Directly opposite Mud Island they had built another very strong fort, called Red Bank, which could support Mud Island and also the chevaux-de-frise.  Also, not far from these forts, lay seventeen enemy ships, which in an emergency could support both forts. 

Already, in  the  middle  of October, General Howe has detached Colonel von Donop with all the Hessian  grenadier  battalions, one  regiment  of light  infantry, and two hundred  Hessian  jaegers to the province of  Jersey in order to take Fort Red Bank by storm.

Colonel Donop and his troops attacked with the greatest bravery and ardor, because Donop said the fort should be named after  him  or he did not  want  to  remain  alive. However,  the strong garrison,  which was made up of  the elite of the Ameri­can army, and the heavy cannon  in Fort Mercer on Red Bank.and the enemy fleet of seventeen  ships that supported  the fort with  their  fire power, killed so many Hessian  grenadiers  that the  planned  conquest  of Fort Mercer  was prevented.  Colonel Donop  was driven  back and fatally  wounded, falling into  the hands of the enemy and he died of his wounds. He was, how­ever, buried  by the  enemy  with  full military  honors.  All to­gether,  22 Hessian  grenadier  officers, including   1 lieutenant colonel,  2 majors, and 7 captains, died on the spot, as well as 385 noncommissioned officers and privates from the four grena­dier  battalions  and more  than  200 men  were wounded.  The Light Infantry had 170 men killed or wounded,  and the Jaegers counted 49 dead or wounded.