The second of the two affairs to which we have alluded was an expedition made by Clinton as a diversion to help Burgoyne, and was directed against two American forts on the right bank of the Hudson, which barred the passage of the British warships to Albany; Albany being the point to which Burgoyne hoped to penetrate. A force of 3000 men, including one troop of the [Sidenote: 1777.] Seventeenth, embarked on the 5th October and sailed up the [Sidenote: 5th Oct.] Hudson to Verplanks Point, forty miles from New York, on the east bank of the river. Here Clinton landed a portion of his force under the fire of a small American field-work, drove out the enemy, and pursued them for some little way. This feint produced the desired effect. The American general of the district at once concluded that Clinton meant to advance to meet Burgoyne on the east bank of the Hudson, and hurried away with most of the garrison of the river ports to occupy the passes on the roads. Clinton meanwhile quietly embarked [Sidenote: 6th Oct.] two-thirds of his force on the following morning, leaving the remainder to hold Verplanks, and landed them on the opposite bank. Thence he advanced over a very steep mountain, along very bad roads, to attack two important posts, Forts Clinton and Montgomery, from the rear. Though Fort Clinton, the lower of the two, was but twelve miles distant, it was not reached before sunset, owing to the difficulties of the march. Opposite Fort Clinton the force divided into two columns, one of them standing fast, while the other made a detour to reach Fort Montgomery unobserved--the design being to attack both posts, which were only three-quarters of a mile apart, simultaneously. The upper post, Fort Montgomery, was easily captured, being at once abandoned by its garrison of 800 men. Fort Clinton, however, was a more difficult matter, the only possible approach to it being over a plain covered with four hundred yards of abattis, and commanded by ten guns. The British, though they had not a single gun, advanced under a heavy fire, pushed each other through the embrasures, and, in spite of a gallant resistance on the part of the Americans, drove them out of the fort. The American loss was 300 killed, wounded, and prisoners; the British loss, 140 killed and wounded. Having destroyed the American shipping and some other batteries farther up the river, Clinton’s little expedition returned to New York. The troop of the Seventeenth formed part of the column that stormed Fort Clinton--a service which, if the original plan of campaign had been [Sidenote: 1777.] adhered to, would have been one of the most valuable in the war.