ABSTRACT
General John Burgoyne was the most dashing and romantic of officers. He might have stepped straight out of a highly colored adventure story. Burgoyne and his army would have to deal with the situation without help. The shortest route from New York to Philadelphia was by land across New Jersey, but Howe considered it too dangerous and left it to Washington, who came marching down from Morristown to intercept him. Howe out-manoeuverd Washington and defeated him, and after a series of minor engagements was able to send Cornwallis marching into Philadelphia with grenadiers on September 26th. Congress had to clear out of Philadelphia in a hurry, but continued to meet in the little town of York until the winter set in. Thus 1777 ended with Burgoyne a prisoner, with Howe snug in Philadelphia, with Congress dispersed to its homes, and with Washington's army, shivering and underfed, building log cabins at Valley Forge in which to shelter from the bitter cold.
