From George Washington to Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 3 September 1781
Phila[da] 3d Sepr 1781.
Sir,
From the head of Elk the Cavalry, Carriages & such Artillery as may be sent by Land, will proceed by the following Rout.
Lower ferry on Susquehanna. | |
Baltimore. | |
Elk ridge Landing | |
Bladensburg. | |
George Town—on Potomack River. |
From hence a Rout must be pursued to Fredericksburg, that will avoid an inconvenient ferry over Occoquan and Rappahannock River at the Town of Fredericksburg. The former may, I believe, be forded at Falmouth (two miles above Fredericksburg) and the latter by leaving the common Rout a little upon the left from George Town.
From Fredericksburg, the Rout will be by Caroline Court House and Newcastle. I cannot, at this moment, point out the different Marches for want of a sufficient knowledge of the Road, & convenient encamping places on it, but L[t] Colo. Gouvion being instructed to reconnoitre these will enable me perhaps to be more ’ere the March commences from the head of Elk.
DLC: Papers of George Washington.