misled and kept back by false reports.  When the truth was known, it was too late.  The right wing had been beaten and flung back, the enemy were nearly in the rear, and were now advancing in earnest in front.  All that man could do was done.  Troops were pushed forward and a gallant stand was made at various points; but the critical moment had come and gone, and there was nothing for it but a hasty retreat, which came near degenerating into a rout.

The causes of this complete defeat, for such it was, are easily seen.  Washington had planned his battle and chosen his position well.  If he had not been deceived by the first reports, he even then would have fallen upon and overwhelmed the British centre before they could have reached his right wing.  But the Americans, to begin with, were outnumbered.  They had only eleven thousand effective men, while the British brought fifteen of their eighteen thousand into action.  Then the Americans suffered, as they constantly did, from misinformation, and from an absence of system in learning the enemy’s movements.  Washington’s attack was fatally checked in this way, and Sullivan was surprised from the same causes, as well as from his own culpable ignorance of the country beyond him, which was the reason of his failure to guard the upper fords.  The Americans lost, also, by the unsteadiness of new troops when the unexpected happens, and when the panic-bearing notion that they are surprised and likely to be surrounded comes upon them with a sudden shock.

This defeat was complete and severe, and it was followed in a few days by that of Wayne, who narrowly escaped utter ruin.  Yet through all this disaster we can see the advance which had been made since the equally unfortunate and very similar battle on Long Island.  Then, the troops seemed to lose heart and courage, the army was held together with difficulty, and could do nothing but retreat.  Now, in the few days which Howe, as usual, gave his opponent with such fatal effect to himself, Washington rallied his army, and finding them in excellent spirits marched down the Lancaster road to fight again.  On the eve of battle a heavy storm came on, which so injured the arms and munitions that with bitter disappointment he was obliged to withdraw; but nevertheless it is plain how much this forward movement meant.  At the moment, however, it looked badly enough, especially after the defeat of Wayne, for Howe pressed forward, took possession of Philadelphia, and encamped the main body of his army at Germantown.

Meantime Washington, who had not in the least given up his idea of fighting again, recruited his army, and having a little more than eight thousand men, determined to try another stroke at the British, while they were weakened by detachments.  On the night of October 3 he started, and reached Germantown at daybreak on the 4th.  At first the Americans swept everything before them, and flung the British back in rout and confusion.  Then matters began to go