The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

300 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. [1778.
a small part of the diminution of his army while marching through Jersey. One hundred were taken prisoners, and more than six hundred deserters arrived
in Philadelphia within three weeks from the time he
left it, being drawn thither chiefly by the attachments
they had formed during eight months' residence in the
city. Others also escaped into the country while on
the march; so that the army, when it reached New
York, had suffered a reduction of at least twelve hundred men.
After the action, Sir Henry Clinton proceeded to
Sandy Hook, where Lord Howe's fleet, having come
round from the Delaware, was in readiness to convey
the troops to New York. Washington marched to
Hudson's River, crossed at King's Ferry, and encamped near White Plains.
The pride of General Lee was wounded by the
language, which Washington used when he met him
retreating. The day after the action, Lee wrote a letter
to Washington, containing expressions, which no officer
could with propriety address to his superior. This was
answered in a tone, that rather tended to increase
than soothe his irritation, and he replied in terms still
more offensive. In a subsequent note, written the same
day, he requested that his case might be referred to a
court-martial. He was accordingly put in arrest, under
three charges; first, disobedience of orders in not attacking the enemy, agreeably to repeated instructions;
secondly, misbehaviour before the enemy in making
an unnecessary, disorderly, and shameful retreat; thirdly, disrespect to the Commander-in-chief in two letters
written after the action. A court-martial was summoned, which sat from time to time for three weeks
while the army was on its march; and finally declared
their opinion, that General Lee was guilty of all the