[Frederic Shonnard & W.W. Spooner (1900)] 438 HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY vented his needful re-enforcement in New Jersey. Thus at two criti-cal emergencies in two successive years Westchester County was made the&scene of a large and idle military establishment to gratify the personal spite of Washington's rivals. General Putnam, whose nature was noble and who was entirely loyal to his commander, was not a party to this petty and wicked meanness; but he had de-signs of his own for the good of the cause. It was his dearly cherished object to capture New York, and he felt that now was the appointed time At this juncture Alexander Hamilton arrived at Peekskill on a mission from Washington to dates, and in the name of Ins chief or-dered Putnam to send on two continental brigades. lie then went to Albany and interviewed Gates. Getting little satisfaction, however, from that egotist and schemer, he sent an express to Putnam to for-ward another thousand men to Washington. But upon his return to Peekskill he found with astonishment and indignation that Putnam had not obeyed either of his orders, but instead was beginning active operations against New York, ami to that end had marched a force to Tarrytown and had formally reconnoitered the enemy almost as far down as Kingsbridge. Hamilton, under the advice of Governor Clinton, now peremptorily commanded Putnam to dispatch to Wash-ington all his continental regiments, retaining only his militia forces. This order was obeyed.