 But even worse than that was the fact that his army was due to disappear at the end of the year. You see, most of his soldiers' enlistments expired on January 1, 1777, and that meant that if he couldn't recruit enough men, his army would literally cease to exist. There was a real sense that the Patriots' cause was on the ropes. Just months after the Americans had declared independence, the immediate results were a complete disaster. And you have to think,