Alexander Hamilton Papers

From Alexander Hamilton to Brigadier General William Woodford, [2 July 1779]

To Brigadier General William Woodford

[New Windsor, New York, July 2, 1779]

Dear Sir,

I have the pleasure to inclose you a letter of introduction for Capt Woodford1 to the Don2 which I beg you to present him with my compliments. We have just received an account from Boston of the arrival of a Vessel there which parted near the Western Islands with a fleet from France of seven sail of the line and five frigates destined to reinforce Count D’Estaing.3 This is an agreeable and important piece of intelligence.

I have the honor to be   Yr. most Obed ser

Alex Hamilton

Transcript, Add. 37772, f 9–10, British Museum.

1Hamilton was at this point apparently confused. He may have intended to write some name other than Woodford or he may have inadvertently written “Capt” rather than “General.”

2This is a reference to Juan de Miralles, a Havana merchant, who in 1778 became an agent to the United States for the Spanish Government.

3On July 1, 1779, Washington wrote to Major General John Sullivan: “I yesterday received a Letter from Mr. [Thomas] Chase, [assistant quartermaster general] at Boston in which is the following paragraph, ‘A Vessel has this moment arrived from France, which parted with Ten sail French Men of War off the Western Islands, bound to reinforce Count D’Estaing; likewise a Brigg, which ran away from the Cork fleet bound to New York, has arrived here’” (George Washington Papers, Library of Congress).

Index Entries