From George Washington to Vice Admiral d’Estaing, 21 October 1778
To Vice Admiral d’Estaing
Head Quarters [Fredericksburg] 21st October 1778
Sir.
In addition to the intelligence which I had the honor of transmitting1 to Your Excellency yesterday—I hasten to communicate what farther has been received from the Posts of observation—inclosed is the substance of my last report from thence, bearing date the 19th.2
It gives me singular pleasure to congratulate with Your Excellency upon the Marquis de Bouille’s Success in the conquest of the island of Dominica—inclosed are the articles of Capitulation in which we recognise the generous spirit of your nation3—This we have reason to hope is an opening to new and more extensive victories—it will at the same time give an unequivocal interpretation of the enemys present movements at New York.
I entreat your Excellency to accept the repeated assurances of attachment and respect and to believe me Your Excellencys most obedient and most humble servt
Go: Washington
LS, in John Laurens’s writing, FrPNA, Fonds de la Marine, ser. 4, vol. 146, f. 288; Df, DLC:GW; copy (extract), FrPBN; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. The extract consists of the first three sentences of the second paragraph.
1. The draft manuscript reads: “communicating.”
2. There are two copies of this enclosure in FrPNA, Fonds de la Marine, ser. 4, vol. 146, ff. 295, 356. Both copies consist of the part of Stirling’s letter to GW of 19 Oct. that concerns British ship movements at Sandy Hook on that date, and a brief excerpt from Sgt. Nathaniel Brown’s intelligence report of 20 Oct. that concerns the sailing of fifteen British warships and several transports from Sandy Hook and the embarking of troops at New York. For the full text of Brown’s report, see note 1 to Charles Scott’s letter to GW of 21 Oct., in which the report was enclosed.
3. The articles of capitulation that were signed on 7 Sept. by François-Claude-Amour, marquis de Bouillé, as governor general of the French Windward Islands, and William Stewart, British governor of Dominica, had been published in the Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser (Philadelphia) for 17 October.