To George Washington from Major General Riedesel, 17 January 1779
From Major General Riedesel
Lancaster [Pa.] January 17th 1779
Sir
I hope your Excellency has received my Letter dated from Newburgh, and which I forwarded to Head Quarters by my Aide du Camp Lieutenant Cleve, who arrived at Middle Brook a few days after your Excellency’s departure for Philadelphia. Lord Sterling opened my Letter, and was so obliging as to grant all the Requests it contained, in the most ample manner.1
I have met with here, some Hessian Prisoners of War, who have desired me to write to Lieutenant General Knyphausen upon their Account, and to forward a Return of their Number. I take the Liberty of enclosing my Letter and the Return to your Excellency, requesting the Favor that they may be sent by the first opportunity to Lieutenant General Baron de Knyphausen.2 I have the Honor to be with great Respect, your Excellency’s most obedient and most humble Servant.
Translation, NjMoHP; L, in French, GyWoS.
1. Riedesel is referring to his letter to GW of 19 Dec. 1778. For it and Stirling’s reply to Riedesel of 24 Dec., see Stirling to GW, 25 Dec. 1778, n.1. Friedrich Christian Cleve (d. 1826), an officer in the Dutch service who had come with Riedesel from Europe in 1776 as one of his aides-de-camp, apparently served Riedesel as both an adjutant and a personal secretary. In early 1780 Cleve was allowed to go to Europe on parole. He returned to America several months later with the rank of captain. Subsequently exchanged, Cleve departed for Europe again in 1783 and remained in the Brunswick service, rising eventually to the rank of major general.
2. These enclosures have not been identified.