doubting that the latter was obeying his
orders; but, to his amazement, a letter from Lee revealed the startling
fact that he had not moved from Northcastle.

Washington renewed his orders to Lee to move with all possible despatch
and come to his rescue. He said:

"The enemy are pushing on, and part of them have crossed the Passaic.
Their plans have not entirely unfolded, but I shall not be surprised to
find that Philadelphia is the object of their movement."

"We cannot make a stand here," said General Greene.

"By no means," answered Washington. "My hope is to make a stand at
Brunswick, on the Raritan; or, certainly, to dispute the passage of the
Delaware."

"Our retreat to Brunswick must be hastened, or the enemy will be upon
us," added Greene.

The retreat was precipitated; and when the rear-guard of Washington's
command was leaving one end of Newark, the vanguard of the British army
was entering at the other.

On reaching Brunswick, Washington wrote at once to Governor Livingston,
instructing him to collect all the boats and river craft on the Delaware
for seventy miles, remove them to the western bank of the river, away
from the enemy, and guard them.

He was doomed to additional disappointment at Brunswick. Colonel Reed
raised no troops in New Jersey, and many of those raised by General
Mifflin in Pennsylvania were deserting. The term of enlistment of
General Mercer's command had expired, and no inducement or entreaties
could prevail upon them to remain. He could not muster over four
thousand men.

Still worse, a letter from General Lee to Colonel Reed disclosed the
fact that the former had not given heed to the orders of his chief, and
he was still at Northcastle. Moreover, the letter revealed that General
Lee was plotting against him. Colonel Reed was absent when the letter
arrived, and, according to his custom, Washington opened the letter,
supposing it related to military business. What was his surprise to find
that the letter contained insinuations against himself, and also
implicated Colonel Reed, his old friend, in a plot to make Lee
commander-in-chief.

We will say here, once for all, that, while General Lee was an able
military officer, he was an ambitious, arrogant, and deceitful man. On
his return from the South, his fame had reached the zenith, and some
thought he ought to lead the American army. Washington's continued
retreats increased this feeling, until General Lee evidently thought