We must remember, however, that the English officers who came over to fight in America had had their earlier training in Europe, where conditions were quite different from those here.

Especially was this true of the terrain.
Occasionally a born fighter like Wolfe did his work in a day, but this was different from spending weeks and months in battleless campaigns.
The Philadelphians arranged a farewell celebration for General Howe which they called the _Meschianza_, an elaborate pageant, said to be the most beautiful ever seen in America, after which General Howe and General Clinton had orders to take their army back to New York.

As much as could be shipped on boats went that way, but the loads that had to be carried in wagons formed a cavalcade twelve miles long, and with the attending regiment advanced barely more than two and a half miles a day.

Washington, whose troops entered Philadelphia as soon as the British marched out, hung on the retreating column and at Monmouth engaged in a pitched battle, which was on the point of being a decisive victory for the Americans when, through the blunder of General Lee, it collapsed.

The blunder seemed too obviously intentional, but Washington appeared in the midst of the melee and urged on the men to retrieve their defeat.