[Frederic Shonnard & W.W. Spooner (1900)] Fort Independence, on the Westchester side above Peekskill, did not prove strong enough to prevent the passage of the warships belonging to the expedition. Two or three of these vessels ran by its batteries and co-operated with the land force. Governor Clinton was informed somewhat in advance of the coming of the enemy through the passes, and sent to Putnam for help, but his messenger never reached the doughty gen-eral. Irving says he turned traitor and deserted to the enemy. Putnam had been completely outmaneuvered. Although the cross-ing of a British force to the west side had been reported to him, he supposed this was only a detachment, and thought the main body was still at Verplanck's Point, and would come upon him in due 436 HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY time.1 He not only did not re-enforce the garrisons, but appre-hended nothing of the truth until the guns of the forts boomed upon his astounded ears. Added to his confusion as a duped general was the mortification of a true soldier, ardent for battle but denied that privilege by a specious antagonist; for his own position was not assailed. Putnam, when in splenetic humor, was not over nice in the choice of words; and it can be imagined but not printed with what dreadful language he must have remarked upon the eventuality. There was a display of fireworks that night in the romantic fast-nesses of the Highlands never equaled before or since.