A complete history of the Marquis de Lafayette, major-general in the American army in the war of the revolution. Embracing an account of his tour through the United States, to the time of his departure, September, 1825. By an officer in the late army.

MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE. 29
diligence to the task of removing the obstructions of the
Delaware, and opening a free communication with the fleet.
To succeed in this operation, it was necessary to seize Mud
Island, which was defended by Fort Mififlin, and the point of
Red Bank, where the Americans had erected Fort Mercer.
The former was commanded by Colonel Smith, and the latter
by Colonel Greene. Colonel Donop, on the evening of the
21st of October, 1777, passed the Delaware with a strong
detachment of Hessians, and arrived at a late hour, the following day in the rear of Red Bank. He attacked the fort
with great gallantry, but the Americans retiring into the
body of the redoubt, made a vigorous defence, and Colonel
Donop being mortally wounded and taken prisoner, and his
best officers either killed or disabled, the Hessians were
severely repulsed, and retired with precipitation, with the
loss of four or five hundred men. Much of the success of
the day was attributed to the Chevalier Duplesis, a French
officer, who directed the artillery with great ability and va
lour. —-The attack on Fort Mifflin was more successful, not
withstanding the intrepidity displayed by the garrison: ox
the first attack they defended themselves with gallantry un
til night put an end to the engagement. The next day the
British renewed the attack, in the hope that, under cover of
their fire, the ships Augusta and Merlin, which had ground
ed, might be got off; the former, however, took fire and
blew up; and the latter was hastily evacuated and laid in
a train of destruction. The erection of works on Province
Island, by the British, now decided the fate of Fort ifflin:
on the fifteenth of November, a furious cannionade was
opened from the British fort and shipping, and at length,
the American works being battered down, and the ditch
filled up with ruins, their situation became extremely critical. Perceiving that the English were taking measures for
storming the body of the fortress the following morning, and
being sensible that it was no longer defensible, the stores
were sent off, and setting fire to every thing that was capa