General Clinton, then at Fort Montgomery, as we have already seen, not only welcomed one of the enemy's tenders, which was beating up the river, taking soundings as siie went, with a thirty-two pound shot, which caused her to i)Ut about and run down the river, to the place where the shii»s had anchored ; but he also made preparations for the removal of all the goods, from the storehouses, and all the Cattle, Sheep, etc., from the farms which were contiguous to the river, to place-sof safety ; and, on the following day, \_Julij 17, 177<!,] he went down with a force sufticiently strong to do wliat he had |)roposed ; successfully removed what iiad not yet been removed by others ; and left one hundred and eighty Militia, under the command of a prudeut officer, to oppose any attempt which might be made to effect a landing or to open a communication with the shore.'

On the same day, [^■July 17, 177G,] the Rose and one of the tenders ran up the river, the former within

' JuumaH of tite HunveiitioH, "Tuesday »fteruo«n, 10 .Inly, 1776."

- 77ie Conceiilioti lo ticiieral WiDtliimjlvii, '• WuiTK Pl.Aixs, July 10, 1770. "

Of the last-named excellent suggeatiim, tieneral WiisliinKton subsequently wrote, * * * "but I <liil not tliink myself at liberty to *' urge or retjuest liis " [Gnrermtr 7'ri(iHt(f/r«] " interest in forming tli4' "Camp of six thousand men, as the levies, directed by Congress, on the *' third of June, to be furnished for the defense of this place, by that " Governniont, are but little more than one-thiiil come in. .\t the same "time, the proiKL-iition I think a goo<l one. if it could be carried into "execution. In case the enemy should attempt to efTect a landing "above Kin^bridge and to cut ofl' the communication lietween tlii^ "City and the country, an .\rniy to hang on their rear would distress " them exceedingly.'' {General W'anhimjUm the Pre'<idenl of the Vvnti- HCiituJ t'«ii</re«!, "Xk« York, Hi July, 17715.