From George Washington to Lieutenant General Rochambeau, 13 December 1780
To Lieutenant General Rochambeau
Head Quarters New Windsor 13th Decr 1780
Sir
I have to inform your Excellency, that I have received an account from New York, that another embarkation was preparing at that place. The detachment which appears to be about 2500 Men is to be commanded by Generals Knyphausen and Phillips. The destination was not publicly known, but supposed to be to the Southward. This information does not come to me thro’ a Channel on which I perfectly depend.1 Should I receive it through one on which I have more confidence, I shall not fail to communicate my intelligence to your Excellency.2 I have the honor to be with the highest Esteem Yr Excellency’s most obt Servt
Go: Washington
LS, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, CtY-BR:R; Df, DLC:GW; Rochambeau’s French translation, CtY-BR:R; LB, in French, DLC: Rochambeau Papers, vol. 7; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. See Anthony Wayne to GW, 10 Dec., and n.2 to that document; see also GW to Thomas Jefferson 9 Dec., postscript, and n.9.
2. See GW to Rochambeau and Ternay, 15 Dec., and n.2.
Rochambeau replied to GW on 19 Dec.; see also GW to Rochambeau, 23 December.