ion. They were miserably officered in many cases,
and the men, never expecting to become soldiers as such, were
indifferent to discipline. But in another view the criticisms were
unfair, because the Pennsylvanians and others, in making comparisons,
compared their best troops with New England's poorest. As two thirds
of the army were from New England--more than one third from
Connecticut--men from this section were necessarily represented
largely in every duty or piece of fighting, and whenever any
misconduct of a few occurred, it was made to reflect discredit upon
the whole. There was no difference between the better drilled and
officered regiments from the several States, just as there was little
difference between their hastily gathered militia. Thus it may be
mentioned as a notable and somewhat humorous coincidence that at the
very moment the Connecticut militia were flying from the bombardment
of the ships at Kip's Bay, New Jersey and Pennsylvania militia were
flying with equal haste from the bombardment of other ships at Powle's
Hook as they sailed up the North River to Bloomingdale on the same
morning; and that while Reed, Tilghman, Smallwood, and others, were
denouncing the Kip's Bay fugitives in unmeasured terms, the indignant
Mercer was likewise denouncing the "scandalous" behavior of the
fugitives in his own command.[190]

[Footnote 189: This jealousy disappeared when the army was reorganized
and the troops became proficient in discipline. The American soldier
was then found to be equal to any that could be brought against him,
regardless of the locality from which he hailed. But in the present
campaign the sectional feeling referred to came near working mischief,
especially as it was kept alive by so prominent an officer as Colonel
Reed, the Adjutant-general. New England officers protested against the
"rancor" and "malice" of his assertions, and represented their
injurious influence to members of Congress. Washington, finding that
the matter was becoming serious, took the occasion to send a special
invitation to Colonels Silliman and Douglas to dine with him in the
latter part of September, when he "disavowed and absolutely
disapproved every such piece of conduct" which had been a grievance to
these and other Eastern officers.--_Silliman's MS. Letter._ See also
extracts in Gordon's history as to the condition of the army at this
time.]

[Footnote 190: "The militia of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, stationed