Its strength, like that of all others depending for defence on militia, was subject to great fluctuation.

As soon as the ice was out of the river, General Howe took advantage of its occasional weakness, to carry on an expedition against it, for the purpose of destroying the stores there deposited, or of bringing them away.
{March 23.} [Sidenote: Destruction of stores at Peekskill.] Colonel Bird was detached up the river on this service, with about five hundred men, under convoy of a frigate and some armed vessels.
General M'Dougal, whose numbers did not at that time exceed two hundred and fifty men, received timely notice of his approach, and exerted himself for the removal of the stores into the strong country in his rear.

Before this could be effected, Colonel Bird appeared; and M'Dougal, after setting fire to the remaining stores and barracks, retired into the strong grounds in the rear of Peekskill.

The British detachment completed the conflagration, and returned to New York.
During their short stay, a piquet guard was attacked by Colonel Willet, and driven in with the loss of a few men; a circumstance, believed by General M'Dougal, to have hastened the re-embarkation of the detachment.
[Sidenote: At Danbury.] {April.} Military stores to a considerable amount had likewise been deposited at Danbury, on the western frontier of Connecticut.

Although this place is not more than twenty miles from the Sound, yet the roughness of the intervening country, the frequent passage of troops from the eastward through the town, and the well known zeal of the neighbouring militia, were believed sufficient to secure the magazines collected at it.