George Washington Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-13-02-0078

Bartholomew Dandridge, Jr., to Henry Knox, 19 June 1793

Bartholomew Dandridge, Jr., to Henry Knox

[Philadelphia] June 19. 1793.

Sir,

The President directs me to send you the enclosed which was handed to him last night. As it was written perhaps in expectation that some notice would be taken of the death of the Marqs de Bretagny, as having been an officer in the American service, the President wishes you to do there with what shall seem to you proper.1 I have the honor to be &c.

B. D.

ALS, DLC: GW; LB, DLC:GW.

1The enclosure has not been identified. Charles-François Sévelinges de Brétigney (1754–1793), who claimed the title of marquis, came to the United States in 1777 with a small contingent of volunteers willing to fight for the American cause. Among the letters of recommendation that he likely brought with him was one written to GW by Benjamin Franklin, from Paris, on 21 June 1777 (Franklin Papers description begins William B. Willcox et al., eds. The Papers of Benjamin Franklin. 42 vols. to date. New Haven, 1959–. description ends , 24:205–6). Brétigney was captured at sea while sailing north from Charleston, S.C., in November 1777, and imprisoned at St. Augustine, Fla., from which he escaped in 1778. On 13 April 1779 Congress granted him a commission to form a corps of volunteers to help defend South Carolina (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 13:443–45). He participated in the failed attempt to capture Savannah, Ga., from the British in 1779, commanded a North Carolina militia cavalry unit in 1781 at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, N.C., and was one of several officers whom Knox recommended for retention in service in his letter to Congress of 19 Jan. 1782 (ibid., 22:40–41). At the time of his death Brétigney was living at 27 Lombard Street in Philadelphia (Philadelphia Directory 1793 description begins James Hardie. The Philadelphia Directory and Register . . .. Philadelphia, 1793. description ends ). Knox’s response, if any, to the news of Brétigney’s death has not been identified.

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