To George Washington from Brigadier General Preudhomme de Borre, 12 October 1777
From Brigadier General Preudhomme de Borre
Yorck [Pa.] the 12 october 1777
Sir
In Consequence of the Letter that your excellency has Send me the 13 of Septemb: with the resolve of Congress to inquiry into my Conduct;1 I was been at your quarters to complain me of that resolve, I could not See your excellency, but the colonel hamilton told me, you had been Surprised of that Letter and you had not told a word of me, that your Excellency would not receive my Demysion.
I was been to philadelphia and I have restored my commision to president hancock because their Conduct for my Sake Did wound my honour.
As I was in Trenton, I Seen president hancock whom I Complain, he has asked me to give an explanation in writing, I given him, as the Congress cannot be assembled I followed them till york, I join there a Copy of my Letters to Congress by Which your excellency will See my Complain and my asking, the Congress has all refused.
I beg humbly your Excellency to order to inquiry into my Conduct both in my brigade and in whole the Division Since the time I Serve With them, I never can know of Congress the Complaints they have Done against me, I hope your excellency would grant me that Satisfaction, as I cannot come back in france before to receive the Leave of the minister, I go Directly in Viliamsbourg in virginia, where I will wait the answer of your Excellency, I beseech you do not forget me.2 I am With the greatest respect Sir of your excellency the most humble and most obedient Servant
Le Che. De Preudhomme De Borre
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. GW sent Preudhomme de Borre a copy of Hancock’s second letter to him of 13 Sept. (see GW to Hancock, 13 Sept., n.2).
2. The enclosed copy of Preudhomme de Borre’s letter to Congress, which is in DLC:GW, is dated 17 Sept. 1777, but the ALS, which is in DNA:PCC, item 78, is dated 18 Sept. 1777. Preudhomme de Borre submitted his resignation to Hancock on 13 Sept., and Congress accepted it the next day (see , 8:740). Preudhomme de Borre then had second thoughts and demanded an inquiry into his conduct at the Battle of Brandywine. Congress refused his request, and upon a report of the Board of War, it resolved to pay his expenses to return to France (see Preudhomme de Borre to Hancock, 1, 4, and 5 Oct., DNA:PCC, item 78; see also ibid., 757, 760, 9:763, 773–74, 792, and Richard Henry Lee to John Page, 25 Nov. 1777, in , 8:322–24).