district, he crossed the Dunderberg Mountain by the road just
indicated. One division of 900 moving on Fort Montgomery, and another
of 1,100 on Fort Clinton. Governor Clinton in the meantime ordered 400
soldiers to Fort Montgomery, and his reconnoitering party, met by the
Hessians, fell back upon the fort, fighting as it retreated. Governor
Clinton sent to General Putnam for reinforcements, but it is said that
the messenger deserted, so that Putnam literally sat waiting in camp,
unconscious of the enemy's movements. A simultaneous attack was made
at 5 o'clock in the afternoon on both forts. Lossing says: "The
garrisons were composed mostly of untrained militia. They behaved
nobly, and kept up the defense vigorously, against a greatly superior
force of disciplined and veteran soldiers, until twilight, when they
were overpowered, and sought safety in a scattered retreat to the
neighboring mountains. Many escaped, but a considerable number were
slain or made prisoners. The Governor fled across the river in a
boat, and at midnight was with General Putnam at Continental Village,
concerting measures for stopping the invasion. James, forcing his way
to the rear, across the highway bridge, received a bayonet wound in
the thigh, but safely reached his home at New Windsor. A sloop of ten
guns, the frigate "Montgomery"--twenty-four guns--and two row-galleys,
stationed near the boom and chain for their protection, slipped their
cables and attempted to escape, but there was no wind to fill their
sails, and they were burned by the Americans to prevent their falling
into the hands of the enemy. The frigate "Congress," twenty-eight
guns, which had already gone up the river, shared the same fate on the
flats near Fort Constitution, which was abandoned. By the light of the
burning vessels the fugitive garrisons made their way over the rugged
mountains, and a large portion of them joined General Clinton at New
Windsor the next day. They had left many of their brave companions
behind, who, to the number of 250, had been slain or taken prisoners.