Clinton retained Fort Lafayette, and also resumed possession of Stony Point, reconstructed its works, and fortified it with a more powerful armament than before. But Washington still declined to bring his army down from its Highland position, and Clinton was too prudent to undertake anything Consequently there was no further emformal against West Point. ployment for the British general on the Hudson, and indeed his two succesoccupation of Verplanck's and Stony Points, involving sive demonstrations with a loss of (500 men, proved to be an utter waste of time and energy. In the fall (October 21) he evacuated both the Points; for having, as it proved, permanently abandoned all of gaining the mastery of the Hudson by force, he deemed if' hope an unprofitable expenditure of his resources to retain these isolated Daring the rest of the war the British were and exposed posts. the river below Verplanck's Point, strictly confined to the portion of in spite of the ignominious failure of this final endeavor of the enemy to open the Hudson, the attempt was more serious than appears from ;i superficial view of it. It seems to have been Clinton's principal plan for the campaign of 1771) to force Washington down from the Highlands by a series of aggressions, of which the seizure As the capture of the King's Ferry route was the most important. of the two Points did not bring about the desired result, he withdrew temporarily and carried fire and sword into Connecticut, expecting The by this process to entice Washington from his chosen station. whereConnecticut; to brigades, two witli Heath, latter sent General upon Clinton prepared to follow up the former raids with a heavier blow, which was prevented by the counter-stroke at Stony Point. After that it looked for a time as though the northern part of Westchester County was to be the scene of large military operations.