Afterwards the reason became known.

Lord George Germain had dictated the order to cooperate with Burgoyne, but had hurried off to the country before it was ready for his signature and it had been mislaid.

Howe seemed free to make his own plans and he longed to be master of the enemy's capital.

In the end he decided to take Philadelphia--a task easy enough, as the event proved.

At Howe's elbow was the traitorous American general, Charles Lee, whom he had recently captured, and Lee, as we know, told him that Maryland and Pennsylvania were at heart loyal to the King and panting to be free from the tyranny of the demagogue.