{"chunks_used":7,"query":"At Davenport House, Before Sunrise","report":"**The Surprise at Davenport House: A Synthesis of Eyewitness and Historical Accounts**\n\nOn the morning of May 13, 1781, Colonel Christopher Greene of the Rhode Island Regiment was killed during a surprise attack on his headquarters at Davenport House (also referred to as Danforth\u2019s House) in Yorktown, Westchester County. According to General Heath\u2019s account, cited by Bolton (1848), Greene had established a post near a fordable section of the Croton River to prevent enemy incursions. He maintained strict vigilance during the night but dismissed his guards after sunrise, operating under the assumption that the enemy would not dare cross the river in daylight. This tactical miscalculation allowed a force of approximately 150 British dragoons and refugees, led by Colonel De Lancey, to cross the ford and surround the American quarters before the danger was detected.\n\nThe attack occurred just before sunrise, resulting in the deaths of Colonel Greene, Major Flagg, two subalterns, and twenty-seven men, with several others wounded. Lydia Vail, an eyewitness who lived half a mile away on the Crompond Road, provided a harrowing personal account of the aftermath. Vail (1847) recalled that upon hearing news of the massacre, she and her family ran through the fields to Davenport House, arriving just as the British refugees were retreating toward Pines Bridge. She described a scene of horror, noting that the floors and walls were covered with the blood of the dead, wounded, and dying. Vail specifically remembered Flagg and a young captain being killed outright by a volley fired through a window, while Greene was forced to mount a horse and retreat through the woods.\n\nThe fate of Colonel Greene during the retreat highlights the brutality of the engagement. Vail (1847) noted that Greene held on to his horse until emerging from the woods onto the main road, where he fell, having fainted from blood loss. The refugees left him dying on a bank by the side of the wood and continued their retreat. Bolton (1881) corroborates the timeline, noting that Greene had expressed envy of Mr. Davenport\u2019s domestic happiness just twelve hours before his death, a poignant detail that underscores the suddenness of the tragedy. The three officers\u2014Greene, Flagg, and the young captain\u2014who had shared a bedroom, were later interred together in the same grave at Crompond.\n\nWhile the primary narrative of the surprise is consistent across sources, there are minor discrepancies regarding the specific movements of the troops and the identity of the attackers. Bolton (1848) and Bolton (1881) emphasize the role of De Lancey\u2019s dragoons and the strategic error of removing guards after sunrise, citing General Heath. In contrast, Vail\u2019s (1847) testimony focuses on the immediate human experience and the presence of \"Refugees\" (American citizens who had joined the British) who were described by Bolton (1881) as notorious for rapine and murder. Vail also notes that Major Morrell escaped the disaster by chance, having spent the night at a Mrs. Remsen\u2019s near Pines Bridge, a detail absent from the broader military accounts.\n\nThe incident at Davenport House remains a significant event in the history of the Croton-on-Hudson area, illustrating the vulnerability of American outposts in the Neutral Ground. The combination of military records and personal testimony provides a comprehensive view of the event, from the strategic miscalculations of General Heath\u2019s command to the visceral horror experienced by local residents like Lydia Vail. The deaths of Greene and his men were deeply lamented by the local community, particularly the Davenport family, who had hosted the officers. The event serves as a stark reminder of the pervasive danger and violence that characterized the Revolutionary War in Westchester County.\n\n**Sources consulted**\n\n*   Bolton, Robert Jr. *A History of the County of Westchester, from its First Settlement to the Present Time*, Vol. II. New York: Alexander S. Gould, 1848.\n*   Bolton, Robert Jr. *The History of the Several Towns, Manors, and Patents of the County of Westchester, from its First Settlement to the Present Time*, Vol. II. New York: Charles F. Roper, 1881.\n*   Macdonald, John. Interview with Vail, Lydia, b.c.1772; (1847-11-19). *Experiencing the Neutral Ground of the American Revolution: The McDonald Interviews*, WCHS item 1353. Transcription courtesy of the Westchester County Historical Society.","sources_consulted":["Bolton, Robert Jr. A History of the County of Westchester, from its First Settlement to the Present Time, Vol. II. New York: Alexander S. Gould, 1848.","Macdonald, John. Interview with Vail, Lydia, b.c.1772; (1847-11-19). Experiencing the Neutral Ground of the American Revolution: The McDonald Interviews, WCHS item 1353. Transcription courtesy of the Westchester County Historical Society (No copyright - United States).","Bolton, Robert Jr. The History of the Several Towns, Manors, and Patents of the County of Westchester, from its First Settlement to the Present Time, Vol. II. New York: Charles F. Roper, 1881."]}