e.

After giving his troops a day's repose, Washington decamped on the
30th. His march lay through a country destitute of water, with deep,
sandy roads wearying to the feet, and reflecting the intolerable heat
and glare of a July sun. Many of the troops, harassed by previous
fatigue, gave out by the way. Some few died, and a number of horses
were likewise lost. Washington, ever considerate of the health and
comfort of his men, encamped near Brunswick on open, airy grounds, and
gave them time to repose; while Lieutenant-colonel Aaron Burr, at that
time a young and enterprising officer, was sent on a reconnoitring
expedition, to learn the movements and intentions of the enemy.

Sir Henry Clinton with the royal army had arrived at the Highlands of
Navesink, in the neighborhood of Sandy Hook, on the 30th of June. He
had lost many men by desertion, Hessians especially, during his march
through the Jerseys, which, with his losses by killed, wounded and
captured, had diminished his army more than two thousand men. The
storms of the preceding winter had cut off the peninsula of Sandy Hook
from the mainland, and formed a deep channel between them. Fortunately
the squadron of Lord Howe had arrived the day before, and was at
anchor within the Hook. A bridge was immediately made across the
channel with the boats of the ships, over which the army passed to the
Hook on the 5th of July, and thence was distributed.

Having brought the army to a halt, we have time to notice a
correspondence between General Lee and Washington, immediately
subsequent to the affair of Monmouth. The pride of the general had
been deeply wounded by the rebuke he had received on the field of
battle. On the following day (June 29th) he addressed a note to
Washington on the subject. By mistake it was dated July 1st. "From the
knowledge I have of your Excellency's character," writes he, "I must
conclude that nothing but the misinformation of some very stupid, or
misrepresentation of some very wicked person, could have occasioned
your making use of so very singular expressions as you did on my
coming up to the ground where you had taken post. They implied that I
was guilty either of disobedience of orders, want of conduct, or want
of courage. Your Excellency will therefore infinitely oblige me by
letting me know on which of these three articles you ground your
charge."

Washington, in reply, wrote: "I received your letter (dated through
mistake the 1st of Jul