From George Washington to Major General William Howe, 17 August 1776
To Major General William Howe
Head Qrs New York, Augt 17. 1776
Sir
I do myself the honor to transmit the Inclosed Letter from Major French, & at the same time to inform you, that his Exchange for Majr Meigs, whose parole I am advised you have, will meet my approbation—I would take the liberty also to propose an Exchange of any Captn you may chuse for Capn Dearborn whose parole I have heard was delivered you with Major Meig’s.1
Give me leave to assure you Sir, that I feel myself greatly Obliged by the polite conclusion of your Letter of the 1st Instt, and have a high sense of the honor and satisfaction I should have received from your personal Acquaintance. The different State of the Colonies from what It was last War & which has deprived me of that Happiness, cannot be regretted by any One more than Sir Your Most Obedt Servt
G.W.
LB, in Robert Hanson Harrison’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. The enclosed letter from Maj. Christopher French to Howe concerning his proposed exchange has not been identified (see French to GW, 11 Aug.). Congress’s resolution of this date approving Maj. Return Jonathan Meigs’s exchange for Major French and Capt. Henry Dearborn’s exchange for an officer of equal rank was included in the resolutions that Hancock enclosed in his letter to GW of this date (see also , 5:665).