on account of his reputation, for what has he done as yet, with his great army? While still in doubt as to the meaning of the manoeu- vre, Washington received news of the peril of the Digitized by Microsoft® 1 86 The Hudson River garrison on Manhattan. Threatened by Lord Percy with a large body of troops at the south, and by Knyphausen between the Fort and Kingsbridge, Colonel Magaw and his command were in a serious position. As though to add a feature of discouragement to the situation by proving the futility of attempting to control the river, a frigate and two transports broke through the chevaux-de-jrise with supplies for Howe's army at Dobbs Ferry. Washington wrote to Greene, upon the receipt of these tidings: If we cannot prevent vessels from passing up the river, and the enemy are possessed of all the surrounding country, what val- uable purpose can it answer to hold a post from which the expected benefit cannot be had? I am, therefore, inclined to think, that it will not be prudent to hazard the men and stores at Mount Washington; but, as you are on the spot, I leave it to you to give such orders as to evacuating Mount Washington as you may judge best, and so far revoking the orders given to Colonel Magaw, to defend it to the last. Further instructions were sent to Greene, directing the removal of superfluous stores, etc., anticipating an attack upon Fort Lee upon the Jersey side. But Greene could not admit the wisdom of abandoning Magaw's position. In this connection Irving says: He did not consider the fort in immediate danger. Colonel Magaw thought it would take the enemy until the end of Decem- ber to carry it. In the meantime the garrison could at any time be brought off and even the stores removed, should matters grow desperate. Digitized by Microsoft® Forts Washington and Lee 187 From his camp at Northcastle, to which he had removed after White Plains, Washington made a hurried march to Peekskill, on November loth. After making a mihtary visit to the Highland posts, recon- noitring in company with Generals Heath, Clinton, and others, and directing the disposition of the various bodies of troops, he crossed the Hudson below Stony Point with a force which was to find its way to Hack- ensack by a pass in the Ramapo Mountains. The commander took a more direct route to Fort Lee. Arriving there on the 1 3th, he found that Fort Wash- ington, which was the immediate object of his solici- tude, instead of being evacuated had on the contrary been reinforced by General Greene, who had made the most of the discretionary clause in his chief's letter. Both Greene and Magaw believed that the Fort might be successfully defended. Why Washington, who acknowledged that the use- lessness of this post had been demonstrated and whose judgment required its evacuation, permitted the repre- sentations of his officers to outweigh his own saner conclusions has never been explained. For several days he remained in the neighbourhood, awaiting developments. Upon the 15th, two months to a day after the hurried evacuation of New York by Putnam's hard-pressed columns, Howe sent Magaw a summons to surrender. The latter answered in somewhat stilted but unequivocal English that, "Actuated by the most glorious cause Digitized by Microsoft® 1 88 The Hudson River that mankind ever fought in, I am determined to defend this post to the very last extremity." Greene, across the river, dispatched a rider to Washington with the intelUgence of Magaw's peril; and sent reinforcements to the Colonel, who was now menaced on three sides by the enemy. It was nightfall [says Irving] when Washington arrived at Fort Lee. Greene and Putnam were over at the besieged fort- ress. He threw himself into a boat and had partly crossed the river, when he met those generals returning. They informed him of the garrison's having been reinforced and assured him that it was in high spirits and capable of making a good defence. It was with difficulty, however, that they could prevail on him to return with them to the Jersey shore, for he was excessively excited. Less discreet historians than Irving have not hesi- tated to say that the Father of his Country on that occasion expressed his excitement in language of much greater vigour than is countenanced by polite custom. In other words, this is believed to have been one of the rare occasions upon which Washington swore. And certainly, if there was ever an excuse for profane in- vective, he could plead it at that time. Besides Magaw there were Cadwalader, Rawlings, Baxter, and other officers of merit at the beleaguered fort, together with a force of about two- thousand picked men,