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Documents filtered by: Author="Lafayette, Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de" AND Recipient="Washington, George" AND Period="Revolutionary War" AND Correspondent="Washington, George"
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the disapointement Clel Tupper Met with is So Singular that I wish to Give Your Excellency a full account of this Affair. When the detachement was at the Head of Elk Clel Vose expressed a desire to Return to the Northward founded Upon the particular Circumstances He was Under Which Nothing But fear of Giving Exemple to His Officers and Men prevented Him officialy to Signify— from what He often...
I am Happy to inform Your Excellency that Count de Grasse’s Fleet is lastly arrived in this Bay—it Consists of 28 ships of the Line with Several frigats, and convoys a Considerable Body of troops Under Marquis de st Simon—Previous to their Arrival Such positions Had Been taken By our Army as to prevent the Ennemy’s Retreating towards Carolina. In Consequence of Your Excellency’s orders I Had...
Great Happiness is derived from friendship, and I do particularly Experience it in the Attachement which Unites Me to You. But friendship Has its duties, and the Man that Likes you the Best will Be the forwardest in Letting you know Every thing where You Can Be Concerned. When the Ennemy Came to your House Many Negroes deserted to them. This piece of News did not affect me much as I little...
There is no fighting Here Unless you Have a Naval Superiority or an Army Mounted upon Race Horses. Phillip’s plan Against Richmond Has Been defeated, He was Going towards Porsmouth, and I thought it Should Be enough for me to oppose Him At Some principal points in this State—But now it Appears I will Have Business to transact With two Armies and this is Rather too much. By letters from North...
I have the honor to inclose your Excellency the report which has been made me this morning from Commodore Barron, of the fleets having sailed, and of its destination being Baltimore. With the greatest respect I have the honor to be Sir Your Excellency’s most ob. ser. I beg leave to mention Majr Macpherson to your Excellency for his very distinguished zeal and services in this quarter. DLC :...
Give me leave to Present to You Mr de Beaune a french officer Whom Respectable Persons Have So much Recommended that I Could not deny Him this letter of introduction—He is Well Spoken of, and Wishes to Improve Himself so as to Become Proper for a Consulship in America. We are Anxiously Waiting for letters from the Continent, and independant of Public Concerns, letters from My dear General...
Inclosed you will find the Copy of a letter to General Greene. He at first Had-Requested I would directly write to you, Since which His orders Have Been different, But He directed me to forward you Copies of My official Accounts. So many letters are lost in their Way that I do not Care to Avoid Repetitions. I Heartly wish, My dear General, My Conduct may Be approved of particularly By You. My...
My Correspondance with one of the British Generals, and my denial of a Correspondance with the other, may be perhaps misrepresented—I shall therefore give an Account of what has passed, and hope your Excellency & Genl Greene will approve of my Conduct. On the arrival of our Detatchment at Richmond, three letters were brought by a Flag which I have the honour to inclose; & which as Commander of...
The letter that accompagnies this being relative to matters of public utility, I shall write also this confidential one where none but my private interests are concerned. Owing to your partiality and friendship for me, I have during the Campaign acted the Most Agreable part—I commanded the Army in Virginia, I was opposed to Lord Cornwallis, and the troops you entrusted to me had the greatest...
The inclosed Copy, my dear general, will give you an account of our affairs in this Quarter—Agreably to your orders, I Have Avoided a general Action, and when Lord Cornwallis’s movements indicated it was Against His interest to fight, I Have ventured partial engagements—His Lordship Seems to have given up the Conquest of Virginia. it has been a great secret that our Army was not Superior and...
I Had Some days ago the Honor to write to Your Excellency and informed you that a detachement from the British Army would probably embark at Portsmouth. The two Bataïllons of Light Infantry and the Queen’s Rangers were certainly, and the Guards with one or two British Regiments, were likely to Be, ordered upon that service. My Conjectures Have proved true and 49 sails fallen down in Hampton...
I Have Received Your Excellency’s Letter Relating to Clel Gouvion—it would Have Been Very Agreable to Me to keep this officer—Your orders Have Been Sent to Philadelphia where He is for the present—However distant I may Be from the scene, I am Happy to find that Your Excellency Hopes to Undertake the Grand object we Have Had in Contemplation. By a Letter just Received from the Board of War it...
Here I am at the Mouth of Elk River and the fleet under My Command will proceed to Annapolis where I am Assured they Can go without danger. They are protected By the Nesbitt of Twelve guns, Some Field pieces on Board the Vessel that carries Clel Stevens, and we are going to Meet one eight guns, and one six guns Vessel from Baltimore——With this Escort We May go as far As Annapolis—No Vessel of...
Gouvion is just Arrived—He says you may be on your way—We hasten to send to the Commanding Naval officer in the Bay—Hitherto I had no way to write to you by water—But Count de Grasse Being at sea we request the officer he has left to have every precaution taken for the safety of navigation—It is probable they are taken, but I would be too uneasy had I not added this measure to those that have...
Having Received No Answer to My Letter By the frigate I May I think flatter Myself Before long to Hear from You, and I Confess I am waiting with Great Impatience—it is an Age, My dear General, since I Had a line from You, and I Have Been so Happily Used to our Intimate Communications, that it is very Hard to me not to know Any thing of Your Ideas, Your Concerns, and Your Sentiments on Every...
Agreably to Your Excellency’s permission Major Troop Has My Leave to Return to the Army. The Commanding officers Have Represented that He was under Indispensable Necessity to go, and we can very well do without Him untill the aArrival of an other Major. Colonel Vose is, I am told, Very Desirous to Return to the Army. He has there a Regiment, and Before we join general greene our Bataïllons...
Mr Grenville says, My dear General, that the Enabling Bill has past both Houses—How it will be worded, I do not know—We also expect some answer to a few lines Count de Vergennes Has Given to Mr Grenville—But I am affraid those people are not sincere. I Had no letter from you this Age, my dear General, and as I Hope you Have wrote some times I guess Many of My letters Have shared the same...
Inclosed I Have the Honor to send you Copy of my letter to general greene. The ennemy Have Been so kind as to Retire Before us. twice I gave them a chance of fighting (taking Care not to Engage farther than I pleased) But they Continued their Retrogade motions—our Numbers are I think Exagerated to them, and our seeming Boldness confirms the opinion. I thought at first Lord Cornwallis wanted to...
From the Bottom of My Heart I Congratulate you upon the Arrival of the French Fleet—Some Rumors Had Been spread, and spy accounts sent out—But no Certainty untill the Admiral’s dispatches Came to Hand—Inclosed I send you His letter and that of Mis. de St Simon Both of whom I Request you will Have translated By Tilmangh or Gouvion alone as there are parts of them personal which I do not choose...
Your letter of the 10th of May is the last one that Came into My Hands for which I Beg leave to offer You My Best thanks—and in Case former Answers do not Arrive, I Must Again tell you How Happy You Made Your friend By Your letters inclosing the proceedings of the Army—In Every instance, My dear General, I Have the Satisfaction to Love and to Admire you—the Conduct You Had on that Occasion was...
This letter is not By Any Means directed to the Commander in chief, But to My Most Intimate and Confidential friend—I will lay Before you My Circumstances and My wishes—Certain I am You will do whatever You Can for me that is Consistent with Your public duty. When I went to the Southward You know I Had Some private objections—But I Became Sensible of the Necessity there was for the detachement...
This letter will be Handed By cll Morris who waits upon Your Excellency with Gal Greene’s Sentiments upon the different ways to Improve Count de Grasses assistance. I Have Been desired to Add my Accounts But the last letter I Had the Honor to write Has Anticipated the Informations Which Gral Greene wanted me to give. The Light Infantry are 850—the Pennsylvania 600—Virginia exchanged soldiers...
On the 5 Ulto I Had the Honor to write You a Letter, and as Count d’Estaing was pleased to let me Have a Vessel to Carry it, I am not without My Hopes to Have Given You the tidings of a General peace—I also Have informed You that Upon My Going to Sail for America, I Had Received a letter from Mr Carmichael Entreating My Immediate Assistance at Madrid—I therefore Gave up My darling Plan, and...
The Embarkation Which I thought and I do Still think to Have Been destined to Newyork Was Reported to Have Sailed up the Bay, and to Be Bound to Baltimore—in Consequence of which I write to Your Excellency, and as I Had not Indulged Myself too Near portsmouth I was able to Cut Across towards Frederiksburg—But instead of Continuing His Voyage up the Bay My Lord Entered York River and Landed at...
Your letter of the 13th is just Come to Hand. The Moment a perfect Intelligence Can Be Got, Major Mcpherson will be Dispatched— But Some Expressions in Your last favor will, if possible, Augment My Vigilance in keeping You well Apprised of the Ennemy’s Movements. There are in Hampton Road Thirty Transport Ships full of troops—Most of them Red Coats— There are eight or ten Brigs which Have...
My Letter of the 23d to Your Excellency will, I Hope, Be Safely transmitted, and the Bearer of it Mjr McLeane Assured me that in case He was obliged to loose the Dispatch Boats, He Could find Means to Get a Shore and forward the Dispatches By Land. In this Letter I Gave to Your Excellency an Account of what Had past Since I Left Annapolis, and Communicated the Intelligence of a British fleet...
By Former Letters, Your Excellency Has Been Acquainted with My Motions From My Arrival at the Head of Elk, to the time of My Landing at this place. The March of the Detachement to Elk Had Been Very Rapid and performed in the Best order—Owing to the Activity of Lt Clel Stevens a train of Artillery Had Been provided at Philadelphia, and Notwistanding Some Disappointements, Namely that Relating...
I am Sorry to think We are not yet Gone, and there Still Remain Some doubts of our Going to Morrow—This delay I Lament not So Much on private Accounts as I do it on the Account of our Next Campaign in the planning of Which Your Opinion as I will deliver it Must Be of Great Use to the Common Cause—As to the departement of foreign affairs I will Be Happy to justify the Confidence of Congress By...
A Correspondant of Mine Servant to Lord Cornwallis writes on the 26th july at Portsmouth, and Says His Master, Tarleton, and Simcoe are Still in town But Expect to Move—the Greatest Part of the Army is Embarked—There is in Hampton Road one 50 guns ship, and two Six and thirty Guns frigats &c. 18 Sloops loaded with Horses—There Remain But Nine vessels in Portsmouth who Appear to Be getting...
Your Excellency having personally seen our dispositions, I shall only give an account of what passed in the execution. Colonel Gimat’s batallion led the van, and was followed by that of Colonel Hamilton’s, who commanded the whole advanced corps, at the same time a party of eighty men, under Col. Laurens, turned the redoubt. I beg leave to refer your Excellency to the report I have received...
the jonction of Lord Cornwallis with the other Army at peters Burg was an Event that from local Circumstances and from thier so Great Superiority it was Impossible to prevent— it took place on the 20th and Having lost Every Hope to Operate a timely stroke in Conjunction with the pennsylvanians, My ideas were Confined to defensive Measures—I therefore Moved up to Richmond where precautions were...
Had Your Excellency’s Answer to my letter of the 8th Been forwarded with an Equal Celerity with your favor of the 6th I would Have Received it Before this time—But whatever change my New situation Could Make in Your Excellency’s dispositions I thought it my duty in the mean while to obey the positive orders I Had Received—The troops are now crossing the ferry and will with all possible Speed...
Having been directed by Genl Greene to take Command of the Troops in Virginia, I have also received Orders from him, that every Account from this Quarter be immediately transmitted to Congress and to your Excellency; in obedience to which I shall have the honour to relate our Movements, and those of the combined Armies of the Enemy. When Genl Phillips retreated from Richmond, his project was...
By My Letter of the 8th Your Excellency will Have known of My Arrival at this Place and the Preparations I was Making to Proceed South ward. I took at the Same time the Liberty to Inform You that the Great want of Monney, Baggage, Cloathing, Under Which Both officers and Men are Suffering and the Hope they Had of Being furnished with a Part of these Articles from their States would Render it...
Having Been told by Mquis de Castries at Whose Country Seat I am, that He Now is Sending a Vessel to America, I Cannot Resist an Opportunity to write You a few lines. My Letter’s journey By land Will Be Almost as long As its Voyage Across the Ocean, and the New England Porstmouth is Very far Distant to the Banks of the Potowmack—for I Suppose, My dear General, that You Intend Spending this...
My Last Letter Has Informed You that in Case Peace is Not Made, and our Plans do not Immediately take place at this Court, I Would think it Consistent With My zeal for our Cause, and My Obedience to Your Intentions, to take a Round About Way to Serve our Military Purposes. Under those Circumstances, I Have Accepted to Go this Winter With Count d’Estaing. But tho’ I am to Reenter Into the...
The sailing of the Alliance Has Been So Unexpected that Mr Franklin and Myself Have not Been Able to Send the dispatches we intended to forward By that Opportunity. There is now a French cutter that is pretty Suddenly Sent of to America—I expected to write By a frigat Which is to Sail in a Short time, But Cannot let this Opportunity slip a way, Before I have the pleasure to Remember me to you,...
Independant of public Motives private Attachement for You Renders it very Hard to me that our Correspondance is so much Interrupted. I heartly feel for the Accident that Has put Some of your letters in the Hands of the Ennemy—the more So as the friendship that You are pleased to Honor me with Had Induced you to Confidential Communications—Letters from the late governor of this State to me Have...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
I request you will receive My Affectionate Aknowledgement for your kind letters. Every mark of friendship I receive from you Adds to my Happiness as I love you with all the sincerity and Warmth of My Heart, and the sentiment I feel for you goes to the very extent of my affections. Inclosed I send you, my dear General, two Copies of letters to General Greene which I also have sent to Congress...
Your letter of the 1st Inst. did Not Come to Hand Untill Last Evening, and I Hasten to Answer to His Contents, tho’ I will in a few Hours Be Better able to inform you of My Movements. From what I Hear of the difficulties to Convoy us down the Bay, I very much Aprehend the Winds will not permit any frigate to Come up. Comte de Rochambeau thinks His troops Equal to the Business, and wishes that...
Were You But Such a Man as julius Cæsar or the king of Prussia, I should Almost Be sorry for You at the End of the Great tragedy Where You are Acting Such a Part—But With My dear General I Rejoice at the Blessings of a Peace Where our Noble Ends Have Been Secured—Remember our Valley forge times, and from a Recollection of Past dangers and labours, We still will Be More pleased at our Present...