], sharing a log hut with Marshall. By late 1777, he was promoted to major and served as Lord Stirling's aide-de-camp. After serving in the [[Battle of Monmouth]], the destitute Monroe resigned his commission in December 1778 and joined his uncle in Philadelphia. After the British [[Capture of Savannah|captured Savannah]], the Virginia legislature decided to raise four regiments, and Monroe returned to his native state, hoping to receive his own command. With letters of recommendation from Washington, Stirling, and [[Alexander Hamilton]], Monroe received a commission as a lieutenant colonel and was expected to lead one of the regiments, but recruitment again proved to be a problem. On Jones's advice, Monroe returned to Williamsburg to study law at the College of William and Mary, becoming a protégé of Virginia Governor Thomas Jefferson.<ref>{{harvnb|Unger|2009|pp=27–36}}</ref> Jefferson, with whom Monroe soon formed a close and lifelong friendship, advised his protégé to pursue a political career and made his library available to him, where the works of [[Epictetus]] in particular had a great influence on Monroe<ref>{{Harvnb|Ammon|1971|pp=30–31}}</ref>

With the British increasingly focusing their operations in the [[Southern United States|Southern colonies]], the Virginians moved the capital to the more defensible city of [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]], and Monroe accompanied Jefferson to the new capital. Jefferson appointed Monroe as a military commissioner with the task of maintaining contact with the Southern Continental Army, under the command of General [[Johann de Kalb|Johann von Kalb]], and the Virginia Militia.<ref name=":5">{{Harvnb|Hart|2005|pp=6–8}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> At the end of 1780, the [[Raid on Richmond|British invaded Virginia]] and Monroe, who had become a colonel in the meantime, was given command of a regiment for the first time, but he was still unable to raise an army due to a lack of interested recruits, Monroe returned to his home in King George County, and was not present for the British raid on Richmond. As both the Continental Army and the Virginia militia had an abundance of officers, Monroe did not serve during the [[Yorktown campaign]], and, much to his frustration, did not take part in the [[Siege of Yorktown]].<ref name=":2">{{harvnb|Unger|2009|pp=37–40}}</ref> Although [[Andrew Jackson]] served as a courier in a militia unit at age 13, Monroe is regarded as the last U.S. president who was a [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] veteran, since he served as an officer of the Continental Army and took part in combat.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hart|2005|p=80}}</ref> As a result of his service, Monroe became a member of the [[Society of the Cincinnati]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L5YLAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA110 |title=Institution of the Society of the Cincinnati: formed by the officers of the American Army of the Revolution, 1783, with extracts, from the proceedings of its general meetings and from the transactions of the New York State Society|date=1886|access-date=March 10, 2020|last1=Schuyler|first1=John }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Officers Represented in the Society of the Cincinnati |url=https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/soldiers-and-sailors-of-the-revolutionary-war/officers-represented-in-the-society-of-the-cincinnati/ |website=The American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati |access-date=March 19, 2021}}</ref>[[File:Elizabeth Monroe.jpg|thumb|right|Elizabeth Kortright]]
[[File:OakHillfront.jpg|thumb|right|Oak Hill Mansion]]