ted, "The fort is our own." The two columns arrived nearly at
the same time, and met in the centre of the works. The garrison
surrendered at discretion. At daybreak, the guns of the fort were
turned on Fort Lafayette and the shipping. The latter cut their cables
and dropped down the river. Through a series of blunders, the
detachment from West Point, which was to have co-operated, did not
arrive in time, and came unprovided with suitable ammunition for their
battering artillery. This part of the enterprise, therefore, failed;
Fort Lafayette held out.

The storming of Stony Point stands out in high relief as one of the
most brilliant achievements of the war. The Americans had effected it
without firing a musket. On their part it was the silent, deadly work
of the bayonet; the fierce resistance they met at the outset may be
judged by the havoc made in their forlorn hope; out of twenty-two men,
seventeen were either killed or wounded. The whole loss of the
Americans was fifteen killed and eighty-three wounded. Of the
garrison, sixty-three were slain, including two officers; five hundred
and fifty-three were taken prisoners, among whom were a
lieutenant-colonel, four captains, and twenty-three subaltern
officers.

{Illustration: NEW LONDON, CONN. Vol. IV.}

Tidings of the capture of Stony Point, and the imminent danger of Fort
Lafayette, reached Sir Henry Clinton just after his conference with
Sir George Collier at Throg's Neck. The expedition against New London
was instantly given up; the transports and troops were recalled; a
forced march was made to Dobbs' Ferry on the Hudson; a detachment was
sent up the river in transports to relieve Fort Lafayette, and Sir
Henry followed with a greater force, hoping Washington might quit his
fastnesses, and risk a battle for the possession of Stony Point.

Again the Fabian policy of the American commander-in-chief
disappointed the British general. Having well examined the post in
company with an engineer and several general officers, he found that
at least fifteen hundred men would be required to maintain it, a
number not to be spared from the army at present. The works, too, were
only calculated for defence on the land side, and were open towards
the river, where the enemy depended upon protection from their ships.
It would be necessary to construct them anew, with great labor. The
army, also, would have to be in the vicinity, too distant from West
Point to aid in completing or