[Frederic Shonnard & W.W. Spooner (1900)] In a letter to Bowdom, then at the bead of the Massachusetts government, Lee characterized Washington's instructions to him to move from North Castle as « absolute insanitv," and complacently added that for himself, should the British move toward his quarter, he would entertain no expecta-tion of being succored by the « western army "-implying that there were now two distinct armies, a western commanded by Washington and an eastern headed by himself. In a confidential letter of the 24th to Reed he alluded to an enterprise which he wanted to com-plete before moving, after which, he said, -1 shall fly to you, for to confess a truth 1 really think our chief will do better with me than without me " 0, Westchester County was at last evacuated by Lee on the od ami 4th of December. The movement was of course by way of Kings Ferry Stopping at Peekskill on the way, he endeavored to persuade and, failing in that, to browbeat Heath into a violation of Washing-ton's repeated commands. He requested Heath to give him 2 000 o his troops, and when that was refused, to let him take 1,000 The latter bluntly declared that not a single soldier should march from the post bv his order. Lee then assumed, as senior in command, to issue the order himself, but Heath required him to sign a statemenl certifying that he did this exclusively upon his own responsibility.