[Frederic Shonnard & W.W. Spooner (1900)] The safety of the Hudson was Washington's greatest concern, and with the beginning of each campaign he suf-fered torments on that subject. There was an incessant marching and countermarching of troops to and from Peekskill, and Washing-ton himself, except when during his campaign in Pennsylvania, in the southern part of New Jersey, and finally in Virginia, was never more than a few days' march distant from the place. Indeed, SIR HENRY CLINTON. THE STRATEGIC SITUATION 415 in several of his main movements preliminarily to the unfolding of the enemy's principal project for the impending campaign, he made it the cardinal point of his programme to take a central station from which he could with equal convenience march to Peekskill or to other threatened points according to ultimate circumstances. To the vigilance with which he watched the Hudson, his carefulness in fortifying it, and his promptitude in counteracting British attempts upon it, the final success of the devolution was unquestionably due as much as to any single factor. Peekskill itself was never a Revolutionary stronghold. The village was the headquarters for the military commander of the district, which embraced all of the Highlands. Later, upon the completion of the defenses at West Point, the latter locality enjoyed this distinc-tion, and Peekskill, with Yerplanck's Point, was attached to the West Point command.