ng for reinforcements of militia.] The governor
forthwith hastened to his post in the Highlands with such militia
force as he could collect. We have heretofore spoken of his Highland
citadel, Fort Montgomery, and of the obstructions of chain, boom, and
chevaux-de-frise between it and the opposite promontory of Anthony's
Nose, with which it had been hoped to barricade the Hudson. Fort
Clinton had subsequently been erected within rifle shot of Fort
Montgomery to occupy ground which commanded it. A deep ravine and
stream called Peploep's Kill intervened between the two forts, across
which there was a bridge. The governor had his head-quarters in Fort
Montgomery, which was the northern and largest fort, but its works
were unfinished. His brother James had charge of Fort Clinton, which
was complete. The whole force to garrison the associate forts did not
exceed six hundred men, chiefly militia, but they had the veteran,
Colonel Lamb of the artillery, with them, and a company of his
artillerists was distributed in the two forts.

The armament of Sir Henry Clinton, which had been waiting for a wind,
set sail in the course of a day or two and stood up the Hudson, dogged
by American swift-rowing whale-boats. Late at night of the 4th of
October came a barge across the river, from Peekskill to Fort
Montgomery, bearing a letter from Putnam to the governor. "This
morning," writes he, "we had information from our guard-boats that
there were two ships of war, three tenders, and a large number of
flatbottomed boats coming up the river. They proceeded up as far as
Tarrytown where they landed their men. This evening they were followed
by one large man-of-war, five topsail vessels, and a large number of
small craft."

The landing of troops at Tarrytown was a mere feint on the part of Sir
Henry to distract the attention of the Americans; after marching a few
miles into the country, they returned and re-embarked; the armament
continued across the Tappan Sea and Haverstraw Bay to Verplanck's
Point, where, on the 5th, Sir Henry landed with three thousand men,
about eight miles below Peekskill. Putnam drew back to the hills in
the rear of the village to prepare for the expected attack, and sent
off to Governor Clinton for all the troops he could spare. So far the
manoeuvres of Sir Henry Clinton had been successful. It was his plan
to threaten an attack on Peekskill and Fort Independence, and, when he
had drawn the attention of the American c