He even moved his troops so as to be in readiness to march eastward at short notice; but he gradually became convinced that the enemy had no such plan.

Much of his thought, now and always, was given to efforts to divine the intentions of the British generals.

They had so few settled ideas, and were so tardy and lingering when they had plans, that it is small wonder that their opponents were sorely puzzled in trying to find out what their purposes were, when they really had none.

The fact was that Washington saw their military opportunities with the eye of a great soldier, and so much better than they, that he suffered a good deal of needless anxiety in devising methods to meet attacks which they had not the wit to undertake.

He had a profound contempt for their policy of holding towns, and believing that they must see the utter futility of it, after several years of trial, he constantly expected from them a well-planned and extensive campaign, which in reality they were incapable of devising.
The main army, therefore, remained quiet, and when the autumn had passed went into winter-quarters in well-posted detachments about New York.