201To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 4 December 1780 (Washington Papers)
I Will for this time write A very short letter to You, and Cannot be More particular either on public or private Business, Untill Some few days Stay in this City have Enabl’d me to Get further informations. I have been Greatly disappointed in my not Meeting Mistress Washington—I have been Very Angry With My Bad fate which led me into an other Road at the only Moment when I Could Miss her—This...
202To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 1 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
Your excellency ordered me to give my opinion about these three places for winter quarters 1º the chain from about the Sculchill till betheleem—2º this from reading to lancaster—3º building hutts about and quartering in willmington. I must Confess My being prevented of fixing my Sentiments in a decicise manner by my want of knowledge about very interesting points amongs them as 1º how far we...
203To George Washington from Lafayette, 19 March 1785 (Washington Papers)
Your letter december the 23d Has Safely Come to Hand, and Nothing short of the pottowmack plan Could Have Accounted with me for Your leaving Mount Vernon. I am glad to Hear You are likely to succeed, as it seems to me a Matter of Great Moment—and the part You Have taken in the Business Cannot fail, still more particularly to interest me in its success—I thank you, my dear General, for your...
204To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 19 February 1778 (Washington Papers)
Why am I so far from you, and what business had that board of war to hurry me through the ice and Snow without knowing what I schould do, neither what they were doing themselves? you have thought perhaps that theyr project could be attended with some difficulty, that some means had been neglected, that I could not obtain all the succès and the immensity of laurels which they had promised to...
205To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 9 December 1780 (Washington Papers)
You Will be Surpris’d to hear That other Vessels Are Arriv’d from france, And That We have Not Receiv’d By them Any public Nor private dispatches—All the paquets Were on Board The Ariel who Was dismasted in the Storm and put Back into L’orient—Mister de Vauban who was intrusted with these letters thought it Not Adviseable for himself or his pacquets to Come on Board of Merchant Vessels and...
206To George Washington from Lafayette, 17 March 1790 (Washington Papers)
It is with the Utmost Concern that I Hear My letters Have Not Come to Hand, and While I lament the Miscarriage, I Hope You do Not impute it to Any fault on My part —In these time of troubles, it Has Become More difficult to Know, or to Reach Opportunities, and How this Will be Carried I leave to the Care of Mr Payne Who Goes to London. Our Revolution is Getting on as Well as it Can With a...
207To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 10 September 1780 (Washington Papers)
After having Stated the few facts that have taken place Betwen this and the last Meeting of General Officers, and After having Given to the Council a Return of the Ennemy’s and our own force on this Continent, Your Excellency Wishes to know what plan in our present Circumstances and in the Suppositions We Can Make I Would think Better to pursue. In Case We have that Naval Superiority which We...
208To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 13 January 1778 (Washington Papers)
I Schall make use in this particular instance of the liberty you gave me of telling freely every idea of mine which could strike me as not being useless to a better order of things. There were two gentlemen, same rank, same duty to perform, and same neglect of it who have been arrested the same day by me—as I went in the night around the piquets I found them in fault, and I gave an account of...
209To George Washington from Lafayette, 21 December 1784 (Washington Papers)
I Have Received Your Affectionate letter Of the 8th inst., and from the known Sentiments of My Heart to You, You will Easely guess what My feelings Have Been in perusing the tender Expressions of Your friendship—No, my Beloved General, our late parting was Not By Any Means a last interview—My whole Soul Revolts at the idea—and Could I Harbour it an instant, indeed, my dear General, it would...
210To George Washington from Lafayette, 23 August 1790 (Washington Papers)
What Would Have Been My feelings, Had the News of Your illness Reached me Before I knew My Beloved General, My Adoptive father was out of danger! I was Struck with Horror at the idea of the Situation You Have Been in, while I, Uninformed, and to distant from You, Was Anticipating the long waited for pleasure to Hear from You, and the Still More Endearing prospect to Visit You, and present You...
211To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 17 June 1778 (Washington Papers)
The situation we are in renders it extremely difficult to have a Settled notion of what is the best to be done, as the motions of the ennemy depend no so much of theyr circumstances in this country as of foreign events, Negotiations, or Ministerial orders which are in this time entirely unknown to us—however the prevailing idea is that they will go to new york through the jersays—how far that...
212To George Washington from Lafayette, 14 July 1785 (Washington Papers)
Before I leave the borders of france, I wish once more to Remind you of your absent friend, and to let You Hear that I am well and just Begining my German travels—I Have Been lately Visiting Some french towns where I Spoke grat deal about American trade, and fully Answered the views I Had the Honour to Communicate in a former letter —Now I am on my way to the deux ponts where Resides our...
213To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 27 April 1780 (Washington Papers)
here I am, My dear General, and in the Mist of the joy I feel in finding Myself again one of your loving Soldiers I take But the time of telling you that I Came from france on Board of a fregatt Which the king Gave me for my passage —I have affairs of the utmost importance that I should at first Communicate to You alone—in Case my Letter finds you Any where this side of philadelphia, I Beg You...
214To George Washington from Lafayette, 7 February 1787 (Washington Papers)
The last letter I Had from You is dated November the 19th, and Announces the Safe Arrival of the Asses who I Hope Will Be less frigid than those of His Catholick Majesty—Whatever Be their intrinsic Value, I Have found it Encreased in a Maryland Paper to a degree Which does Not indeed do justice to the Maltheze Merchants—and as the Estimate of the three Animals is truly Extravagant, I must tell...
215To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 25 April 1778 (Washington Papers)
The present questions are the most difficult to resolve upon that have been proposed since I have been in this army—there must be as much civil policy as Generalship in the operations of the next campaign—on the other hand our forces, stores, magazines, ressources of every kind (I mean those which we schall get in the camp) are far from being ascertained—we do’nt know how many men we may...
216To George Washington from Lafayette, 9 October 1787 (Washington Papers)
I Hope the time is drawing Near, when I will Receive the letter You Have Announced to Me, and while I Have the Unspeackable Satisfaction to Hear from my beloved General, I will also Gratify my Heartfelt Curiosity to know the proceedings of the Convention —May it Have devised proposals, and found in the people a disposition which Can insure the Happiness, prosperity, and dignity of the United...
217To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 5 December 1780 (Washington Papers)
By My letter of Yesterday I have Mentionn’d to You that A spanish Expedition Was intended Against st Augustine—They Mean to Set out at the End of december which will Certainly delay them till the Middle of january—it Consists of twelve ships of the Line, Some frigats, Bomb Ketches, and a Large Number of troops —I have Advis’d the Minister to Communicate officialy to You this intelligence, and...
218To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 23 February 1778 (Washington Papers)
I Meet with an occasion of wraïting to your excellency which I wo’nt miss by any means, even schould I be affraïd of becoming tedious and troublesome—but if they have sent me far from you for I do’nt know what purpose, at least I must make some little use of my pen to prevent all communication be cut of[f] betwen your excellency and me—I have writen lately to you my distressing, ridiculous,...