To George Washington from Rear Admiral Ternay, 21 August 1780
From Rear Admiral Ternay
çe 21 aout [1780]
Monsieur
le sejour des deux officiers pratiques du sound et de la partie de sandy hook amenès igy par Monsieur le Marquis de la fayette devenants inutile dans çe moment cy je prens le parti de les renvoyer chez eux je leur ay fait donner çent piastres quils mont demandè pour retourner dans leurs habitations lorsquil sera question doperer je prieray, Vôtre exçellençe, de les faire revenir à Neuport ils sont tres instruits lun et lautre jey profitéray de leurs lumieres jaurois ete bien aise de leur eviter la long[u]eur et la fatigue du voyage sils leussent desiré mais independamment de la depense inutile que leur sejour a rhodes island occasion[n]e je pense quils ne sont pas fachés de retourner chez eux netants point occupés pour le serviçe de leur patrie dans çe moment çy je suis avec tout le respect et lattachement possible Monsieur votre tres humble et tres obeissant serviteur
le chevalier de ternay
jay reçu la d[erni]ere lettre que votre exçellençe ma fait lhonneur de mecrire du 16.
ALS, DLC:GW.
Ternay explains that he is sending home two pilots who accompanied Maj. Gen. Lafayette to Newport and that he has given them money for their journey. He desires that GW send them back if active operations commence. He acknowledges receipt of GW’s letter to him of 16 August.
For the assignment of pilots to accompany Lafayette to Newport, see GW to Lafayette, 22 July (second letter). Only two of the pilots were in Newport on 31 July (see Lafayette to GW, that date).
GW replied to Ternay on 8 Sept. from headquarters at New Bridge, Bergen County, N.J.: “I have received the letter which you did me the honor to write me the 21st of last month. Whenever circumstances may require the attendance of the two officers, they will be instructed to repair to your orders.
“I have the honor to propose the 20th instant for our intended interview—I shall be at Hartford on that day, if the time is agreeable to you—where I shall at least have the pleasure to assure you personally of my esteem and attachment” (Df, in Alexander Hamilton’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW).