On the other side of this river lay a corps of rcfui^ecs. (American citizens wlio had joined the British army,) under tlie command of Col. Delancy. The.se half citizens, half soldiers, were notorious for rapine and murder; and to their vindictive conduct may be justly ascribed mcst of tlie cruelties which stained tlie progress of our war. and wliich at length compelled Washington to order Captain Asgill, of tlic British army, to be brouglit to head.-qua.'-ters, for the purpo.se of retaliating, by his execution, for the murder of Cajit. Iluddy, of New Jersey, per[)etrated by a Capt. Lippencourt, of tlie refugees. The commandant of these refugees, (Dehiucy was not iirtseut.) having ascertaiucd tlie posi- ■ tioii of Greene's cor.js. which thoc(jlonel h.ul cantoned in adjacent farm houses-- rrobably with a view to tlic procurement of subsistence-- took the resohuiiin t^> strike it. This was accordingly done, by a nocturnal movement, 0:1 the loth of

THE TOWN OF VORKTOU'N. 6Sl

3I:\v. The enemy crossed the Croton before daylight, and hastening his advance, rt.u'hed our station with the dawn of day unpei-ceived. As he approached the f:iriij house in which tlie Lieutenant-Colonel was quartered, the noise of troops n:.iri'hing was heard, wliicli was the first intimation of llie fatal design. Greene and Major Flagg immediately prepared themselves for defence ; but they were too late, .so expeditious was the progress of the enemy. Fiagg disch-irged his pistols, and instantly afterwards fell mortally wounded, when the rufSaus (unworthy the appellation of soldiers) burst open tlie door of Greene's apartment. Here the gallant veteran singly received them with liis- drawn sword. « Several fell beneath the arm accustomed to conquer; till at length, overpowered by numbers, and faint from the loss of blood streaming from his wounds, barbarity triumphed over valor. ' His right arm was almost cut off in two places, the left in one, a severe cut on the left shoulder, a sword thrust through the abdomen, a bayonet in the riglit side, and another through the abdomen, several sword cuts on the head, and many in difl'ereut parts of the bod}'.'