fell into
the error, common throughout the war, of trusting too much to loyalist
help. Apart from that, however, his project assumed that Howe would be
advancing up the Hudson in time to get between him and any large force
which might advance against him, and it failed miserably, because Howe
did not co-operate with him. Germain informed Carleton of the plan and
ordered him to resign the command of the northern army to Burgoyne; he
was to command only within his own province, keeping 3,700 men with him,
and was to forward Burgoyne's expedition. Germain reproached him for his
retirement from Ticonderoga, which, he said, gave Washington the means
of breaking the British line at Trenton. Carleton was indignant at this
unworthy treatment, and though he did what he could to help Burgoyne, he
resigned the governor-generalship.[121]

During the winter Howe formed a plan for taking Philadelphia, and on
December 20, 1776, expounded it by letter to Germain, observing that the
northern army would not reach Albany before September. Germain wrote on
March 8 approving of his plan,[122] which might have been executed
without preventing the junction contemplated by the minister. After some
unimportant operations Howe took the field in June, and on the 5th
received a copy of Carleton's instructions relating to Burgoyne's
campaign. Washington's difficulties were then somewhat relieved; he
encamped at Middlebrook in a position too strong to be forced; he would
not be enticed to a general engagement, and Howe could not leave him in
his rear and push on to Philadelphia. Time was passing, yet Howe was
still set on prosecuting his design on Philadelphia. Finally he
embarked an army of 14,000 men at Sandy Hook, and instead of remaining
to be in readiness to co-operate with Burgoyne, left Clinton with 8,500
men to garrison New York and "act as circumstances may direct," and on
July 23 sailed for the Delaware, where he considered he would be
sufficiently near to New York to act with Burgoyne, if necessary, and
yet could carry out his own main design. The naval officers were
unwilling to risk disembarkation in the Delaware, and Howe, determined
not to give up his design, sailed for Chesapeake bay. The fleet met with
contrary winds, and it was not until August 25 that his army landed at
the head of Elk river. Washington with about an equal force marched to
the north of the Brandywine to defend Philadelphia. The two armies met
on September 11. How