Chapter VIII.
TRENTON, DECEMBER 26, 1776.
After the capture of Fort Washington Sir William
Howe showed unusual activity. The fort had fallen on
the 16th of November, 1776, and on the 20th the British
army crossed the Hudson into New Jersey. Fort
Lee had become at once useless and incapable of
defence. It was hastily evacuated, and artillery, tents,
and provisions were abandoned with it. More than
two thousand men, under General Greene, who had
formed its garrison, barely escaped across the Hackensack,
leaving seventy-three sick behind them. The
condition of Washington's army was desperate. The
term of service of many of the militia-men expired on
the 30th of November. These could by no means be
induced to re-enlist, even for a short time, nor would
the New Jersey militia turn out to protect their own
state, a brigade of them disbanding on the day the
British entered New Brunswick. Washington had left
a detachment under Lee on the east side of the
Hudson, and Lee now disregarded Washington's repeated
orders to join him, and grumbled instead of acting.
About twenty-four hundred men under Lord Stirling
were detached for the protection of Northern New
Jersey, and four days afterwards ordered to defend the
upper line of the Delaware; and the commander-in-chief
had at one time less than thirty-five hundred
