1To Benjamin Franklin from the Comte de Rochambeau, 26 July 1783 (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society Le Cte. de Rochambeau prie Monsieur Le Docteur francklin de vouloir bien faire passer la lettre ci-jointe à Mr. le chr. de La Luzerne par la premiere occasion The only extant letter to BF from the victor at Yorktown.
2To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 13 July 1783 (Washington Papers)
La lettre Mon cher Général du 10 mai dont Vous m’avez honoré m’a fait le plus grand plaisir. Je Vous Vois à la fin de Vos travaux et avec le desir de Venir en france; tachez, Mon cher Général d’effectuer ce projet, que rien ne s’oppose à cette idée, et Venez recevoir dans un pays qui Vous honore et Vous a toujours admiré les applaudissemens que l’on doit à un grand homme. Vous pouvez compter...
3To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 24 April 1783 (Washington Papers)
j’ay deja eu lhonneur mon cher general, de vous ecrire pour bien des occasions, et nous n’avons aucune nouvelle de l’amerique depuis monne arrivée dans ce pais cy, je profite de l’occasion de Me. izova pour vous faire passer cette lettre cy. la fameuse coalition de fox et de north ragit l’angleterre. Schelburne et le pati de bedfort forment a present l’opposition; on dit que nous allons avoir...
4To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 11 January 1783 (Washington Papers)
I have received your Excellency’s Letter mentioning your having sent to Philadelphia the two pieces of Canon that I might see the inscriptions and Devices previous to my Departure. Tho’ I was gone before they arrived there, Give me Leave to observe, Sir, that your usual attention and politeness has shewn itself to the Last moment, of which this is a fresh proof. I write to the Chevalier De La...
5To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 30 November 1782 (Washington Papers)
I send here inclosed to your Excellency some Letters which came to me by the Chevalier de La Luzerne, some of which are for you and family and I don’t know how they came to be sent to me. I send to your Excellency Likewise an Extract of a Letter I have received from Mr De Vaudreuil, which gives very bad intelligence as to Gibraltar. The first division of the french corps set off to morrow ....
6To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 22 November 1782 (Washington Papers)
I beg of your Excellency to forward with speed to the Chevalier de La Luzerne, the inclosed packett containing Mr De Vaudreuils Letters and Mine. All our Artillery and heavy baggages are imbarked, the troops are here pretty well barracked, in expectation of the moment that Mr De Vaudreuil shall demand them, and then I’ll give up the command of them to the Barron de Viomenil to conduct them to...
7To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 15 November 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have received your Excellency’s Letter of the 12th instant. It seems very clear to me by the report which I have sent you from Newport and by the intelligence which you have given me from the Newyork papers of the 5th that the evacuation of Charlestown has been made on the 1st instant, and I expect that your Excellencys next Letter will bring me a confirmation of it. The Letter which Sir Guy...
8To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 9 November 1782 (Washington Papers)
The troops are arriving here with a pretty fair weather, but, between us, I believe our navy will not be ready before the end of this month, I beg of your Excellency to forward this Letter with speed to the Chevalier de La Luzerne and to send me word of every thing which may come to your knowledge, relative to the evacuation of Charlestown. a seafaring man has said here that at the beginning...
9To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 5 November 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor to send to your Excellency a Letter for Sir Guy Carleton, which I beg you would forward to him by the first opportunity. I beg you will send with all possible speed to the chevalier de La Luzerne, the inclosed packett for business requiring great diligence. I have received your Excellency’s Letter of the 3d inst. and I am going to send to Mr De Vaudreuil that which you write...
10To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 30 October 1782 (Washington Papers)
At the moment of my departure for Boston this morning, I received a Letter from Mr De Vaudreuil, saying that he is sorry to have appointed the 8th of next month for my arrival with my troops at Boston, because the men of war at Portsmouth are not yet ready and he does not believe that he will be in readiness to set sail before the 20th November. In consequence of which, I have resolved to stay...
11To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 27 October 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have received your Excellency’s Letter; in which was inclosed a Letter for the Marquis de Vaudreuil, which I have sent on directly. I beg you would spend speedily to Sir Guy Carleton the Letter herein inclosed It is to demand the servants of the Marquis de Laval and the Prince de Broglio who have been forgot, more thro’ the fault of the secretary of Baron de Viomenil who had forgot to put...
12To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 16 September 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor to send to your Excellency, my Letter for the Mis de Vaudreuil. My sentiments I am happy to find perfectly coincide with yours, on the objects mentioned in the Letter. I beg of your Excellency to write to Gor hancock that he may give the proper directions for the Speedily assembling of the militia, in case of a signal from the Mis de Vaudreuil, that he sees the British fleet...
13To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 7 September 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor to send to your Excellency a Letter which the chevalier de la Luzerne begs you would send by the Dragoons established on the road to Boston for carrying on the correspondance. It contains a generous offer made by congress to the King of a 74. gun ship. The News which I have here of the British fleet, are that Admiral Pigot is got into Newyork with very few ships, himself in a...
14To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 23 August 1782 (Washington Papers)
After a mature consideration, I have resolved to follow the same route with the army which We took Last year Thro’ Trenton Princeton &ca—We shall there have the convenience of our ovens and Establishments on that road with which The Troops are already acquainted. The Legion de Lauzun shall march on our right, the same way that the american Troops followed Last year and I hope by that means,...
15To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 18 August 1782 (Washington Papers)
The artillery and the Troops from york begin to arrive, and Mr De La Villebeune with the big ships wait only for the tide to cross over the bar. he has convoyed one half of the american Artillery and has left a small brigg mounting 16. guns to escort the rest, whilst the frigate the Emerald is watching over the capes untill their departure. Mr DeLauberdiere is arrived to day with your...
16To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 13 August 1782 (Washington Papers)
According to the news which I have from York town the convoy of our heavy artillery must have sailed on the 10th or 11th and I expect it here with the first favorable wind. I had designed to set the army in motion, by regiments, on the 19th of this month to go and Join your Excellency, when I received from the Chevalier de La Luzerne a copy of the Letter that you have received from Sir Guy...
17To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 30 July 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor to send to your Excellency a Copy of the Letter which I have received from Mr De Vaudreuil and of my answer. I beg you would give to Mr De Choisy a Letter for that General officer with an explanation of your opinion about Penobscott. If your Excellency thinks fit to undertake that expedition, not withstanding the risks of meeting a superior fleet which naturally must not be...
18Washington’s Conference with Rochambeau, 19 July 1782 (Washington Papers)
Having no certain data, upon which a plan of Campaign can be determined, I could only give opinions upon certain hypothesis—These his Excellency Count de Rochambeau has had an oppertunity of examing, fully. It is needless for me therefore to repeat them in this place. New York in my judgment, has ever been the primary object of our arms—Charles Town, for certain political considerations which...
19To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 17 July 1782 (Washington Papers)
I had the honor to write to your Excellency, that at my Departure from York in Virginia, I would Leave in that place a Detachment of 400 french Troops, which were to be joined by a corps of the Virginian Militia, to assure the possession of that harbour to the french navy now there, and that may arrive in future. At the moment of my Leaving that place, the American militia were just beginning...
20To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 4 July 1782 (Washington Papers)
I received this moment your Excellency’s Letter of the 24th Last month. You will have seen by my letters to the Chevalier De La Luzerne that, As we are come to the 1st of July without any plan of campaign being arrived or any of the officers whom I had sent to France being returned, and the season being very much advanced, it has been necessary to resolve upon some thing or another, from a...
21To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 8 June 1782 (Washington Papers)
In the Moment I was writing to your Excellency, I received a Confirmation of the Success of the Engagement on the 12th of April which by all the Reports from the Cape, Port au prince & all the Intelligences for N. York & Jamaica seem very bad for us. I was proposing to you that as there was not yet any plan for the Campaign decided at our Court and as I waited with the greatest Impatience for...
22To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 13 May 1782 (Washington Papers)
The intelligences from Newyork which your Excellency has been so good as to send me are of the greatest importance, If to that, we add the surrender of Minorca and an invasion on Jamaica, if it takes place, we may look on all these events as forerunners of our last campaign: But as we must ever be ready for action untill the Last moment, I am in readiness to march as soon as I shall receive...
23To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 29 April 1782 (Washington Papers)
There is no more talk of the Evacuation of Charlestown and the thirty transports are returned empty to New York: It is assured that at first the order was given for it, and then Countermanded. I fancy that your Excellency having received these news before me has given no orders for the demolition of the works on Rhode Island but I Look upon it as a most essential point to keep a good little...
24To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 6 April 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor to send to your Excellency the Letter which I have received from General Greene and a copy of the answer which I have made according to your Excellency’s intentions, of the 19th of march. I wait with the greatest impatience for news from France and the Duke de Lauzun, who was said to be at Brest when the Last vessel which is arrived at Philadelphy set sail from L’orient. I...
25To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 10 March 1782 (Washington Papers)
The Chevalier DuBouchet is returned from New york with 48 men of the West indies Brigade taken on the Bonnetta. they are in a most miserable Situation both as to cloathing and to their health, Six are dead of the Scurvy, six more were too ill to be transported, that compleats the number of 60, who were taken. as We had sent 104. invalids from Glocester, the English commissary of prisoners has...
26To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 27 February 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have received your Excellency’s Letter of the 9th instant, brought by Colonel Robert Dillon. The Legion de Lauzun by this time must be arrived at Charlotte court house, it will be needfull that it stay there some time, because the men are almost quite naked, and I shall forward them their cloathing which I expect from Boston, as well as that of all the army, as soon as possibly can be done...
27To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 10 February 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor to send to your Excellency an account of the unhappy shipwreck of the Diligente, one of our frigates, off cape Henry. The hermione is sailed without any mishap with the Baron de Viomenil and all our Dispatches. We send to morrow a flag to Newyork to demand all the prisoners of the Bonnetta, of the Land and of the Navy, and the remainder of the crew of the Cutter L’alerte. I...
28To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 5 February 1782 (Washington Papers)
The Legion de Lauzun had begun to march, when a very cold weather came on, and the ground was covered with snow six inches deep. As by the intelligences, I had from your Excellency and those I got from the flag it appears that the reinforcement from New york for Charlestown does not exceed 1300 men, I have not judged this rapid movement of the Legion quite necessary, when in these melted...
29To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 30 January 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor to send to your Excellency the request which Captain Richardson has presented to me, concerning the British Sick now at Glocester. What he advances is the exact truth, as, since three weeks, they being in need of every thing, I have ordered our Commissaries to furnish them with provisions. The Governor and Council of Virginia have made the same answer, as when applied to, for...
30To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, 22 January 1782 (Washington Papers)
I send to your Excellency copies of a Letter I received from General Greene and of my answer. I have nothing to add to the reflections that they contain: Your Excellency knows that the french corps must not be divided, and I believe that the interest of the thirteen United States is to look on that corps as a reserve to be carried entire either to the right or the Left in the important...