To George Washington from La Luzerne, 29 April 1780
From La Luzerne
Philadelphia 29th of April 1780
Sir
I have received with all the gratitude possible the news which your Excellency has been pleased to give me of Don Juan. I begin to flatter myself that the cares he has received from you and from all those who surround him will reestablish him.1
I cannot sufficiently express to you Sir my sentiments in this respect and for the kindnesses without number, which you have heaped upon me during the time what I passed with you.2
I shall render an account to my Court of all that I saw at the army—of the good order and discipli⟨ne⟩ of the troops—of the zeal and talents of the officers—of the good disposition reign⟨ing⟩ among them as well as of the respect and public confidences in the Command⟨er⟩ in Chief. These circumstances united form an augur the most favourable for the enterprises which your army may be in condition to undertake, when it shall be completed in consequenc⟨e⟩ of the measures that have been just taken. I am certain before hand that his Majesty will take a true satisfaction in learning details so interesting to a power so dear to him.
I dare supplicate your Excellency to receive anew the assurances of the sentiments of veneration and of respect with which you have inspired me and with which I have the honor to be Yr most humble and Most Obedient servant
Luzerne
Permit that I seize this occasion to pray you to present the homages of my respect to Mrs Washington.
Translation, DLC:GW; ALS, in French, DLC:GW. GW received the ALS on 3 May (see his letter to La Luzerne, 5–6 May).
GW’s warrant book for 28 April indicates a payment of $789 to GW’s aide-de-camp Richard Kidder Meade for “expences escorting the Minister of france” (Revolutionary War Warrant Book 5, 1780–1783, DLC:GW, ser. 5; see also n.2 below).
1. La Luzerne obviously wrote this letter before he learned that Spanish observer Juan de Miralles had died (see GW’s first letter to La Luzerne, 28 April, source note; see also GW to La Luzerne, 26 April, and the source note to that document).
2. For La Luzerne’s recent visit to Morristown, see GW to Jedediah Huntington, 20 April, source note.