Christopher Greene - in New Jersey

In New Jersey

In June 1776, Greene was promoted to major under James M. Varnum, in a division which was commanded by his third cousin, General Nathanael Greene. In October he was promoted to colonel, with charge of Fort Mercer, New Jersey, on the Delaware River near the Gloucester County town of Red Bank (now National Park, New Jersey), south of Philadelphia and Trenton.

Fort Mercer and its Pennsylvania counterpart, Fort Mifflin, had the mission of defending the Delaware River against British naval movements on the river. After the British captured Philadelphia in September 1777, the forts prevented the Royal Navy from bringing supplies into the city.

On October 22, 1777, the fort was assaulted by the Hessians under Colonel Carl von Donop, in what came to be called the Battle of Red Bank. Von Donop was eager to avenge the 1776 defeat of Hessian troops by Washington in the Battle of Trenton. Though they were supported by gunfire from six British men-o-war in the Delaware River, they were repulsed with heavy loss, and von Donop was mortally wounded.