Clinton, Fort, capture of
While
Burgoyne was contending with
Gates on the upper
Hudson, in 1777,
Sir Henry Clinton was attempting to make his way up the river, to join him or to make a diversion in his favor.
Among the Hudson Highlands were three forts of considerable strength, but with feeble garrisons—Fort Constitution, opposite
West Point, and
Forts Clinton and
Montgomery, on the west side of the river at the lower entrance to the Highlands, standing on opposite sides of a creek, with high, rocky shores.
From
Fort Montgomery, on the northern side of the stream, to
Anthony's Nose, opposite, the
Americans had stretched a boom and chain across the river to prevent the passage of hostile vessels up that stream.
Forts Clinton and
Montgomery were under the immediate command of
Gov. George Clinton, and his
brother Gen. James Clinton.
Tories had informed
Sir Henry Clinton of the weakness of the garrisons, and as soon as expected reinforcements from
Europe had arrived, he prepared transports to ascend the river.
He sailed (Oct. 4, 1777) with more than 3,000 troops, in many armed and unarmed vessels, commanded by
Commodore Hotham, and landed them at
Verplanck's Point, a few miles below
Peekskill, then the headquarters of
General Putnam, commander of the Highland posts.
He deceived
Putnam by a feigned attack on
Peekskill, but the more sagacious
Governor Clinton believed he designed to attack the Highland forts.
Under cover of a dense fog, on the morning of the 6th, Sir Henry re-embarked 2,000 troops, crossed the river, and landed them on
Stony Point, making a circuitous march around the
Dunderberg to fall upon the Highland forts.
At the same time, his armed vessels were ordered to anchor within point-blank-shot distance of these forts, to beat off any American vessels that might appear above the boom and chain.
Sir Henry divided his forces.
One party, led by
General Vaughan, and accompanied by the baronet (about 200 strong), went through a defile west of the
Dunderberg, to strike
Fort Clinton, while another party (900 strong), led by
Colonel Campbell, made a longer march, back of
Bear Mountain, to fall on
Fort Montgomery at the same time.
Vaughan had a severe skirmish with troops sent out from
Fort Clinton, on the borders of Lake Sinnipink, near it: at the same time the governor sent a messenger to
Putnam for aid. The messenger, instead, deserted to the
British.
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Campbell and his men appeared before
Fort Montgomery at 5 P. M. and demanded the surrender of both forts.
It was refused, when a simultaneous attack
by both divisions and by the vessels in the river was made.
The garrison (chiefly militia) made a gallant defence until dark, when they were overpowered and sought safety in a scattered retreat to the adjacent mountains.
The governor fled across the river, and at midnight was in the
camp of Putnam, planning future operations.
His brother, badly wounded, made his way over the mountains to his home at New Windsor.
Some American vessels lying above the boom, unable to escape, were burned by their crews.
By the light of this conflagration the fugitive garrisons found their way through the mountains to settlements beyond.
