To Benjamin Franklin from Alexandre-César de Genevey de Pusignan, 4 October 1784
From Alexandre-César de Genevey de Pusignan8
ALS: American Philosophical Society
a Roanne en forét Ce 4e. 8bre 1784
Monsieur
Si un officiér blessé au siege d’york, Comme vous le verrê par La lettre Cy joint,9 peut avoir des pretentions a la dêcoration de La chevallerie Crêe par les provinces unies dâmêrique; jôse les faire valoir; quoyque pour Lors je ne fus que Le second de La batterie, rêprêsentant par la le même rang que Ceux de Lînfanterie; je Crois monsieur que Ce ne pourroit etre une exclusion, dâutant quâppres Ce siege jâi Commendê La Compagnie et La division dârtillerie légere attachêe a La Brigade de soissonnois pendant Le reste du tems quâ séjournê Lârmêe de Rochambeau En amerique. Il est possible, monsieur, que je ne suive pas les formalitées usités pour obtenir la dîtte dêcoration quoyque je Crois ne pouvoir mieux mâddresser quâ un dêputé des Etats unis; je vous prie au surplus de suppléer a Ce manque et me procurer les moyens dôbtenir La faveur que je dêsire. Je suis avec un tres profond Rêspect Monsieur Vostre tres humble et tres obêissant serviteur
De Pusignan
Cpte. au Rgt. dâuxonne du Corps Royal de Lârtillerie.
Endorsed: answd—1
Notation: De Pusignan, Roanne 4 Oct. 1784—
8. Pusignan (b. 1741) served as a lieutenant in Rochambeau’s army and was made a chevalier de St.-Louis in 1781 and a captain in 1783: Bodinier, Dictionnaire, under Genevey. To obtain the distinction he seeks here, membership in the Society of the Cincinnati, he would have needed to be a general or a colonel: XLI, 314.
9. Missing, but undoubtedly the same letter Pusignan sent to GW with his appeal of Oct. 16, described below. Written by the marquis de Ségur in December, 1781, the letter informed Pusignan that the king had awarded him the order of St.-Louis and 500 l.t. in recognition of his service and bravery, especially as demonstrated by the wounds he sustained at Yorktown. Pusignan asked GW to return the letter to him: W. W. Abbot et al, eds., The Papers of George Washington, Confederation Series (6 vols., Charlottesville and London, 1992–97), II, 101n.
1. BF’s response has not been found, but the substance—that he had no authority to bestow membership in the Cincinnati, and that Pusignan should apply directly to GW, the society’s president—can be gleaned from the appeal that Pusignan sent to GW on Oct. 16. In his reply, GW referred Pusignan to Rochambeau, who would evaluate his application, if it was “not precluded by the determination of your Sovereign.” This was a reference to an order given by Louis XVI in late August, 1784, that no additional French subjects should be admitted to the Cincinnati: Abbot et al., eds., Papers of George Washington, Confederation Series, II, 70–1, 100–1; III, 273; Minor Myers, Jr., Liberty without Anarchy: a History of the Society of the Cincinnati (Charlottesville, 1983), pp. 153–4, 158, 160–1.