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I do not do myself the honor of wr⟨a⟩ïting to you as many times as I would ch⟨u⟩se, because I fear to disturb⟨e⟩ your important occupations—but I indulge Now that pleasure to me on the occasion of the two nominations of Congress—general connay is a so brave, intelligent, and active officer that he schall, I am sure, justify more and more the esteem of the army and Your approbation—for the...
I went down to this place since the day before yesterday in order to be acquainted of all the roads and grounds arround the ennemy—I heard at my arrival that theyr Main body was betwen great and little timber creek since the same evening—Yesterday morning in recconnoitring about I have been told that they were very busy in crossing the delaware—I saw them myself in theyr boats and sent that...
Your excellency ordered me to give my opinion about these three places for winter quarters 1º the chain from about the Sculchill till betheleem—2º this from reading to lancaster—3º building hutts about and quartering in willmington. I must Confess My being prevented of fixing my Sentiments in a decicise manner by my want of knowledge about very interesting points amongs them as 1º  how far we...
the project of calling a large body of militia for such a day, in order to attack the ennemy in philadelphia, seems to me attended with so many difficulties, inconveniences and bad chances, that if it is not looked upon as a necessary and almost desesperate enterprize, tho’ it is a very shining and highly pleasing idea, however I cannot think it is a prudent and reasonable one. the reasons for...
I went Yesterday morning to Head Quarters with an intention of Speaking to Your Excellency But You were too Busy and I shall lay down in this letter what I wished to Say. I don’t Need telling You How I am Sorry for all what Happens Since Some time it is a necessary dependence of my most tender and Respectful friendship for You, which affection is as true and Candid as the other Sentiments of...
I schould have much more reproached myself the liberty I took of wraïting to your excellency, if I had believed it could engage you in the trouble of answering to that letter—but, now, as you have wrote it, I must tell you that I received this favor with the greatest satisfaction and pleasure—every assurance and proof of your affection fills my heart with joy because that sentiment of yours is...
As your excellency’s opinion seems to gree with my ideas for ⟨taking⟩ in our service those Non commissioned officers who came with Mister du Coudray, I schall take the liberty of telling you what I know about the matter—how useful they would be in this army is a thing obvious for every body—those ⟨men⟩ join to a pretty great theory the greatest practice of theyr art—security and exactitude...
Headquarters, 9 January 1778. RC ( Adams Papers ); printed : Lafayette in the Age of the American Revolution: Selected Letters and Papers, 1776–1790 , ed. Stanley J. Idzerda and others, Ithaca, N.Y., 1977– , 1:226–227. Lafayette enclosed letters to his wife and her cousin the Prince de Poix, whom he asked to introduce JA to friends. RC ( Adams Papers ); printed : Lafayette in the Age of the...
I Schall make use in this particular instance of the liberty you gave me of telling freely every idea of mine which could strike me as not being useless to a better order of things. There were two gentlemen, same rank, same duty to perform, and same neglect of it who have been arrested the same day by me—as I went in the night around the piquets I found them in fault, and I gave an account of...
I have recieved just now a letter from general connway who is gone on to york town, and mullens his aid de camp who is not a wit, lets me know that his going there is in consequence of two repeated letters from general gates, and miflin—that same man thinks that there are some projects to send Connway to Canada—they will laugh in france when they’l hear that he is choosen upon such a...
I can not let go back my guide without taking this opportunity of wraiting to your excellency tho’ I have not yet public business to speak of—I go on very slowly some times pierced by rain, sometimes covered with snow, and not thinking many handsome thoughts about the projected incursion into canada —if succèss were to be had it would surprise me in a more agreable manner, by that very reason...
Why am I so far from you, and what business had that board of war to hurry me through the ice and Snow without knowing what I schould do, neither what they were doing themselves? you have thought perhaps that theyr project could be attended with some difficulty, that some means had been neglected, that I could not obtain all the succès and the immensity of laurels which they had promised to...
I Meet with an occasion of wraïting to your excellency which I wo’nt miss by any means, even schould I be affraïd of becoming tedious and troublesome—but if they have sent me far from you for I do’nt know what purpose, at least I must make some little use of my pen to prevent all communication be cut of[f] betwen your excellency and me—I have writen lately to you my distressing, ridiculous,...
I hope your excellency will have received two letters from me, one by major brice, and the other by a doctor who was going to head quarters —you will have seen very Sorry accounts of our disappointement—that such an expedition they were so Sanguine upon has not been prepared before hand, that or themselves or at least myself has been deceived So much, are things very surprising for every one...
Letter not found: from Major General Lafayette, c.13 Mar. 1778. On 20 Mar., Lafayette wrote Henry Laurens: “I sent immediately down Colonel armand. . . . the next day in sending to general washington an account of my Conduct” ( ScHi : Henry Laurens Papers). Armand carried Lafayette’s letters to Congress of 11 and 12 March.
Alwaïs new instances where I find myself obliged to send to Congress—was I not So sensible of your excelleacy’s goodness for his officers and particular frienship for me, I schould be afraid you’d not forgive so many miss’s tho’ unvolontary one—but such is the case in this particular instance—we have in this place a british hospital, british doctor, british officers, tho’ the situation of...
I can never miss an opportunity of rembembering to your excellency the mighty Commander in chief of the irruption into Canada , and I seize with the greatest pleasure the first occasion of telling you how happy I have been to see in your last favor a new assurance of those sentiments of yours so dear to my heart —as soon as I have got intelligence by G[ener]al Schuyller that you were desirous...
how happy I have been in receiving your excellency’s favor of the tenth present I hope you’l be convinc’d by the knowledge of my tender affection for you—I am very sensible of that goodness which trys to dissipate my fears about that ridiculous canadian expedition—at the present time we know which was the aim of the honorable board, and for which project three or four men have rush’d the...
The present questions are the most difficult to resolve upon that have been proposed since I have been in this army—there must be as much civil policy as Generalship in the operations of the next campaign—on the other hand our forces, stores, magazines, ressources of every kind (I mean those which we schall get in the camp) are far from being ascertained—we do’nt know how many men we may...
Agreable to your excellency’s orders I have taken the oath of the gentlemen officers in general woodfort’s brigade and theyr certificates have been sent to the adjudant general’s office—give me leave now to present you with some observations delivered to me by many officers in that brigade who desire I may submit them to your perusal. I know, Sir, (besides I am not of theyr opinion in the fact...
The situation we are in renders it extremely difficult to have a Settled notion of what is the best to be done, as the motions of the ennemy depend no so much of theyr circumstances in this country as of foreign events, Negotiations, or Ministerial orders which are in this time entirely unknown to us—however the prevailing idea is that they will go to new york through the jersays—how far that...
I have Sign’d the paper because I have been told I schould Sign it, and because almost all the others who were of the same opinion as I am have also sign’d —for, Sir, I will easely schow you that there were Six gentlemen for more than fifteen hundred and only six for fifteen hundred . they are as follows. general lee baron de Stueben Some of the Second   column were for   2500, but would...
inclosed I have the honor to Send you a Letter which clel hamilton was going to send me from this place when I arriv’d with the detachement, and which may give you an idea of the position of the ennemy —I will try to meet and Collect as Soon as possible our forces, tho’ I am sorry to find the ennemy So far down that way—we’ll be obliged to march pretty fast if we want to attak them—it is for...
I have Receiv’d your orders for marching as fast as I Could and I have march’d without waiting for the provisions tho’ we want them extremely—general forman and Clel hamilton Sat out last night for to meet the other troops and we schall be toGether at hides town or some what lower —general forman is firmly of opinion that we may overtake the ennemy—for my part I am not So quick upon the...
I hope you have receiv’d my letter from Cramberry where I aquaint you that I am going to hice town tho’ we are schort of provisions—when I got there I was very sorry to hear that Mister hamilton who had been riding all the night had not been able to find any body who could give him certain intelligences—but by a party who comes back I hear the ennemy are in motion, and theyr Rear about one...
I have Receiv’d your excellency’s favor notifying your arrival at cramberry and am glad to have anticipated your orders in not going too far—I have felt the unhappy effects of the want of provisions for I dare say if we had not been Stopp’d by it, as we were already within three miles of the ennemy’s rear, we would very easely have overtaken them, and fouht with advantage. I have Consulted the...
Your orders have reach’d me so late, and found me in such a situation that it will be impossible to follow them as soon as I could wish—it is not on account of any other motive than the impossibility of moving the troops and making Such a march immediately for in receiving your letter I have given up the project of attaking the ennemy, and I only wish to join general lee —I was even going to...
inclos’d I have the honor to send you a letter from General Sullivan which I took the liberty to oppen —if the suppos’d expedition against providence has taken place we can not Come up time enough as to prevent it—but I am Rather inclin’d to believe we wi’ll find the ennemy fortifying themselves, and therefore the Sooner we may begin our visit the better it will be. I have found general Varnum...
I take the opportunity of an express going from General Sullivan to your Excellency for to let you know how far we are advanc’d and in which situation is the detachement you have intrusted to my Care—I am here with General glover’s brigade, and we have all cross’d the River—I hope we schall be at coventry the 31st of the present—General Varnum and his officers having Represented to me that on...
I have receiv’d your Excellency’s favor by general greene, and have been much pleas’d with the arrival of a gentleman who not only on account of his merit, and the justness of his wiews, but also by his knowledge of the country and his popularity in this state may be very serviceable to the Expedition—I willingly part with the half of my detachement tho’ I had a great dependance upon them, as...
I had expected for answering to your first letter that Some thing interesting would have happened that I might Communicate to your Excellency—every day was going to terminate our uncertainties—nay, every day was going to bring the hope of a succés which I did promise myself to acquaint you off—such was the Reason of my differing what my duty and inclination did urge me to do much sooner—I am...
J’ai recu votre lettre, cher colonel, et j’y aurois repondu plutôt si l’absence de la flotte ne m’avoit pas mis hors d’etat de vous parler d’autre chose que de ma bonne volonté, dont je ne crois pas avoir besoin de vous assurer. Mais j’ai vu Mr le Cte d’estaing, et je puis à present vous parler en son nom. La veneration, la tendresse qu’il a pour notre cher general, joint au sentiment que vous...
Ne suis je pas bien malheureux, cher colonel, on me pousse pour aller à boston, on me chasse de Rhode island, ils n’ont ni repos ni patience que je ne sois parti, et le même jour que je m’absente est le seul où j’aurois du, où j’aurois voulu etre dans l’isle. Le diable en veut dans ce moment à tous les francois; heureusement que je viens de l’attrapper car à force de courir je suis arrivé à...
that there has been an action fought where I could have been and where I was not, is a thing which will seem as extraordinary to you as it seems so to myself—after a long journey and a longer stay from home (I mean from head quarters) the only satisfactory day I might have finds me in the middle of a town—there I had been sent, push’d, hurri’d by the board of general officers, and principally...
I Can’t let Mons. de la Neuville go to headquarters without Recalling to Your Excellency’s memory an inhabitant of the Eastern Rhode island schore, who long much to be again united with you, and Conceive now great hopes from Sir henry Clinton’s motion to Newport, that you will Come to oppose him in person—I think if we mean to oppose the ennemy in this quarter that more troops are absolutely...
I am to aknowledge the reception of your late favor —your excellency’s Sentiments were already known to me, and my heart had Anticipated your answer—I however Confess it gave me a new pleasure when I Receiv’d it—my love for you is such, my dear general, that I did enjoy it better (if possible) in a private Sentimental light than in a political one—Nothing makes me happier than to See a...
I am going to Consult your excellency upon a point in which I not only want your leave and opinion as the Commander in chief, but also your Candid advice as the man whose I have the happiness to be the friend—in an adress from the British Commissaries to Congress, the first one after jonhstone was excluded, they speack in the most di[s]respectfull terms of my Nation, and Country—the whole is...
The News I have got from france, the Reflexions I have made by myself, and these which have been Suggested to me by many people, particularly by the Admiral, increase more than ever the desire I had of Seeing again your excellency—I want to Communicate you my Sentiments, and take your opinion upon my present Circumstances—that I look upon as of An high moment to my private business and...
Le Marquis de lafayette Most Respectful Compliments Wait on Mrs. Adams and is highly sensible of the honor she had done him By her Most polite letter. He is very sorry that his Going immediately to Camp prevents him from Waiting on her at Bain tree Where he should have been happy to Present her With a tribute of his Gratitude and Respect. RC ( Adams Papers ); addressed: “To Mrs. john Adams...
You will be surpris’d to hear that I am yet in this city, and that I Could never get out till this time—My own business were immediately done, and I Receiv’d from Congress all possible Marks of kindness and affection—but public affairs do’nt go quite so fast, and I am detain’d for the expedition of projects, instructions, and Many papers which I am to Carry with me—the zeal for the Common...
Letter not found: from Maj. Gen. Lafayette, c.30 Oct. 1778. GW wrote Vice Admiral d’Estaing on 31 Oct. : “I received a letter yesterday from the Marquis.”
ALS : American Philosophical Society I Must Beg Your Pardon, My dear Sir, for My not Having the Honor to Waït Upon You this Morning But I Had the fever all Night and phisicians forbid My Going out Before diner. In Case I am Better, I Will do Myself the Honor to Waït Upon You to Morrow about one in the Morning, and in the Mean While I Have the Honor to Be Very Respectfully Your obt Hble Sert...
in my dificult situation, at Such a distance from you, I am oblig’d to take a determination by Myself and this I hope will meet with your approbation—you Remember that in making full allowances for deliberations, the answer from Congress was to Reach me before the 15th of last month, and I have long waïted Since without ever hearing from them —Nay, many gentlemen from philadelphia, where,...
This letter will be delivered to your excellency by Mister Nevill my aid de Camp whom I beg you to favor with a leave of absence for joining me in france—Besides the affection I have for that gentleman, I also think his voyage may forward the public good as he will be intrusted with those dispatches Congress are going to Send —may I beg you, my dear general, to hurry theyr expedition, and let...
Mons. Nevile allant en france, mon cher hamilton, j’espere que vous ne Negligeres pas cette occasion de m’ecrire. Le soin qu’on prendra de votre lettre et la discretion avec laquelle elle me sera remise doivent vous engager à me parler librement sur toutes sortes d’articles. Cest à vous que je m’en Rapporte pour tous les intelligences, et toutes les Connaissances de vos affaires Militaires et...
The Sails are just going to be hoisted, My dear General, and I have But the time of taking my last leave from you—I may now be Certain that Congréss did not intend to Send Any thing more By me—The Navy Board, and Mister Nevill write me this very morning from Boston that the North River is passable, that a gentleman from Camp Says he di’nt hear of any thing like an express for me—all agree to...
ALS : American Philosophical Society I hope my Letter will Reach your excellency soon enough as to prevent your going to versailles for our propos’d meeting— I will not yet wait on the king and his Majesty’s orders are to stay in paris without seeing a great Number of Acquaintances— I confess I can’t help much approving his wisdom on this Respect that Many people have already propagated...
AL : American Philosophical Society I had promis’d myself, my good friend, that I would have the pleasure of embracing You this Morning—but they Write me from Versailles that I must be at the King’s Levee Before seeing any Body of the Royal family, and that Levee I understand to be at 11: Clock—in our kingly Countries we have a foolish law Call’d Etiquette that any one tho a Sensible man, must...
ALS : S. Howard Goldman, Weston, Connecticut (1989) Inclos’d I have the honor to send a letter which I beg leave to Reccommend to your excellency that (if possible) Mr Blodget Might obtain the leave of Coming to Paris— I am just Going to Versailles, and if you have any Commands for me they shall ever be well Come. With the highest Regard and sincerest affection I have the honor to be Dear Sir...
ALS : Dartmouth College Library I Am very Sorry it was not in My power to wait on Your excellency this Morning but I was oblig’d to Ride with the Queen at a partie of pleasure in the Bois de Boulogne— I saw yesterday the first and other Ministers and Spoke to them about the Necessity of Giving you Monney for fulfilling the engagements taken in Bills of exchange—that they Became pretty Sensible...