If he had not been deceived by the first reports, he even then would have fallen upon and overwhelmed the British centre before they could have reached his right wing.

But the Americans, to begin with, were outnumbered.

They had only eleven thousand effective men, while the British brought fifteen of their eighteen thousand into action.

Then the Americans suffered, as they constantly did, from misinformation, and from an absence of system in learning the enemy's movements.
Washington's attack was fatally checked in this way, and Sullivan was surprised from the same causes, as well as from his own culpable ignorance of the country beyond him, which was the reason of his failure to guard the upper fords.

The Americans lost, also, by the unsteadiness of new troops when the unexpected happens, and when the panic-bearing notion that they are surprised and likely to be surrounded comes upon them with a sudden shock.
This defeat was complete and severe, and it was followed in a few days by that of Wayne, who narrowly escaped utter ruin.