might take that city. He sent General
Putnam to fortify New York and the Hudson River, and he followed,
gathering troops on the way. When he arrived, he fortified Brooklyn
Heights, Long Island, and put General Greene in command. He had only
about eight thousand men to garrison the forts about New York.

The same troubles from short enlistments, lack of discipline and
supplies had to be met. Washington was freely giving himself to the just
and righteous cause of American freedom, and he would not be discouraged
even by want of spirit and obedience in his troops. There was another
difficulty. All over the country and especially in New York, many
persons, called Tories, were still loyal to King George III, and
Washington feared treachery from them.

The British fleet, however, had not gone to New York, but up to Halifax.
General Howe and his army waited in Halifax for ships and men from
England. With their help, he expected to drive the Americans out of New
York and away from the Hudson River. England intended to crush the
colonies and hired German troops, called Hessians, in addition to her
own forces. It was now a year since the Battle of Lexington was fought
and Washington feared that the war would be a long one.

He went to Philadelphia to consult with Congress. To succeed against the
British, the colonies, he knew, must work together in earnest for their
common liberty. The army must have regular pay and supplies, and the men
must promise to serve as long as needed. Congress established a war
office and ordered that the term of enlistment be for three years.

Washington returned to New York and soon afterwards a conspiracy (plot)
among the Tories was discovered. Many arrests were made. A member of
Washington's body-guard was found to be in the plot and he was hanged.
While this was going on, the British fleet arrived in the harbor. There
were one hundred and thirty ships. The troops--30,000--were landed on
Staten Island. Washington was very uneasy with this large force before
him and he knew not how many treacherous Tories about him.

For a year, the Americans had been fighting on account of unjust laws
and taxes. But England had grown still more severe and unfair, until
many began to believe that the only hope for peace and prosperity in the
colonies was in their union with one another and their separation from
England. Washington had hoped that the trouble with the mother country
might be peaceably settled. But