From George Washington to John Hancock, 31 July 1776
To John Hancock
New York July 31st 1776
Sir
This will be handed you by Captn Marquisie, with whom I have no other acquaintance than what is derived from the Inclosed Letter from Genl Schuyler.1 He says he has lost his Baggage in our service and All he had. I have advanced him Twenty Dollars and he is now Going to Wait on Congress to whom I suppose he means to make his pretensions known. I have the Honor to be Sir Yr Most Obedt Servt
Go: Washington
LS, in Robert Hanson Harrison’s writing, DNA:PCC, item 152; LB, DLC:GW; copy, DNA:PCC, item 169; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. Congress read this letter on 5 Aug. and referred it to the Board of War (, 5:630).
1. Schuyler wrote GW on 14 July from Albany: “The Bearer Capt. Marquisie a French Gentleman sent by Congress as an Engineer to the Northern Department is on his Return to Philadelphia & has Intreated me to introduce him to Your Excellency, I do not know what his Abilities are as an Engineer, he appears to be a Modest & Discreet Man” (DNA:PCC, item 159).
Bernard Moissac de La Marquisie, a native of France, received a commission as a captain and engineer in the Continental service from the American commissioners to Canada in March 1776. He was present at the Battle of Trois Riviéres in June and lost his baggage including his commission on the subsequent retreat from Canada (see Schuyler to Hancock, DNA:PCC, item 159, and La Marquisie to Congress, 1 Jan. 1777, DNA:PCC, item 153). In Congress on 29 Aug., Benjamin Franklin, who had been one of the commissioners to Canada, verified La Marquisie’s claim to hold a commission as an engineer captain, and Congress resolved to issue him a new one for that rank (, 5:715). La Marquisie remained in Continental service as late as July 1777 when he was an assistant engineer at Fort Schuyler (see La Marquisie to Schuyler, 30 April 1777, DNA:PCC, item 78, and Peter Gansevoort to Schuyler, 4 July 1777, DNA:PCC, item 63).