_Commander of the Army_. Takes command at Cambridge, 137; his impression upon people, 137, 138, 139; begins reorganization of army, 139; secures number of troops, 140; enforces discipline, his difficulties, 140, 141; forced to lead Congress, 142; to arrange rank of officers, 142; organizes privateers, 142; discovers lack of powder, 143; plans campaigns in Canada and elsewhere, 143, 144; his plans of attack on Boston overruled by council of war, 144; writes to Gage urging that captives be treated as prisoners of war, 145; skill of his letter, 146; retorts to Gage's reply, 147; continues dispute with Howe, 148; annoyed by insufficiency of provisions, 149; and by desertions, 149; stops quarrel between Virginia and Marblehead soldiers, 149; suggests admiralty committees, 150; annoyed by army contractors, 150; and criticism, 151; letter to Joseph Reed, 151; occupies Dorchester Heights, 152; begins to like New England men better, 152; rejoices at prospect of a fight, 153; departure of British due to his leadership, 154; sends troops immediately to New York, 155; enters Boston, 156; expects a hard war, 156; urges upon Congress the necessity of preparing for a long struggle, 156; his growing hatred of Tories, 156, 157; goes to New York, 157, 158; difficulties of the situation, 158; suppresses Tories, 159; urges Congress to declare independence, 159, 160; discovers and punishes a conspiracy to assassinate, 160; insists on his title in correspondence with Howe, 161; justice of his position, 162; quiets sectional jealousies in army, 162; his military inferiority to British, 163; obliged by political considerations to attempt defense of New York, 163, 164; assumes command on Long Island, 164; sees defeat of his troops, 165; sees plan of British fleet to cut off retreat, 166; secures retreat of army, 167; explains his policy of avoiding a pitched battle, 167; anger at flight of militia at Kip's Bay, 168; again secures safe retreat, 169; secures slight advantage in a skirmish, 170; continues to urge Congress to action, 170, 171; success of his letters in securing a permanent army, 171; surprised by advance of British fleet, 172; moves to White Plains, 173; blocks British advance, 174; advises abandonment of American forts, 174; blames himself for their capture, 175; leads diminishing army through New Jersey, 175; makes vain appeals for aid, 176; resolves to take the offensive, 177; desperateness of his situation, 178; pledges his estate and private fortune to raise men, 179; orders disregarded by officers, 180; crosses Delaware and captures Hessians, 180, 181; has difficulty in retaining soldiers, 181; repulses Cornwallis at Assunpink, 181;