Fort  Mercer. On  the  New  Jersey  shore  of
the  Delaware,  not  far  below  Philadelphia,  was
a  strong  work  called  Fort  Mercer,  with  a  garri-
son under  the  command  of  Colonel  Christopher
Greene,  of  Ehode  Island. After  Howe  had  taken
possession  of  Philadelphia  (September,  1777),
he  felt  the  necessity  of  strengthening  his  ijosi-
tion;  so,  in  the  middle  of  October,  he  ordered
General  Sir  Henry  Clinton  to  abandon  the  forts
he  had  captured  in  the  Hudson  Highlands  (see
Forts  Clinton  and  Montgomery),  and  send  six
thousand  troops  to  Philadelphia. He  had  just
issued  this  order,  when  news  of  the  s<irrender
of  Burgoyne  and  his  army  reached  him. He
then  perceived  that  he  must  speedily  open  the
way  for  his  brother's  fleet  to  ascend  the  Dela-
ware to  Philadelphia,  or  all  would  be  lost. He
ordered  Count  Donop  to  take  twelve  hundred
jiicked  Hessian  soldiers,  cross  the  Delaware  at
Philadelphia,  march  down  the  New  Jersey  shore,
and  take  Fort  Mercer  by  storm. He  obeyed,
and  at  the  same  time  the  British  vessels-of-war
in  the  river  opened  a  furious  cannonade  on  Fort
Miffliu,  opposite. Already  the  works  at  Bil-
liugsport,  below,  had  been  captured,  and  a  nar-
row channel  had  been  opened  through  obstruc-
tions above. This  admitted  British  vessels  to
approach  near  enough  to  cannonade  the  two
forts. On  the  approach  of  Donop  (Oct. 22, 1777),
Greene  abandoned  the  outworks  of  Fort  Mercer,
and  retired  into  the  principal  redoubt. At  the
edge  of  a  wood,  within  cannon-shot  of  the  fort,
Donop  planted  a  battery  often  heavy  guns,  aud
late  in  the  afternoon  he  demanded  the  instant
surrender  of  the  fort,  threatening  that,  in  case
of  refusal  and  resistance,  no  quarter  would  be
given. Colonel  Greene  had  only  four  hundred
men  back  of  him,  but  he  gave  an  instant  and
defiant  refusal,  saying, "  We  ask  no  quarter,  nor
will  we  give  any."  Then  the  besiegers  opened
their  heavy  guns,  and,  under  their  fire,  pressed
up  to  storm  the  fort. They  were  received  by
terrible  volleys  of  musketry  and  grape-shot  from


FOET  MIFFLIN


513


FOET  MIMS,  MASSACEE  AT


cannons,  while  two  concealed  American  galleys
smote  them  with  a  severe  enfilading  fire. The
slaughter  of  the  assailants  was  fearful-  Count
Donop  instantly  fell,  and  many  of  his  officers
were  slain  or  mortally  wounded. At  twilight
tlie  invaders  withdrew,  after  a  loss  of  two  hun-
dred, men. The  Americans  lost  thirty-seven,
killed  and  wounded. 