Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Donop, Carl Emil Kurt von

DONOP, Carl Emil Kurt von, Count, British officer, b. in Germany in 1740; d. in New Jersey, 25 Oct., 1777. He was appointed to the command of four battalions of grenadiers and the yagers in the detachment of Hessian troops in the British employ destined for service in the American war. He landed on Long Island on 22 Aug., 1776, and took part in the battle there on 27 Aug. In December, 1776, when Gen. Howe went into winter quarters in New York, he left Donop as acting brigadier, with two Hessian brigades, the yagers and the 42d Highlanders, to hold the line from Trenton to Burlington. On hearing of the defeat of Rall, Donop hurriedly retreated to Princeton, abandoning his stores and his sick and wounded at Bordentown. In October, 1777, Sir William Howe gave verbal orders to Col. Donop to carry Red Bank, N. J., by assault, if it could be done easily; and on the 22d he, with his Hessians, attacked Fort Mercer at that place, but was repelled after a most desperate resistance, Donop being mortally wounded. He survived the battle three days, and said to a brother officer: "It is finishing a noble career early; but I die the victim of my ambition, and of the avarice of my sovereign."