However the troops were sheltered, it was not long before the army which
had fought at Trenton and Princeton began to melt away. Deplorable
health conditions, lack of proper clothing, insufficient pay to meet
rising living costs, and many other instances of neglect had discouraged
the soldiery all through the 1776 campaign. The volunteer militiamen
were particularly dissatisfied. Some troops were just plain homesick,
and nearly all had already served beyond their original or emergency
terms of enlistment. They had little desire for another round of hard
military life.
[Illustration: _Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene._]
[Illustration: _Brig. Gen. Anthony Wayne._]
Washington described his situation along this line in a letter of
January 19 addressed to the President of Congress: “The fluctuating
state of an Army, composed Chiefly of Militia, bids fair to reduce us to
the Situation in which we were some little time ago, that is, of scarce
having any Army at all, except Reinforcements speedily arrive. One of
the Battalions from the City of Philadelphia goes home to day, and the
other two only remain a few days longer upon Courtesy. The time, for
which a County Brigade under Genl. Mifflin came out, is expired, and
they stay from day to day, by dint of Solicitation. Their Numbers much
reduced by desertions. We have about Eight hundred of the Eastern
Continental Troops remaining, of twelve or fourteen hundred who at first
agreed to stay, part engaged to the last of this Month and part to the
middle of next. The five Virginia Regts. are reduced to a handful of
Men, as is Col Hand’s, Smallwood’s, and the German Battalion. A few days
ago, Genl Warner arrived, with about seven hundred Massachusetts Militia
engaged to the 15th [of] March. Thus, you have a Sketch of our present
Army, with which we are obliged to keep up Appearances, before an Enemy
already double to us in Numbers.”