The crisis of his fate and of the Revolution was upon him.

His army was melting away.
The militia had almost all disappeared, and regiments whose term of enlistment had expired were departing daily.

Lee, who had a division under his command, was ordered to come up, but paid no attention, although the orders were repeated almost every day for a month.

He lingered, and loitered, and excused himself, and at last was taken prisoner.

This disposed of him for a time very satisfactorily, but meanwhile he had succeeded in keeping his troops from Washington, which was a most serious misfortune.
On December 2 Washington was at Princeton with three thousand ragged men, and the British close upon his heels.