To George Washington from Captain La Touche-Tréville, 10 June 1780
From Captain La Touche-Tréville
a Bord de lhermione en Rade de newport-Rhodeisland
le 10 juin 1780
Monsieur
je ne puis exprimer a votre éxcéllence combien jai été Sensible a la lettre tres honnête dont elle a bien voulu accompagner le paquet de Monsieur le marquis de la faÿette qu’elle a eu la bonté de me faire passer.1 lopinion que votre excellence a daigné prendre de moi mest trop flatteuse pour que je ne cherche pas toutes les occasions de men rendre digne. jaurais Souhaitté que des coups plus heureux dans le combat que je viens de Soutenir et dontje pense que Monsieur le marquis de la faÿette aura communiqué le detail a votre èxcéllence, meussent mis a meme dobtenir un Succes complet.2 jai au moins la Satisfaction davoir vu mon ennemi Se refuser a un Segond engagement, et lindifference avec la quelle il ma laissè poursuivre jusques Sous la terre, une de Ses decouvertes, massurre que cette fregate a eté plus maltraitée que la mienne dans le corps du vaisseau comme je letais plus qu’elle dans mes manreuvres hautes. tout me porte a croire quelle etait Sortie de new-york dans lintention de me combattre, je pense quelle setait munie a cet effet dun renfort de troupes. je lai jugé ainsi par Sa nombreuse mousqueterie. ce Supplément de forces naura Servi qua lui faire perdre plus de monde, mais je connais trop bien la jactance anglaise pour ne pas etre assûrré d’avance quelle dissimulera Sa perte: c’est un art que nous ignorons en france.3 ma repplique est toute prête et je prends la liberté de la Soumettre au jugement de votre èxcéllence.
Si vous avez perdu moins de monde que moi, et que vous aÿès été moins maltraite ècrirai je au capitaine de cette frégate, quelle raison aves vous eu de ne pas continuer le combat voÿant letat de dègraÿement oujetais, limpossibilité physique ou je me trouvais de manoeuvrer et de Suivre une autre route que celle du vent arriere, tandis que votre Situation vous a permis de proffiter de lavantage du vent pour vous èloigner. vous manques donc ou de Sincerité, en naccusant pas au vrai la perte que vous avez eprouve ou denergie Si aÿant perdu peu de monde vous navez pas continué le combat avec les avantages que les hasards des coups vous avait donné Sur moi.4
javais le projet en me rendant dans la delaware daller au quartier general de votre èxcellence pour lassurer de tout le Sentiment que Ses hautes vertus mont inspiré depuis longtems pour elle.5 je fais de voeux pour que les circonstances me Servent asses bien pour me mettre a portee de vous assurer du profond respect avec le quel je Suis de votre excellence le tres humble et tres obeïssant Serviteur
Latouche
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. For GW’s transmission of this packet, see GW to La Touche-Tréville, 19 May.
2. The Norwich Packet and the Weekly Advertiser (Conn.) for 15 June reported under a dateline of 10 June at Newport, R.I.: “Last Thursday night [8 June] arrived here, his Most Christian’s Majesty’s frigate, the Hermione, commanded by Capt. La Touche. Last Wednesday she fell in with a British ship mounting 40 guns, an armed snow, brig and schooner; he engaged the ship near two hours, when the enemy haul’d her wind and made off with all the sail he could croud, and the Hermione’s braces being so much damaged that she could not be trimm’d so as to come up with the ship, she chased the schooner into 4 fathom water on the back of Long-Island, all the time in sight of the ship, when she was obliged to give over the pursuit for fear of geting ashore. The Hermione had 12 men killed and about 30 wounded, and it is supposed the enemy suffered considerably more in killed and wounded as the Hermione’s fire was directed principally at the hull, and the others more at the rigging.”
3. La Touche-Tréville believes that he damaged the enemy frigate, Iris, more in the hull. The enemy had marred his ship’s rigging, masts, and sails. The amount of musket fire from the Iris suggested that that ship sailed from New York Harbor with an extra complement of marines specifically to intercept the Hermione.
4. Upset that the commander of the Iris did not continue the battle despite advantages in maneuverability, La Touche-Tréville demanded an explanation. After an article appeared in a New-York newspaper in which the captain of the Iris claimed to have taken only sixteen casualties and asserted that the Frenchman fled, La Touche-Tréville published his own article. An item from the French captain appeared in the Continental Journal, and Weekly Advertiser (Boston) for 6 July: “I intended to attack you, Sir, from the first moment I discovered you, and bore down on you for that purpose: you appeared to me to possess the same sentiments, as you met me half way. Your conduct, both before and during the action, was that of a man worthy of the command with which you are intrusted; but you impose on the world if you assert that I fled from you; and you have very little knowledge of me, if you imagine that I shall ever be branded with the shame of flying from an enemy of equal force—Your shot having damaged my rigging as much as I am convinced the hull of your ship suffered from my fire, it was out of my power to gain the windward to renew the action; you could bear down on me for that purpose, whenever you pleased, as your sails and rigging were in a situation vastly superior to mine. When I perceived you haul’d your wind, I attributed your retreat to the number of men you had lost; of which I am persuaded by the slackness of your fire towards the end of the action. … I shall finish this letter with an observation that must occur to every military man—If you lost fewer men than I did, and your ship was less damaged, what reason had you not to continue the action?”
5. La Touche-Tréville had planned to sail up the Delaware River and pay his respects at GW’s headquarters near Morristown.