501To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 30 October 1780 (Washington Papers)
In our Conversations upon Military operations, You often have told me that Since the Beggining of the Campaign Your Eyes Were turn’d towards a project upon which I Generally Agree in Opinion With you, and Beg Leave to offer Some Observations. Far from lessening My desire of finishing the Campaign By Some Brillant Stroke, the project of Staten island, tho’ Miscarried, has Strengtened My...
502To George Washington from Lafayette, 13 May 1785 (Washington Papers)
My Correspondance With You Will this time Be in two Volumes and Young Mr Adams, John Adams’s Son, Has taken Care of a letter which I Hope He will Safely forward —Your kind favour february the 15th only Came in the last Packet—I Need not telling You, My dear General, How Happy I was to Hear from You, and How Happy You will Make me By an Exact Correspondance and an Attention to Send the Letters...
503To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 21 September 1778 (Washington Papers)
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...
504To George Washington from Lafayette, 9 March 1784 (Washington Papers)
Altho I Write You another Private letter, I Must Confidentially Let you know My opinion Upon Matters Relative to the Society. The Captains in the Navy Have Been Much Mortified to be left out in the Institutions—they Rank as Colonels, they Have Rendered Great Services, and it is Expected Here they Will be Admitted into the Society—Some of them Came with Count d’Estaing Among Whom are Suffrein,...
505To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 7 October 1780 (Washington Papers)
Mr Ward’s Corps being Situated on the end of Bergen Neck, two and thirty Miles from our Army, Major lee Began to move Yesterday after Noon and to Execute the plan which he had propos’d; he March’d Conceal’d through the Woods So as to Arrive on the Ground By the Breack of the day. he had with him his own Corps, Mjor parr’s Riflemen, and a piquet of light infantry under Captain Abbot. having...
506To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 4 December 1782 (Washington Papers)
My former Letters Have Acquainted You that, However talkative were Politicians About Peace, an Expedition Was Going to take place the Command of Which is Given to Count d’Estaing—I Have Also Added that Upon Being Requested to Go, I Have Willingly Accepted of it, as I thought it the Means, the only Means in the World to Bring About What You Have directed me to obtain Clel Gouvion Must Be With...
507To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 1 August 1780 (Washington Papers)
Your letter to Count de Rochambeau mentionning the ennemy’s embarkation, and your future movements Against Newyork, a positive letter from Governor Trumbull, and a positive one from General par[s]ons, have once more altered the dispositions, and Such of the Militia as had been dismiss’d have been again Sent for. in Consequence of those expectations my offensive Arrangements have been entirely...
508To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 12–13 June 1779 (Washington Papers)
Here is at lenght a Safe occasion of writing to you, here I May tell you What Sincere Concern I feel at our Separation—There was never a friend, my dear general, So much, so tenderly Belov’d, as I do love and Respect you—happy in our union, in the pleasure of living with you, in that So Charming Satisfaction of partaking any Sentiment of your heart, any event of Your life, I had taken Such an...
509To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 13 April 1781 (Washington Papers)
I Have Received Your Excellency’s Letter Relating to Clel Gouvion—it would Have Been Very Agreable to Me to keep this officer—Your orders Have Been Sent to Philadelphia where He is for the present—However distant I may Be from the scene, I am Happy to find that Your Excellency Hopes to Undertake the Grand object we Have Had in Contemplation. By a Letter just Received from the Board of War it...
510To George Washington from Lafayette, 22 October 1784 (Washington Papers)
On My Arrival at Boston I Have Been So kindly Received that No Words Can Express My lively, Affectionate Gratitude—to those Enjoyements I Have added the Heartfelt pleasure to Contemplate the Effect, a Sudden Appearance of your picture, Had Upon a people whose love to You is as Great at least as in Any part of the World —Circumstanced as I am Here, I Could not with Any propriety set out So Soon...
511To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 9 March 1781 (Washington Papers)
Here I am at the Mouth of Elk River and the fleet under My Command will proceed to Annapolis where I am Assured they Can go without danger. They are protected By the Nesbitt of Twelve guns, Some Field pieces on Board the Vessel that carries Clel Stevens, and we are going to Meet one eight guns, and one six guns Vessel from Baltimore——With this Escort We May go as far As Annapolis—No Vessel of...
512To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 24 September 1778 (Washington Papers)
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...
513To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 4 December 1780 (Washington Papers)
I Will for this time write A very short letter to You, and Cannot be More particular either on public or private Business, Untill Some few days Stay in this City have Enabl’d me to Get further informations. I have been Greatly disappointed in my not Meeting Mistress Washington—I have been Very Angry With My Bad fate which led me into an other Road at the only Moment when I Could Miss her—This...
514To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 11 November 1783 (Washington Papers)
However scarce are American letters, yet as the eyes of the world Are fixed upon you, I Now and then Hear what Becomes of My dear General—Your Visit to Congress, Your Stay with the Army Untill the Treaty Arrives, Your Having Been Voted a Statue, are Events Which Are known to Every one, and felt By me, So that What To Europe is an information, To me proves to Be a Cause for the Most tender...
515To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 10 September 1781 (Washington Papers)
Gouvion is just Arrived—He says you may be on your way—We hasten to send to the Commanding Naval officer in the Bay—Hitherto I had no way to write to you by water—But Count de Grasse Being at sea we request the officer he has left to have every precaution taken for the safety of navigation—It is probable they are taken, but I would be too uneasy had I not added this measure to those that have...
516To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 1 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
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...
517To George Washington from Lafayette, 19 March 1785 (Washington Papers)
Your letter december the 23d Has Safely Come to Hand, and Nothing short of the pottowmack plan Could Have Accounted with me for Your leaving Mount Vernon. I am glad to Hear You are likely to succeed, as it seems to me a Matter of Great Moment—and the part You Have taken in the Business Cannot fail, still more particularly to interest me in its success—I thank you, my dear General, for your...
518To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 31 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
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...
519To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 11 August 1781 (Washington Papers)
Your Excellency’s Public and Private letters of the 30h july Have Safely Come to Hand for which I Return you My warmest thanks. Be Sure, My dear General, that the Pleasure of Being with You will Make me Happy in Any Command You will think proper to Give—But for the present Am with You of opinion I Had Better Remain in Virginia—the More So as Lord Cornwallis does not chuse to live us, and...
520To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 19 February 1778 (Washington Papers)
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...
521To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 9 December 1780 (Washington Papers)
You Will be Surpris’d to hear That other Vessels Are Arriv’d from france, And That We have Not Receiv’d By them Any public Nor private dispatches—All the paquets Were on Board The Ariel who Was dismasted in the Storm and put Back into L’orient—Mister de Vauban who was intrusted with these letters thought it Not Adviseable for himself or his pacquets to Come on Board of Merchant Vessels and...
522To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 10 June 1783 (Washington Papers)
Having Received No Answer to My Letter By the frigate I May I think flatter Myself Before long to Hear from You, and I Confess I am waiting with Great Impatience—it is an Age, My dear General, since I Had a line from You, and I Have Been so Happily Used to our Intimate Communications, that it is very Hard to me not to know Any thing of Your Ideas, Your Concerns, and Your Sentiments on Every...
523To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 10 April 1781 (Washington Papers)
Agreably to Your Excellency’s permission Major Troop Has My Leave to Return to the Army. The Commanding officers Have Represented that He was under Indispensable Necessity to go, and we can very well do without Him untill the aArrival of an other Major. Colonel Vose is, I am told, Very Desirous to Return to the Army. He has there a Regiment, and Before we join general greene our Bataïllons...
524To George Washington from Lafayette, 17 March 1790 (Washington Papers)
It is with the Utmost Concern that I Hear My letters Have Not Come to Hand, and While I lament the Miscarriage, I Hope You do Not impute it to Any fault on My part —In these time of troubles, it Has Become More difficult to Know, or to Reach Opportunities, and How this Will be Carried I leave to the Care of Mr Payne Who Goes to London. Our Revolution is Getting on as Well as it Can With a...
525To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 10 September 1780 (Washington Papers)
After having Stated the few facts that have taken place Betwen this and the last Meeting of General Officers, and After having Given to the Council a Return of the Ennemy’s and our own force on this Continent, Your Excellency Wishes to know what plan in our present Circumstances and in the Suppositions We Can Make I Would think Better to pursue. In Case We have that Naval Superiority which We...
526To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 13 January 1778 (Washington Papers)
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...
527To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 24 May 1781 (Washington Papers)
My official letter a Copy of which I Send to Congress will let you know the Situation of Affairs in this Quarter—I ardently wish My Conduct May Meet with Your Approbation—Had I followed the first Impulsion of My temper, I would Have Risked Some thing More—But I Have Been Guarding Against My Own Warmth, and this Consideration that a General defeat which with Such a proportion of Militia Must Be...
528To George Washington from Lafayette, 21 December 1784 (Washington Papers)
I Have Received Your Affectionate letter Of the 8th inst., and from the known Sentiments of My Heart to You, You will Easely guess what My feelings Have Been in perusing the tender Expressions of Your friendship—No, my Beloved General, our late parting was Not By Any Means a last interview—My whole Soul Revolts at the idea—and Could I Harbour it an instant, indeed, my dear General, it would...
529To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 26 March 1781 (Washington Papers)
As I Hope My letters of the 23d and 25th Have Been Safely transmitted and this will Be Accompagnied By a letter of the Same date forwarded through the Hands of the President of Congress, I Shall only Add such parts of My Information as I Mean to Be Confidential. From My Late Intelligences I am led to Suppose that our Allies Are Gone to Cape Fear—the first Engagement was in their favor and I am...
530To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 8 November 1780 (Washington Papers)
here is a letter from Mercereau Which Says very little, and the little which is Said in it I don’t take to be true—But thought I had better Send his scrole to head Quarters—I have sent him Word that there Was No Monney for Such intelligences as these. Captain Ogden told me that one of our jersay Spies had lately writen to you—I have directed him to go to head quarters and Report of Something...