[Frederic Shonnard & W.W. Spooner (1900)] part of our coast the expected fleet would arrive, or when. Upon his return Washington occupied himself with the details of improving the organization of his army, meantime giving such attention as he could to the situation at the South. Lafayette had been sent thither and had begun the brilliant work in Virginia which stands so much to his credit. 500 HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY On the 13th of May a terrible event happened on the lines in West-chester County. Colonel Christopher Greene, in command at Oblenus's Ford on the Croton River, above Pine's Bridge, was sur-prised by a party of de Lancey's Refugees (supposed to have con-sisted of about one hundred horse and two hundred foot), and was killed with excessive barbarity, several other officers and many men perishing with him. Greene was an officer of notable courage, ad-dress, and proficiency; brilliant, generous, and noble; a great favorite of Washington's and indeed one of the ornaments of the American army. A citizen of Rhode Island, he entered the service1 at the be-ginning of the war, was with Arnold in Canada, and during the opera-tions on the Delaware in the fall of 1777 was intrusted by Washing-ton with the defense of the vitally important post of Fort Mercer (Red Rank). There he was attacked by 1,200 Hessians under Count Donop, whom ho put to rout, inflicting a loss of 400 in killed and wounded.