To George Washington from Fock, 24 February 1784
From Fock
Paris the 24 fevr. 1784
My Dear General
The many favors, and particular marks, of His Excellencis Kindness, and oblidging conduct, towards me, during the whole time, I spent in America, Gives me reason, to hope You will honor me with the order of Cincinnatus, of wich Your Excellency is the President. As I was not a Colonel during the war, I cannot get the order, wich is Conferred only on Generals or Colonels in General Rochambeaus Army, without Your Excellencis interposition.
Count defersen, and I were the only two of our Nation, wich hat the Happiness, to be under His Excellencis command, therefore I hopes my request will be Most graciously granted, by His Excellency, and will be to me the Highest Satisfaction, in my Native Country, and an eternal remembrance, of His Excellency, for Whom I have the greatest regard and attachment.1 All my wishes are, to be once my own master, to pay my respects to His Excellency in America, in the mean time, I pray Him, to give My most respectfull Compliments, to Your Lady Mrs Washington, and be sure that I am for Ever, with the Highest esteme and devotion Your Excellencis Most Obedient and Humble Sarvant
Baron de Fock
My direction are à Paris à L’hotel de Monsieur L’Ambassadeur de Svede, à la Cour de france, Que. de ⟨B⟩aque 2
ALS, DLC:GW.
Jean-Henric, Baron de Fock (1753–1817), was a Swedish nobleman. Fock was a captain attached to the Schomberg Dragoons in 1779, and he served as an aide-de-camp to Lauzun in America.
1. Hans Axel von Fersen (1755–1810), a Swede of noble family and a captain in the Swedish army at the time of the American Revolution, was an aide to Rochambeau in America. Fersen rose in Sweden to become grand marshal in 1801. He was killed in 1810 after being accused of poisoning the prince royal Christian-Auguste.
2. GW sent from Mount Vernon by Lafayette a letter of acknowledgment to Fock dated 25 Nov. 1784. The operative sentence in GW’s letter is: “At the General Meeting held at Philadelphia in May, general principles respecting the right to that order were established—and the members of it in the Armies & Navy of His Most Christian Majesty were requested to hold meetings in France—to examine rights—and decide upon the equity of claims” (ALS, DSoC).