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 distincand Peekskill, with Yerplanck's Point, was attached to the West Point tion,command. The fortification of the Highlands was begun under the auspices of the New York convention shortly after the arrival of the British invading expedition. At the time of Washington's visit to Peekskill, in November, 1770, the work had made tolerable progress. Washington, it will be remembered, spent one whole day and part of a second in reconnoitering this locality and the Highlands above. After indicating what should be done toward perfecting the defensive positions, he left his able engineer, Colonel Rufus Putnam, to carry out his plans under the direction of General Heath. The situation as finally developed was in detail briefly as follows: On the east side of the river, just above Peekskill village, was a work called Fort Independence.1 This was substantially completed during the winter of 1770-77. There was at that time no other fort on the Westchester shore, although later Fort Lafayette was built at the extremity of Yerplanck's Point to protect the King's Ferry route, and on a hill near Cortlandtville Fort Lookout was constructed.