"Exactly but don't forget that he was still invalid during the period of Hudson journey.He wrote on June 12 how he was delayed by fever on returning by two days with turbulent rheumatic pains 'through my body '.Regardless of bad health he was able to send the troops to join Washington but went down river to Peekskill to apply greater pressure to Putnam's brigades.He slept again at the home of Dennis Kennedy as if he would never recover."
"Hopeless letters were written about him and the worrisome level of vulnerabilities.Many expected him to fall and die"
"You re right.Governor George Washington received a letter from Captain I.Gibbs who expressed such utter hopelessness and he feared both the fevers and the chills might be fatal "
"You said the same remarks was made earlier in November 25 that it was quite possible for him to breathe his last."
"Yeah from same Gibbs "
"Infact on November 27 same chills erupted again to the chargrin of attending musician and suddenly he got better.Not every one welcomed his recovery dealing smartly as usual with gates to the surprise of many . December 5 in another letter Colonel Hugh Hughes acknowledged this recovery when he wrote to Gates his friend and says .....'.... Hamilton who has been very ill of a nervous disorder at Peekskill is out of danger unless it be from his own sweet temper'.Then near Morristown as he was close in his return to Washington with the troops crashed again and had to be taken back to Peekskill in a hired coach.Now was fed with fruits, oranges, and other hearty diet of mutton, partridges, potatoes, quail.He rejoined his colleagues on January 20 1778 at Valley Forge near Philadelphia an unfortunate place not comfortable to alleviate his fading spirit of a convalescent colonel."
"After the Saratoga victory a lot of Americans favored gates above Washington and it was popular dissent in many quarters that he ought to supplant Washington as commander in chief."
"Yeah it was understandable because his military performance in new York and Philadelphia was poor in addition to setback at Germantown and Brandywine could only lend credence to such sentiments.This undermined his spirited raids at Trenton and Princeton and there was political split among them even in Congress.For instance John and Samuel Adams,Richard Henry Lee and others who had wanted on the war a tighter congressional control sympathized with Gates.The victory was so touching to the extent in his diary that fall had expressed dismay over Washington's hegemony when he says "Oh,Heaven! grant us one great soul!....One active masterly capacity would bring order out of this confusion and save this country."Although he barely endorsed gates but was quite sympathetic to him. Adams had also thought Washington might end up with military rule and were comforted with the Saragoza victory.Unlike John Jay Robert Morris, Robert Livingston and other conservatives believed in centralized rule with the executive power and heavily defended Washington.
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