Supplies failed altogether, and on every hand there was nothing but delay, and ever fresh delay, and in the midst of it all Washington, wrestling with sloth and incoherence and inefficiency, trampled down one failure and disappointment only to encounter another, equally important, equally petty, and equally harassing.
On August 20 he wrote to Congress a long and most able letter, which set forth forcibly the evil and perilous condition of affairs.

After reading that letter no man could say that there was not need of the utmost exertion, and for the expenditure of the last ounce of energy.
In it Washington struck especially at the two delusions with which the people and their representatives were lulling themselves into security, and by which they were led to relax their efforts.

One was the belief that England was breaking down; the other, that the arrival of the French was synonymous with the victorious close of the war.
Washington demonstrated that England still commanded the sea, and that as long as she did so there was a great advantage on her side.

She was stronger, on the whole, this year than the year before, and her financial resources were still ample.

There was no use in looking for victory in the weakness of the enemy, and on the other hand, to rely wholly on France was contemptible as well as foolish.