General Lee, who had been lately exchanged, and whose experience gave great weight to his opinions, was vehement against risking either a general or partial engagement.

The British army was computed at ten thousand effective men, and that of the Americans amounted to between ten and eleven thousand.

General Lee was decidedly of opinion that, with such an equality of force, it would be "criminal" to hazard an action.

He relied much on the advantageous ground on which their late foreign connexions had placed the United States, and contended that defeat alone could now endanger their independence.

To this he said the army ought not to be exposed.