on the road to Continental Village, where the stores had been sent, and occupied a strong post that Washington had noted in his reconnoissance after the battle of White Plains in the previous autumn. Colonel Willett hastened to McDougall's relief from Fort Constitution, and after a sharp skirmish the Digitized by Microsoft® NEAR FORT MONTGOMERY 333 Digitized by Microsoft® Digitized by Microsoft® The Spirit of 76 335 British decamped, retuining down the river without having accompHshed the object of the expedition. This affair aroused new anxiety for the Highland passes and their defence. General George Clinton, who had command of the Highland forts, ordered out the militia of Westchester, Orange, and Dutchess counties. He also strengthened the chain previously extended across the river from Fort Montgomery. General McDougall, still in command at Peekskill, re- ceived instructions from Washington to co-operate with Clinton in putting the fortifications in as perfect condition as possible for defence. Clinton was di- rected to put as large a force as he could spare on the mountains west of the river. General Greene was ordered to the Highlands to inspect the forts and report upon the possibility of attacks by water or land. He was accompanied by General Knox, and, with McDougall, Clinton, and Wayne, made the reqtxired examination. These five generals recommended that the heavy chain and cables stretched across the river be completed and made effective. Arnold was now offered the general command of the Hudson, but declined. Putnam, who was named in his place, hastened to the Highlands, and entered with alacrity into the completion of Clinton's defences. It was while at Verplanck's Point that Putnam had that famous brief correspondence with Sir Henry Clinton regarding a spy taken within the American Digitized by Microsoft® •m 336 The Hudson River lines. A vessel of war, proceeding with haste from New York, landed a flag of truce at Verplanck's Point with a message from the British general, claiming the spy, Edmund Palmer, as a lieutenant in the King's service. Putnam did not waste words in writing his reply: Headquarters, 7* Aug. 1777. Edmund Palmer, an officer in the enemy's service, was taken as a spy lurking within our lines. He has been tried as a spy, con- demned as a spy and shall be executed as a spy; and the flag is ordered to depart immediately. Israel Putnam. P. S. — He has, accordingly, been executed. That the temper of the country was such as to give great satisfaction to the leaders at this time may be gathered from Clinton's own words: "I never knew the militia to come out with greater alacrity." But he adds, in the same connection, " as a great many of them have harvests in the field, I fear it will be diffi- cult to detain them long, unless the enemy will make some movements that indicate a design of coming this way suddenly, and so obvious as to be believed by the militia." With Burgoyne trying to force his way to Albany from the north, and Clinton planning to co-operate with him by way of the Hudson, the general anxiety regarding the Highlands increased as the season ad- vanced. The forts, by autumn, were feebly garri- soned. On the 29th of September, Putnam, from his Digitized by Microsoft® The Spirit of '76 zil headquarters at Peekskill, wrote to General George Ointon as follows: I have received intelligence on which I can fully depend, that the enemy had received a reinforcement at New York last Thursday, of about three thousand British and foreign troops, that General Clinton has called in guides who belong about Croton River; has ordered hard bread to be baked; that the troops are called from Paulus Hook to Kings Bridge, and that the whole troops are now under marching orders. I think it highly probable the designs of the enemy are against the posts of the Highlands or of some part of the counties of Westchester or Dutchess. . . . The ships are drawn up in the river and I believe nothing prevents them from paying us an immediate visit but a contrary wind. Clinton, absent from his military post while attend- ing to his civil duties as Governor, received this urgent letter at Kingston, and at once hastened to the High- lands, collecting all the militia that he could, more effectually to man the defences. Irving has given the following description of the forts at that time: We have spoken of his (Clinton's) Highland citadel of Fort Montgomery, and of the obstructions of chain, boom, and che- vanx-dc-frise between it and the opposite promontory of An- thony's Nose. 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