51To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 14 April 1781 (Washington Papers)
Your Excellency’s Letter of the 11th Has Overtaken me at this Place, and Having Given to You an Account of Every Measure I thought Proper to take, I will only Add that I am Still at the ferry where the troops Have Crossed the River, But the Wind Blows so High that it Has Been Impossible to take the Waggons over, and I am obliged to Have others Impressed on the Southern Side of the Susquehana....
52To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 12 April 1782 (Washington Papers)
However Sensible I am that our Cause May Be Better Served By My Presence Here, than it Could Possibly Be at this Period By My Returning to America, I Cannot Refrain from A Painfull Sentiment at the Sight of Many french officers Who Are Going to Join their Colours in America—I Shall, thank God, follow them Before Any thing Passes that May Have Any Danger or Any Importance—But I am So far from...
53To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 8 September 1783 (Washington Papers)
Your wished for and Most Heartly wellcome favours Have not this long while Reached me, and I most warmly Request You, my dear General, not to forget writing to a friend who loves you with a Filial and Unbounded Affection. this letter is Going By the September Packet, and Hereafter there will Be one Sailing Every month, By Which, While in Europe, I Shall most Exactly Advise my dear and...
54To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 20 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
No Accounts from the North ward, No Letter from Head Quarters—I am utterly a Stranger to Every thing that passes out of Virginia—and Virginian Operations Being for the Present in a State of languor, I Have More time to think of My Solitude. in a Word, My dear General, I am Home Sick and if I Can’t go to Head Quarters wish at least to Hear from there. I am Anxious to know Your opinion...
55To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 7 March 1781 (Washington Papers)
Contrary Winds, Heavy Rains, Disappointments of vessels And Every Inconvenience to which we Had No Remedy Have Been from the day of My Arrival Combined Against our Embarkation. I Hope However we will Be on Board to Morrow Morning, and As Nothing Certain Has Been Heard from the french Ships, No time will be Lost on our part for the Celerity of the Expedition. The troops will embark five Miles...
56To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 8 April 1781 (Washington Papers)
Your Excellency’s Letters of the 5th and 6th Inst. are just Come to Hand, and Before I Answer to their Contents Beg Leave to Give You a Summary Account of the Measures I Have Lately taken— As to the Part of My Conduct You Have Been Acquainted with, I am Happy, My dear General, to find that it Has Met With Your Approbation. When the Return of the British Fleet put it out of Doubt that Nothing...
57To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 15 March 1781 (Washington Papers)
The Number of Small frigats and Privateers that Are in the Bay Has Made it impossible for me to Carry the Detachement farther down than Annapolis, and I Have Requested the Governor of Maryland as well as the principal officers of the detachement to give out that we were going to join General Greene. But the object of the Expedition is so perfectly known every where that our Sole dependance to...
58To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 25 June 1782 (Washington Papers)
How it is Possible for me to Be Here at this Period You Will Hardly Be able to Conceive, and I Confess I am Myself more and More Surprised at these Strange Delays. Both duty and Inclination Lead me to America, and tho’ it is Not probable You are Active in the field, Yet the Possibility of it is to me A torment. But from the Moment I Engaged in our Noble Cause, I Made it My Sole point to...
59To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 8 September 1781 (Washington Papers)
I had the honor to write you lately giving an account of every thing that came within my knowledge, I was evry hour expecting I might be more particular but if you new how slow things go on in this Country, that still I have done the best in my power, I have written and received twenty letters a day from Government and every department whatever. the Governor does what He can the Wheels of His...
60To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 25 August 1781 (Washington Papers)
Independant of the Answer to Your letter of the 15th, I Have Been Very Particular in a Second letter Instrusted to Clel Moriss. But at this Moment Wish to Send you Minuted and Repeated Accounts of Every thing that Passes in this Quarter. The Ennemy Have Evacuated their forts at Ivy, Kemp’s Landing, Great Bridge and Portsmouth. Their Vessels with troops and Baggage went Round to York. Some...