[Frederic Shonnard & W.W. Spooner (1900)] Hamilton was greatly enraged against Put-nam, and advised Washington to make an example of him, saying: -His blunders and caprices are endless." But Washington was un-willing to too deeplv wound the sensibilities of the old general, and contented himself with a mild reprimand. " I can not but say," he wrote, -there has been more delay in the march of the troops than I think necessary, and I could wish that in future my orders may be immediately complied with, without arguing upon the propriety of them. If any accident ensues from obeying them, the fault will be upon me, not upon you." During the winter of 1TTT-TS General Putnam and the two Clin-tons, with Lieutenant-Governor Pierre Van Cortlandt, John Jay, and others, reconnoitered the Highlands with a view to their refortifica-tion and selected West Point as the most eligible place for the prin-cipal works. A beginning was made there before Putnam's retirement from the Peekskill post, which occurred on the Kith of March, 1778. He was succeeded by McDougall— his immediate predecessor— now become a major-general. At this stage of the war American hopes mounted high. The French alliance was signed in Paris on the (5th of February. Wash-inoton still at Vallev Forge (Pa.), was in position to attack the British in Philadelphia, and the arrival of a French fleet to co-operate EVENTS OF 1777 AND 1778 439 with him against that city was expected monthly. It became im-