In the Hudson Highlands campaign of the Revolutionary War (1775-83), General Henry Clinton sought to divert the Revolutionary troops confronting General John Burgoyne in northern New York by seizing the Hudson Highlands. Unfortunately for the British, although Clinton's campaign was masterly and succeeded beyond his own expectations, it was too little too late to save Burgoyne's army from surrendering at Saratoga on October 17, 1777.

Clinton had wanted to offer some relief to Burgoyne's army, marching from Canada all summer, but waited until he received reinforcements from Great Britain in late September. Leaving about 5,000 men to hold New York City, he moved up the Hudson River on October 3, 1777, with 3,000 troops. The next day, he landed on the east bank of the Hudson in a feint to confuse General Israel Putnam, and on October 5 he captured Verplanck's Point, also on the east bank, convincing Putnam that he was going to attack Peekskill. On the morning of October 6 Clinton crossed the Hudson with 2,000 soldiers and advanced on Forts Montgomery and Clinton on the Hudson's west bank by way of a rough mountain path. With the garrisons depleted to reinforce Putnam at Peekskill, Clinton's men captured both outposts with a bayonet charge. The British sustained heavy casualties in the battle, with almost 200 killed and wounded. The Revolutionaries had fewer men killed and injured, but many of the 600 men in the garrison of both forts were captured. Governor George Clinton, in command of the two forts, had to scramble down to the river and escaped across the Hudson.

With the two forts secured, the British could destroy the cable that prevented ships from sailing up the Hudson and, two days later, captured Fort Constitution, six miles farther north. Although the river was now open for 100 miles to Albany, General Clinton did not think he had enough men to push north and relieve Burgoyne. However, dispatches from Burgoyne convinced him that he should try to send some men with supplies to meet Burgoyne in Albany. He was unaware that Burgoyne was about to surrender, or that George Washington with the main Continental army was tied down around Philadelphia. On October 15 he sent General John Vaughan with 1,700 soldiers and a small naval squadron northward. On October 16 they captured and burned Esopus (modern Kingston), which was then the state capital of New York, and got within 45 miles of Albany. Upon hearing no word from Burgoyne, and seeing masses of Revolutionary troops congregating on the riverside, Vaughan retreated downriver. When Clinton received orders from General William Howe to send 4,000 troops to Philadelphia as reinforcements, he abandoned the Hudson Highlands on October 26 and withdrew to New York City.

Bibliography:

Hoffman Nickerson, The Turning Point of the Revolution: Or Burgoyne in America (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1928).

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