To George Washington from Brigadier General Duportail, 5 March 1781
From Brigadier General Duportail
philad. 5 March 1781
dear general
i Received this afternoon your two letters one of the 21 of february the second of the first of march. i have not time enough to enquire how it happened so; but i am exceedingly sorry of that accident. i will do all my endeavours for Reparing it as much as it is possible. i will set off two morrow morning and i will go as fast as my horses will be able to do. i will go by new windsor and fiskill although i believe it is not the shortest Road. but i have not time enough to enquire and i must now agree with Colonel pickering about the Road i will take on account of the horses.
i am exceedingly afraid not to join your excellency at a time, but i take the liberty to beg you (if you leave Rhodisland before i arrived there, and you have other orders to give me) to send them by the different Roads i may take. this is pri[n]cipally necessary if you do not Come by the same Road you went. i have the honour to be with great Respect Your exelleny the most humbl. and obed. servant
Duportail
i d’ont thinck i shall arrive at newport before the 14th.1
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. Duportail arrived in Newport on that date, too late to join GW, who had left on 13 March (see , 192, and GW to William Greene, 12 March, postscript, NNGL). Duportail then stayed in Newport to consult with Lieutenant General Rochambeau (see Rochambeau to GW, 31 March, DLC:GW).