If we are talking about the revolutionary war, then congress was the leader of the colonies and therefore the army but George Washington was the commander-in-chief of the army. Definitely at the beginning and almost all throughout the war the army was in bad shape often not having enough pay to send home to their families and often without proper clothing or food. Many men either ran away from the army or left as soon as their contract was up. The rebel army maintained decently steady numbers and only saw dramatic increases when the French and Spanish joined the war.
