Fort Clinton had subsequently been erected within rifle shot of Fort [Montgomery, to occupv ground which commanded it. A deep ravine and stream, called Peploep's Kill, intervened between the two forts, across which there was a bridge. The governor had his headquarters in Fort Montgomery, which was the northern and largest fort, but its works were unfinished. His brother James had charge of Fort Clinton, which was complete. The whole force to garrison the associate forts did not exceed six hundred men, chiefly militia, but they

338 The Hudson River

had the veteran Colonel Lamb, of the artillery, with them, who had served in Canada, and a company of his artillerists was distributed in the two forts.

Early in October, Sir Henry Clinton sailed up the Hudson with a fleet carrying three or four thousand British troops and Tories. The object of the expedition was to take the forts, Montgomery and Clinton, opposite Anthony's Nose. There were American stores there, that had been collected in the neighbourhood, and the destruction of these was the ostensible object of the expedition; but it is almost certain that the idea of relieving Burgoyne by a diversion carried greater weight. A body of troops was landed at Tarry town, marched a short distance into the country, returned, and reembarked. This ruse had the desired effect of deceiving General Putnam at Peekskill. On the next day, the fifth, Clinton landed in force at Verplanck's Point, below Peekskill, thus strengthening the impression already created that Fort Independence and the eastern shore of the river were to be the scene of his attack. Almost immediately, however, the greater part of the troops were ferried across in barges from Verplanck's to the opposite shore, and while a body of Tories on shore and the war-ships in the river kept up the pretence of attacking Fort Independence, Clinton hurried the main body of his command, by a circuitous route, over the hill passes back of the Dunderberg, towards Forts Montgomery and Clinton.