... casualties in the skirmish. In July, 1775, when George Washington arrived to take charge of the colonial troops, the British soldiers were under siege in the city, with supplies and food running dangerously low. McCullough uses his opening chapters to summarize the state of the opposing armies and to introduce some of his major characters: Washington, Nathaniel Greene, Henry Knox, and William Howe. Washington, a ... , wrote to the commander on December 22, urging him to take action: "Our affairs are hastening fast to ruin if we not retrieve them by some happy event. Delay with us is now...

• Word Count: 1576
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate