To George Washington from Richard Caswell, 14 September 1778
From Richard Caswell
North Carolina 14th September 1778
Sir
The General Assembly in may last directed a French Regiment to be raised in this State for the Service of the United States & directed Commissions to issue to the Officers necessary to Command such Regiment among whom was Monsr Sureau Duviviear appointed Major,1 the impracticability of raising which Regiment appeared to the General Assembly in their late Session in August last, when they thought propper to disband the privates that were inlisted and declered the State had no further Service for the Officers,2 Mr Duvivire who will have the Honor of presenting this letter Behaved extreamly well in his Station whilst imployed here, which indues me to take the Liberty of recommending him to your Excellency Notice.3 I have the Honor to be with the utmost respect & regard—Sir your Excellency’s Most Obdt & very Humble Servt
Richard Caswell
ADfS, Nc-Ar: Governor’s Papers; LB, Nc-Ar: Governors’ Letterbooks.
1. Sureau Duvivier petitioned the legislature in April 1778 for permission to raise a regiment of foreign troops on the Continental or provincial establishment and was then denied, probably because the legislature was already considering a similar proposal from a Monsieur Chariol. After Chariol’s proposal was approved, he appointed Duvivier as major of the new regiment (, 12:563, 590, 674, 691–93, 699, 728, 13:129). Sureau Duvivier, who was from Guadeloupe, petitioned Congress in April 1779 “to be Continued in his post of Major in the Continental Service,” but the petition was rejected (Sureau Duvivier to Congress, c.19 April 1779, DNA:PCC, item 41; , 13:472–73).
2. On 18 Aug. the North Carolina legislature resolved to disband Chariol’s regiment, “as a sufficient number of privates of the French Nation can not be obtained to compleat the said regiment within this State or the vicinity thereof” (, 12:873–74).
3. Caswell wrote another letter to GW on this date, introducing James Mountflorence, a captain in the regiment, and on 22 Sept. he wrote three more letters of introduction to GW for officers of the regiment (all Nc-Ar: Governors’ Letterbooks).