1To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, 21 February 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
I Am the More flatterd By the Command Which His Excellency General Washington Has Been Pleased to Intrust to Me , As Independant of the General Good that May Be Hoped from this Expedition, It seems to Promise An Opportunity to Gratify the High Sense I Have of My Personal obligations to the State of Virginia. I Shall from time to time Inform Your Excellency of the Movements of the Continental...
2To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, 3 March 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
sdkfj The Arrival of a french Squadron in the Bay will Have for some days Raised Your Excellencys Expectations, and You Have, I Hope, Received a Letter from me wherein I informed Your Excellency that I was Coming to Virginia with A Continental detachment, and that the Commander in Chief Had been pleased to Give me the Command of an Expedition Against Portsmouth. Since that time our troops Have...
3To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, 6 March 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
On my arrival at this place I did myself the honor of writing to your Excellency and I hope my letter has been safely transmitted. A number of vessels have come up the river and as our preparations are going on with the greatest alacrity, I think the troops may be embarked to-morrow, so that if we hear from the French squadron we shall immediatley sail for Portsmouth. Had vessels been in...
4To 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...
5To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, 16 March 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
Your Excellency’s favors of the 10h, 12h, and 14h insnt. Having Come Yesterday to Hand, I Beg Leave Most Respectfully to offer My thanks for that part of their Contents which is Personal. The Exertions of An Unbounded zeal, and A Conduct wholly Actuated By Affection and Respect, will, I Hope, justify in some Measure that Opinion which Your Excellency and the other Citizens of this State Have...
6To 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...
7To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, 20 March 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
On My Arrival at Suffolk, I found that Gnl. Muhlenberg Had Marched down to this place, and was in Hopes to Be Enabled to Reconnoitre the Ennemy’s works, which I think to Be a Necessary Measure Before Any plan Can Be settled for a Cooperation. But to My Great disappointement there was No Ammunition in Camp, and (tho it Has Been sent for seven days ago) I Have not Yet Been able to Learn when we...
8To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, 23 March 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
In the Midst of preparations and Sanguine Hopes, intelligence was Brought to our Camp Near Sleepy Hole that the Squadron Some time Mistaken for a French fleet, was Behond any doubt Composed of British Men of War. Their Force and Number was still Uncertain, Nor was it possible to know where they Came from. It was then A general opinion that they Had troops on Board. The Same Night the troops...
9To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, 27 March 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
Since the Return of the British fleet in the Bay, With A Number of Vessels supposed to Be transports from Newyork, I Have Entirely lost Every Hope of An immediate Operation Against Portsmouth. How Much the disappointement is felt By me, Your Excellency Will Better judge than I Can Express. This However May Be A satisfaction that On our part, We Have Been perfectly Ready And that With A Naval...
10To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, 4 April 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
Before this Comes to Hand Your Excellency Will Have Got an Accurate Account of the Action Between the two fleets, where it Appears that Notwistanding their Inferiority Our Allies obtained the Honor of the day. But the Object of the Expedition was Lost, and the Attak of Portsmouth Unfortunately Post poned. On the Point of Setting out for the Grand Army, I will at least do My Best for the Relief...