To George Washington from Major General Charles Lee, 28 April 1778
From Major General Charles Lee
Prato Verde1 [Va.] April the 28th 1778
My Dr General
You may better imagine than I can express the happiness which your letter gave me,2 tho at the time I receiv’d it, which was the night before last, there was some little drawback on my happiness—viz. a small attack of the gout, with indications of it’s being a severe fit, but by three doses of what Lord Chatham calls the great American Panacea, I find myself so much better and the indications so much weaker that I hope to set out tomorrow or the next day at furthest—but you may be assur’d that I will not defer my departure a single moment.
I have read the Papers, and all I shall say on the Subject—is that nothing can equal the impudence of North and his Colleagues but the patience or rather stupid forbearance of the People in not tearing the Scoundrels to pieces.3 adieu, My Dr General—till I have the pleasure of seeing you—
Charles Lee
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. Prato Verde (Prato Rio) was Lee’s estate at what is now Leetown, West Virginia.
2. See GW to Lee, 22 April.
3. Lee is referring to the draft bills pledging restraint of taxation and creating a peace commission and to Lord North’s speech supporting the bills (see GW to Henry Laurens, 18 April, and note 6, and 20 April, and note 2).