o effectually did he perform the latter that his
aggregate of prisoners taken during the winter exceeded the number
captured by Washington at Trenton, and his captures of wagons laden
with provisions for the enemy were highly important.

CHAPTER XVI

DEFENDING THE HUDSON HIGHLANDS

Snugly and safely entrenched in the Morristown hill-country, Washington
left to Putnam the post he so dearly loved, that of real danger, within
fifteen miles of New Brunswick, where the enemy lay in strength. At
Princeton, thirty miles from headquarters, Putnam remained until May,
when he was detached and sent into the Hudson Highlands. The British had
lost fewer men at Trenton and Princeton than the Americans had lost at
Fort Washington, yet the former were singularly dispirited. With the
Commander-in-Chief withdrawn to the hills, the road to Philadelphia lay
open to the enemy, and only Old Put opposing them, like a lion in the
path; but for some reason they did not avail themselves of the
situation.

Putnam's division formed the right wing of the American army in
cantonment that winter, with the center at Morristown and the left wing
on the Hudson. At the opening of the spring campaign of 1777 Washington
was uncertain whether the British would leave their winter quarters in
New York for New England, the Hudson Highlands, or for Philadelphia. He
was inclined to believe that Philadelphia would be the first and chief
objective, and wished to hold himself in readiness for marching thither
at a moment's warning; but again there were rumors of an invasion from
Canada by way of the lakes and the Hudson, so this region must be
protected.

Existing forts must be strengthened, others erected, a boom stretched
across the Hudson to impede the passage of British ships, and obstacles
of all kinds placed in the path of the British, should they advance
northward. Needing a reliable man in this emergency, Washington sent
Putnam to Peekskill, on the Hudson, preceded by a letter to General
McDougall, then in command there, which was, to say the least, not very
flattering to the gallant soldier who had been his right-hand man in
the various retreats through the Jerseys. "You are acquainted with the
old gentleman's temper," he wrote; "he is active, disinterested, and
open to conviction," etc.

Washington would have been more fortunate if all his officers had been
as "active, disinterested, and open to conviction" as Old Put--for
instance, Lee, A