From George Washington to Vice Admiral d’Estaing, 18 October 1778
To Vice Admiral d’Estaing
Head Quarters Fredericksburgh October 18th 1778
Sir,
I had the honor of receiving this day Your Excellency’s favours of the 6th and 9th instant.
I have this moment received advices, which are too interesting to permit me to lose any time in communicating them. They are contained in the inclosed extracts1—I shall not detain the express longer, than to assure you of the infinite respect and attachment with which, I have the honor to be Sir Your Excellency’s Most Obedient servant
Go: Washington
LS, in Alexander Hamilton’s writing, FrPNA, Fonds de la Marine, ser. 4, vol. 146, f. 293; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. GW apparently sent this letter with his letter to William Heath of this date (see Heath to GW, 23 Oct.).
1. The enclosures included extracts containing intelligence about British ship movements taken from Stirling’s letter to GW of 16 Oct. and John Vanderhovan’s letter to William Maxwell of 12–13 Oct., which had been enclosed in Stirling’s letter. GW received Stirling’s letter of 16 Oct. between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on this date (see GW to Stirling, 19 Oct.). The two extracts are in FrPNA, Fonds de la Marine, ser. 4, vol. 146, ff. 346, 355.