From George Washington to Captain Charles de Frey, 24 June 1779

To Captain Charles de Frey

New Windsor June 24th 1779

Sir,

I have received your letter of the 21st with the inclosed papers.1 It appears from the representation you make that you have been injured by the introduction of Capt. Celerone over you—But all I have it in my power to do at this distance is to give you a letter to General Lincoln, requesting him to have your affair regularly inquired into and arranged on military principles. This if you think proper I shall be ready to send you.2 I am Sir Yr Most Obed. ser.

Df, in Alexander Hamilton’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.

Joseph-Pierre-Charles, baron de Frey (1740–1796), a Swiss native who had served in the Polish army, became an aide-de-camp to Lafayette in February 1778 with the rank of captain, participated in the Battle of Monmouth that June, and was appointed that fall to command a company in Pulaski’s Legion. Captured at sea while returning from a furlough in France (see n.2 below), de Frey remained a prisoner until July 1781. He then rejoined Lafayette’s staff as a volunteer aide and resigned from the army after the Yorktown campaign (see GW to Congress, 2 Nov. 1781 [DNA:PCC, item 152], and JCC, description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends 21:1142–43). De Frey promptly asked GW for a recommendation to Congress for a brevet promotion to major, which GW refused since he had resigned, providing instead a certificate of service (see de Frey to GW, 11 Dec. 1781, and GW to de Frey, 12 and 17 Dec. 1781 [all DLC:GW]).

1. De Frey’s letter to GW of 21 June has not been found, and the enclosures have not been identified, but it is probable that these documents based a grievance on the promotion of Capt. Céloron de Blainville to brevet major and a special congressional appropriation of $1,000 “to equip himself for further service,” both actions being taken on 20 Feb. (JCC, description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends 13:215).

2. No additional correspondence between de Frey and GW on this apparent rank dispute has been found. De Frey subsequently requested an eight-month furlough to return to France to settle his “private affairs” (de Frey to GW, 28 Sept. 1779, DNA:PCC, item 152). GW forwarded de Frey’s appeal to Congress, where it received approval on 15 Nov. (see GW to Samuel Huntington, 29 Sept. [DNA:PCC, item 152], and JCC, description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends 15:1271).

Index Entries

You Are Looking At

Source Project: Washington Papers
Title: From George Washington to Captain Charles de Frey, 24 June 1779
Author: Washington, George
Recipient: Frey, Joseph-Pierre-Charles, baron de
Date: 24 June 1779

Reference

Cite as: “From George Washington to Captain Charles de Frey, 24 June 1779,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-21-02-0192. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 21, 1 June–31 July 1779, ed. William M. Ferraro. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2012, p. 223.]

More between these correspondents