Clinton had not expected Rodney's squadron, but it arrived opportunely and, when it sailed up to New York from Sandy Hook, on the 16th of September, he began at once to embark his army, taking pains at the same time to send out reports that he was going to the Chesapeake.

Washington concluded that the opposite was true and that he was likely to be going northward.

At West Point, where the Hudson flows through a mountainous gap, Washington had strong defenses on both shores of the river.

His batteries commanded its whole width, but shore batteries were ineffective against moving ships.

The embarking of Clinton's army meant that he planned operations on land.