{"chunks_used":7,"query":"At Davenport House, Before Sunrise","report":"**Research Synopsis: The Attack at Davenport House, May 13, 1781**  \n\nThe attack on General Nathanael Greene\u2019s headquarters at Davenport House, Croton-on-Hudson, on May 13, 1781, marked a tragic and decisive moment in the American Revolutionary War. As detailed in Lydia Vail\u2019s 1847 interview (Macdonald, 1847), the assault occurred \u201ca little before sunrise,\u201d when British Loyalist forces, known as Refugees, surprised Greene\u2019s contingent. Greene, a revered figure among local families, had established his post near the Croton River to guard against enemy incursions. Vail recounted that the Refugees, led by Colonel DeLancey, exploited Greene\u2019s reliance on nighttime vigilance, crossing the ford after sunrise when guards were relieved, as noted in Robert Bolton\u2019s 1881 historical account (Bolton, 1881). This strategic miscalculation left Greene\u2019s forces unprepared, resulting in the deaths of Greene, Major Flagg, and several officers, including a young captain who fired a fatal volley from a window.  \n\nThe aftermath, described vividly by Vail, revealed the brutality of the attack: floors and walls of Davenport House were \u201ccovered with the blood of the dead, wounded, and dying.\u201d Greene, mortally wounded, was forced onto a horse by the Refugees but abandoned to die near Pines Bridge. His final words to Lydia\u2019s grandfather\u2014expressing hope for a swift end to the war\u2014were fulfilled within hours (Macdonald, 1847). Bolton\u2019s 1848 history (Bolton, 1848) corroborates the timeline and route of the Refugees, noting their use of a now-vanished lane south of the modern Davenport House road to approach the house. The attack\u2019s toll extended beyond military casualties: two enslaved servants were wounded, and the community mourned the loss of leaders like Greene, whose death was \u201cmuch and long lamented\u201d (Bolton, 1881).  \n\nThe broader context of the assault is illuminated by colonial-era sources. Bolton\u2019s 1881 revised edition highlights the Refugees\u2019 reputation for \u201crapine and murder,\u201d framing the attack as part of a pattern of Loyalist violence that compelled Washington to retaliate (Bolton, 1881). General Heath\u2019s account, cited in multiple Bolton works, underscores the tactical failure of American forces to anticipate daytime raids, a critical oversight that led to the disaster. The event also reflects the personal toll of war, as seen in Greene\u2019s poignant farewell to his host, Mr. Davenport, and the grief of local families who had \u201cenvied\u201d Greene\u2019s hope for domestic peace (Macdonald, 1847).  \n\n**Sources Consulted**  \n- Macdonald, John. *Interview with Vail, Lydia* (1847-11-19). *John M. McDonald Interviews, 1844-1851*. Westchester County Historical Society.  \n- Bolton, Robert Jr. *The History of the Several Towns, Manors, and Patents of the County of Westchester, Vol. II* (1881 revised ed.).  \n- Bolton, Robert Jr. *A History of the County of Westchester, Vol. II* (1848).  \n- Bolton, Robert Jr. *The History of the Several Towns, Manors, and Patents of the County of Westchester, Vol. II* (1881 revised ed.).","sources_consulted":["Bolton, Robert Jr. A History of the County of Westchester, from its First Settlement to the Present Time, Vol. II. New York: Alexander S. Gould, 1848.","Bolton, Robert Jr. The History of the Several Towns, Manors, and Patents of the County of Westchester, from its First Settlement to the Present Time, Vol. II. New York: Charles F. Roper, 1881.","Macdonald, John. Interview with Vail, Lydia, b.c.1772; (1847-11-19). John M. McDonald Interviews, 1844-1851, WCHS item 1353. Westchester County Historical Society. Transcribed by history.croton.news April 2026."]}