en miles. The two fortresses required a thousand men for their
proper defense, but till early in 1777, had usually been in charge of a
very small force under Gen. James Clinton. The time of these soldiers
expiring on the last day of March, Col. Lewis Dubois, with the Fifth New
York Regiment was sent to garrison Fort Montgomery.

A meeting of the field officers of Orange and Ulster, was held at Mrs.
Falls' in Little Britain, March 31st, 1777, pursuant to a resolve of the
New York Convention empowering General George Clinton, lately appointed
commandant of the forts in the Highlands, to call out the militia "to
defend this State against the incursions of our implacable enemies, and
reinforce the garrisons of Fort Montgomery, defend the post of Sidnam's
Bridge (near Hackensack), and afford protection to the distressed
inhabitants." It was there resolved, with great spirit, to call
one-third of each of the several regiments into actual service, to the
number of 1,200, and to form them into three temporary regiments, of
which two should garrison Fort Montgomery, under Colonel Levi Pawling
(with Lt. Col. McClaughry), and Col. Johannes Snyder. As the men were
raised they were to march in detachments to that post, and were to serve
till August 1st, and receive continental pay and rations. Each captain
was forthwith directed to raise his quota, and "in the most just and
equitable manner."

John Van Arsdale was among those chosen from his beat, and sometime in
April, borrowing from his brother an old but trusty musket, proceeded to
Fort Montgomery. Being of a resolute, active temperament, with a
knowledge of tactics, and an aptness to command, he was made a corporal;
an evidence of the good opinion entertained of him by his officers,
flattering to one of his years. It was also in his favor that he was a
good penman, and had acquired a fair English education for the times.
Drilling his squad, placing and relieving the guards, and other daily
routine duty, gave our young corporal enough to do, while the courts for
the trial of some notorious tories, held at that post, during the spring
and summer, added to frequent alarms due to indications that the enemy
from below meditated an attack upon the forts, kept everything lively.
On July 2nd, Gen. Clinton, upon a hint from Washington that Lord Howe,
in order to favor Burgoyne, might attempt to seize the passes of the
Highlands, and "make him a very hasty visit," with which view, account