s to surprise an outpost of
the American army stationed near a fordable part of the Croton River,
not far from Pine's Bridge. The post was commanded by Colonel
Christopher Greene, of Rhode Island, the same who had successfully
defended Fort Mercer on the Delaware, when assailed by Count Donop. He
was a valuable officer, highly prized by Washington. Colonel Delancey,
who led this foray, was successor to the unfortunate Andre as
adjutant-general of the British army. He conducted it secretly, and in
the night, at the head of a hundred horse and two hundred foot. The
Croton was forded at daybreak, just as the night-guard had been
withdrawn, and the farm-houses were surprised and assailed in which
the Americans were quartered. That occupied by Colonel Greene and a
brother officer, Major Flagg, was first surrounded. The major started
from his bed, and discharged his pistols from a window, but was shot
through the head, and afterwards despatched by cuts and thrusts of the
sabre.

The door of Greene's room was burst open. He defended himself
vigorously and effectively with his sword, for he had great strength,
but he was overpowered by numbers, cut down, and barbarously mangled.
A massacre was going on in other quarters. Besides these two officers,
there were between thirty and forty killed and wounded, and several
made prisoners. It is said that Colonel Delancey was not present at
the carnage, but remained on the south side of the Croton to secure
the retreat of his party. Before the troops ordered out by Washington
arrived at the post, the marauders had made a precipitate retreat.
They had attempted to carry off Greene a prisoner, but he died within
three-quarters of a mile of the house. The commander-in-chief, we are
told, heard with anguish and indignation the tragical fate of this,
his faithful friend and soldier.

At this juncture Washington's attention was called in another
direction. A frigate had arrived at Boston, bringing the Count de
Barras, to take command of the French naval force. He was a veteran
about sixty years of age, and had commanded D'Estaing's vanguard, when
he forced the entrance of Newport harbor. The count brought the
cheering intelligence, that an armament of twenty ships-of-the-line,
with land forces, was to sail, or had sailed, from France, under the
Count de Grasse for the West Indies, and that twelve of these ships
were to relieve the squadron at Newport, and might be expected on the
coast of