501To 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...
502To James Madison from Lafayette, 16 October 1805 (Madison Papers)
Your Letter of the 6h. June, My dear friend, or Rather a Copy of it from the press Has Come to Hand. I think it is the duplicate of one Which Has Been Lost, and By the Bye I Caution You Against the Ink of Your Copying press, as the Whiteness of it Has Rendered it Very difficult for General Armstrong and for me to Read the Respective dispatches You Have on that day Adressed to Us. Yet I Have...
503To 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...
504To 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...
505To Benjamin Franklin from Lafayette, 6 December 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society After Having Been two days out of the Road, a S. o. [SW] Wind Obliges us to Come Back Again, and I fear it Will Give time for Lord Howe to Embarass our Passage— No Letter from You Has Yet Come to Hand, Which I am Very sorry for, as I Impatiently Waït for Information Upon our Monney Affairs— I Have not Yet Received Your Answer to My Consulting Letter— But I...
506To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, 21 April 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
My Last Letter to Your Excellency Having Acquainted You of Our Preparations to Return to the Southward, and Having Also Mentionned the Reasons which in the present danger Urge me to Hasten By forced Marches to the Support of Virginia, I will only Add that We Came in two days from our Encampement Near Baltimore to this place and intend Setting out to Morrow for frederik Burg. Our Baggage,...
507To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, 17 March 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
From a Conversation with the Quarter Master of this State, I find that there will Be A Great deficiency of Horses, and that None of those which Have Been Procured Can Serve for the purposes of our Artillery. Under these Circumstances, and in the full Conviction that a transportation of Heavy Artillery and Stores Was Necessary to the Expedition, I thought that Oxen Might in Some Cases Render...
508To Benjamin Franklin from the Marquis de Lafayette, 2 November 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society With a trüe satisfaction I have seen that the Royal influence in the irish parliament, fell very short of Ministerial expectations, and that some patriots Begin to speack a Bold language, and mention the Blessed words of independency and the Rights of Mankind— In the eyes of people that would be strangers to parliamentary Barking, such Speeches would be...
509Lafayette to Thomas Jefferson, 10 March 1810 (Jefferson Papers)
The John Adams is Not Yet Returned from England — it is probable m r pinkney waïts for Some Conclusion or Answer to Be Communicated by Her— I wish it May be the Case with G al Armstrong provided He Has Good News to Send—a Communication Had Been Announced to Him by M r de Champagny Which Has Not Yet taken place—
510To John Adams from the Marquis de Lafayette, 30 May 1787 (Adams Papers)
our Assembly is Ended; and altho’ the late depredations, and Confusion in the finances Make it Necessary to Encrease the Burthen of the People, Yet Have we Reasons to Rejoice at the More Equal Repartition of taxes, and the Barriers that Have Been placed Against future dilapidations— the Provincial Assemblies above all are a great thing—and you will see we Have obtained Many other points....
511To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, 8 March 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
The detachment under My orders is to embark this Morning, and if the Bay is Clear of Privateers will proceed as far as Annapolis where I expect to Hear from our Allies. My former letters Having exposed our Wants to Your Excellency, I Shall Content Myself with adding that a Number of large vessels, and a quantity of provisions will be very necessary for transporting and Subsisting the troops in...
512To James Madison from Lafayette, 28 August 1826 (Madison Papers)
Our Beloved Jefferson is No More, My dear friend, and While I Mingle My Sorrows With Yours, I Never More Sadly felt What Has Been to me a Constant object of Regret, the painful distance there is Betwen our Respective places of Abode. To You and me Who Have Been the Most intimate as Well as the oldest friends of the Great and Good Man, it particularly Belongs to Appreciate His personal as well...
513To 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...
514To 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...
515To James Madison from Lafayette, 11 November 1815 (Madison Papers)
Amidst the services I would be happy to render to the U.S. I set in the first rank an acquisition so precious, that America is the only Country upon earth which I cannot grieve to see benefitted by the loss of France. General Bernard whom the Polytechnic School glories to have possessed, has so eminently distinguished himself in the Corps of Engineers, namely on the fortification of Antwerp,...
516To Benjamin Franklin from Lafayette, [21 September? 1782] (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society I am Very sorry, My Dear sir, I Have not the Pleasure to Wait Upon You this Evening— But Mr. jay Called at Half Past Eight and told me He Had Considered of the Affair Now in Question, And Before Any thing Was Determined He Wants to Have A long Conversation With You— He Will be at Passy to Morrow Morning— for My Part I see You Will not of Course Give me Any...
517To Thomas Jefferson from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 13 July 1825 (Jefferson Papers)
This Letter will Be delivered By M. de Syon a Good Young French man who was acquainted with us in France, and Has much travelled with us through the U.S. He is going to See the Natural Bridge and other Curiosities But wish above all to Have the Honor to Be presented to You, as I don’t know when or How we will meet Again I Give Him this line of introduction. Your Amiable grand daughter is now...
518To 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...
519To Benjamin Franklin from Lafayette, 29 February 1780 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society In Consequence of the Assent that Your excellency was pleas’d to honor My Request with, I’ll Beg your obliging help positively to fix My ideas on some Affairs Relating to our Army, in which I had the happiness of Acting as one of Your Agents at the Court of Versailles. From Both Ministers of the War and of foreign Affairs I Got the Most positive Assurance...
520To James Madison from Lafayette, 1 December 1802 (Madison Papers)
Had I Not a proper Reliance on the Steadiness of Your Sentiments I Might fear You Have forgotten the old friend Who Has Not for Many, Many Years Received one Line from You. But I Conclude from the feelings of My Own Heart that Your Reciprocal Affection to Me Has not diminished, and that through the Vicissitudes of a Life as Stormy as it is Now Quiete, I Have Been Accompagnied With Your...
521Lafayette to Thomas Jefferson, 20 February 1810 (Jefferson Papers)
The Opportunity of an American frigate would at all times Have Been precious—it is still more So untill the Absurd Crime of water and Land piracies on the Neutrals is Renounced By Both Belligerents— I am in Hopes of a favorable Change. But as it must Be pretty well Ascertained Before the John Adams Sails I Refer You to What G al Armstrong will on the Last day Communicate. Amidst the Joint...
522To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 14 October 1782 (Washington Papers)
Since the time of Cle Gimat’s Arrival not a Line from You Has Come to My Hands, Which Misfortune I Have Much Lamented, and I do assure You, My dear General, that when I Have not the Happiness to Be With You, it is Necessary for me to Receive Some of Your Letters. This Will be delivered By Gnl du Portail and Cel Gouvion Who are Returning to America—I Wish I Could do the Same, But You Must By...
523To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 29 June 1782 (Washington Papers)
Mr Grenville says, My dear General, that the Enabling Bill has past both Houses—How it will be worded, I do not know—We also expect some answer to a few lines Count de Vergennes Has Given to Mr Grenville—But I am affraid those people are not sincere. I Had no letter from you this Age, my dear General, and as I Hope you Have wrote some times I guess Many of My letters Have shared the same...
Having yesterday conferred with Count de Vergennes upon some Public Concerns, He requested I would tell you what, instead of troubling you with the Demand of a meeting, I think better to mention in this Note. The several Powers said he, are going to make up their Treaties, and when ready to sign, they will of Course meet to do it alltogether. The Mediation of the Emperor and that of Russia...
525To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, [before 3 June 1789] (Jefferson Papers)
I Most Heartily thank You, My dear friend, for Your Excellent ideas. What will Become of the States Generals God knows. Our House Has this Morning protested Against the Appellation of Commons , and the Commons Have said there Must Be No intermediaire Between them and the King. It is true they Meant the Ministers But we took it for us. In the Mean While the King and Queen are on the...
526To John Adams from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 28 April 1817 (Adams Papers)
I Most affectionately partake in the Gratification You are going to derive from the Arrival of Mr and Mrs Quincy Adams with your grand children to the Satisfaction of a father you will join that of a patriot, the Appointment of Your Son to the place of Secretary of State being a great public Advantage. I Refer Myself to Him for European News, in this Extensive Question in Betwen Rights and...
527To Thomas Jefferson from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 28 July 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
The Necessity of an Active Correspondance with the U.S. Has never been Better Evinced than on the Arrival of a West India Rumour which would Have dreadfully Alarmed us, Had we not Been in the Blessed Possession of Your Own Letters. I Hope You will never leave Your friends in Europe Without Regular Intelligence of Your personal Welfare. the Want of it I feel, the More, My dear Jefferson, as It...
528To George Washington from Lafayette, 23 August 1790 (Washington Papers)
What Would Have Been My feelings, Had the News of Your illness Reached me Before I knew My Beloved General, My Adoptive father was out of danger! I was Struck with Horror at the idea of the Situation You Have Been in, while I, Uninformed, and to distant from You, Was Anticipating the long waited for pleasure to Hear from You, and the Still More Endearing prospect to Visit You, and present You...
529To Thomas Jefferson from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 29 August 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
My dear Excellent friend, Here I am, on American ground, Welcomed in a Manner that Exceeds the power to Express what I feel. Those testimonies of kindness to Which time does not Suffice Have prevented my writing to you, as I intended, from Newyork. an invitation from the City of Boston, Received in france, and a Consequent Engagement on my part Have brought me Here; I Shall be Returned to...
530To Benjamin Franklin from Lafayette, 8 December 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Library of Congress However Certain it Appears that Peace is Near at Hand, I Have thought that Personal Considerations ought to Give Way to Motives of Public Utility— I am therefore sailing With the fleet, and Untill Peace is Ascertained, Will Continue in Promoting the Views Which You Have Decided to Be the Most Advantageous to America— in this Affair, it is Useless to observe that My...
531To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 17 June 1778 (Washington Papers)
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...
532To Alexander Hamilton from Marquis de Lafayette, 26 August 1778 (Hamilton Papers)
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...
533To James Madison from Lafayette, 22 April 1805 (Madison Papers)
The Arrival of General Armstrong is the Last Opportunity I Had to Hear from You—I Was More fortunate as to public intelligences—The Reelection of our dear Respected president, and of Course the Continuation in Office of His Collaborators, With the Speech Worthy of Him He Has pronounced Have Speedily Enough Been Received in paris Where I Came to Confer with Gnl. Armstrong and Mr Livingston—of...
534To Benjamin Franklin from the Marquis de Lafayette, 9 October 1780 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I Wish it was in My power to Give you some Grand intelligence from this part of the world—But Considering the Naval Superiority which the Ennemy have hitherto kept on our Coasts, You will not wonder at our finding it Rather difficult to Cooperate against Maritime points, or such points as are at an immence distance from us. The Arrival of the french Succour...
535To Benjamin Franklin from the Marquis de Lafayette, 17 August 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I wish it was in My power to Give you any intelligences, But however Great are our preparations, however superior we find our fleet Nothing is as yet in Motion, and we are impatiently waiting for orders— do you think, my dear Doctor, our British friends will let the Blow fall so heavily upon them, and don’t you Rather Believe they’ll try to set up a...
536To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 30 January 1782 (Washington Papers)
Having Landed Some days Ago at L’orient, I Had the Pleasure to inform you of My Safe Arrivall, and Hope the Letter will Have a prosperous passage—You Easely imagine, My dear General, that no time was Lost in posting off to Paris, where I found My family and friends in perfect Health—My daughter and Your George are Grown up so Much that I find Myself great deal older than I Aprehended—the Short...
537To Benjamin Franklin from the Marquis de Lafayette, 22 January 1782 (Franklin Papers)
L : American Philosophical Society Le marquis de Lafayette Scachant que Monsieur de francklain est un peut Incommodé le marquis de Lafayette n’aura pas lhonneur de le voir ce Soir, Il prie Monsieur de francklain de lui mander si le poura voir demain a midy il Sy rendra sans manquer. Addressed: A Monsieur / Monsieur de francklain / Ministre des Provinces unies / De Lamerique / a Passy Notation:...
538To George Washington from Lafayette, 14 July 1785 (Washington Papers)
Before I leave the borders of france, I wish once more to Remind you of your absent friend, and to let You Hear that I am well and just Begining my German travels—I Have Been lately Visiting Some french towns where I Spoke grat deal about American trade, and fully Answered the views I Had the Honour to Communicate in a former letter —Now I am on my way to the deux ponts where Resides our...
539To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 27 April 1780 (Washington Papers)
here I am, My dear General, and in the Mist of the joy I feel in finding Myself again one of your loving Soldiers I take But the time of telling you that I Came from france on Board of a fregatt Which the king Gave me for my passage —I have affairs of the utmost importance that I should at first Communicate to You alone—in Case my Letter finds you Any where this side of philadelphia, I Beg You...
540To John Jay from Lafayette, 28 March 1782 (Jay Papers)
I take the Opportunity of a Spanish Courier’s going to Madrid to let You know that S t . Kitts Has Been taken by the french— The Intelligence Has Been Received Yesterday, and it is the More pleasing as British Accounts Had Rendered us Very Uneasy Upon the fate of the Expedition. Your letter of the 1 st Having Come to Hand I Made What Communications I thought to Be Serviceable but will Be More...
541To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 22 March 1778 (Washington Papers)
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...
542To George Washington from Lafayette, 10 August 1784 (Washington Papers)
I Have Already Had the pleasure to Acquaint You with My Arrival in America, and am Endeavouring to Reach Mount Vernon as soon as possible—My first plan was only to Stay here two days, but the Affectionate Reception I Have met with in this City, and the Returning some Compliments to the Assembly Render it Necessary for me to Stay one day longer—on friday I will Be at the Head of elk—the next...
543To George Washington from Lafayette, 7 February 1787 (Washington Papers)
The last letter I Had from You is dated November the 19th, and Announces the Safe Arrival of the Asses who I Hope Will Be less frigid than those of His Catholick Majesty—Whatever Be their intrinsic Value, I Have found it Encreased in a Maryland Paper to a degree Which does Not indeed do justice to the Maltheze Merchants—and as the Estimate of the three Animals is truly Extravagant, I must tell...
544To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 21 August 1781 (Washington Papers)
Your favor of the 15th Has safely come to Hand—I am going to give you an Account of matters in this Quarter. The greatest part of the Ennemy are at York which they do not as yet fortify But are Very Busy upon Gloster Neck where they have a pretty large corps Under Clel Dundass—they Have at York a 44 guns ship—frigats and Vessels are scattered lower down—There is still a small garrison at...
545To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 2 September 1780 (Washington Papers)
to My Great disappointment M. p——is Return’d this Morning and Brings no details with him—I Wanted him to go again, But You alone Can induce him to do it—from what he Says, the Ennemy are going to undertake A Great Movement—he will himself wait on You and tell you what had been Said to him about Rhode island, and what about improving the Opportunity of theyr fleet’s going to London—tho I do not...
546To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 25 April 1778 (Washington Papers)
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...
547To George Washington from Lafayette, 9 October 1787 (Washington Papers)
I Hope the time is drawing Near, when I will Receive the letter You Have Announced to Me, and while I Have the Unspeackable Satisfaction to Hear from my beloved General, I will also Gratify my Heartfelt Curiosity to know the proceedings of the Convention —May it Have devised proposals, and found in the people a disposition which Can insure the Happiness, prosperity, and dignity of the United...
548To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 5 December 1780 (Washington Papers)
By My letter of Yesterday I have Mentionn’d to You that A spanish Expedition Was intended Against st Augustine—They Mean to Set out at the End of december which will Certainly delay them till the Middle of january—it Consists of twelve ships of the Line, Some frigats, Bomb Ketches, and a Large Number of troops —I have Advis’d the Minister to Communicate officialy to You this intelligence, and...
549To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 28 July 1778 (Washington Papers)
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...
550Lafayette to Thomas Jefferson, 28 December 1815 (Jefferson Papers)
The Bearer of these Lines is M r Lakanal Member of the french institut , officer of the University and inspector General of the New Metrical System who abandons those functions and a Handsome treatment to Become a Settler in the State of Kentucky . He Has for Several years been in the Representative Assemblies of france , and is Going to Seeck in the U.S. Liberty, Security, and Happiness. I...