far had been conducted with
celerity and apparent secrecy, and complete surprise of both forts was
anticipated. Sir Henry had indeed outwitted one of the guardians of
the Highlands, but the other was aware of his designs. Governor
Clinton, on receiving intelligence of ships of war coming up the
Hudson, had sent scouts beyond the Dunderberg to watch their
movements. Early on the present morning, word had been brought him
that forty boats were landing a large force at Stony Point. He now, in
his turn, apprehended an attack, and sent to Putnam for
reinforcements, preparing, in the meantime, to make such defence as
his scanty means afforded.

A lieutenant was sent out with thirty men from Fort Clinton, to
proceed along the river-road and reconnoitre. He fell in with the
advance guard of Sir Henry Clinton's division, and retreated
skirmishing to the fort. A larger detachment was sent out to check the
approach of the enemy on this side; while sixty men, afterwards
increased to a hundred, took post with a brass field-piece in the Bear
Hill defile, a narrow and rugged pass, bordered by shagged forests. As
Campbell and his division came pressing forward, they were checked by
the discharge of fire-arms and of the brass field-piece, which swept
the steep defile. The British troops then filed off on each side into
the woods, to surround the Americans. The latter, finding it
impossible to extricate their field-piece in the rugged pass, spiked
it, and retreated into the fort.

Sir Henry Clinton had met with equally obstinate opposition in his
approach to Fort Clinton; the narrow strip of land between Lake
Sinipink and the Hudson, along which he advanced, being fortified by
an abatis. By four o'clock the Americans were driven within their
works, and both forts were assailed. The defence was desperate; for
Governor Clinton was a hard fighter, and he was still in hopes of
reinforcements from Putnam; not knowing that the messenger he sent to
him had turned traitor, and deserted to the enemy.

About five o'clock, he was summoned to surrender in five minutes, to
prevent the effusion of blood: the reply was a refusal. About ten
minutes afterwards, there was a general attack upon both forts. It was
resisted with obstinate spirit. The action continued until dusk. The
ships under Commodore Hotham approached near enough to open an
irregular fire upon the forts, and upon the vessels anchored above the
chevaux-de-frise. The latter returned t