To George Washington from Major General Steuben, 14 February 1780

From Major General Steuben

Philadelphia Feb. 14th 1780

Dear General

The Day before I had the honor of receiving Your Excellency’s Letter of the 8th instant, I had sent you a Copy of the Resolutions of Congress, wherein was the number of Men which each state is to furnish for next Campaign1 If, as I hope, the Officers are not included, & if the Number of Men to be Employed out of the Line of Battalions, does not Exceed the proportion, our Army will be considerably stronger than it was at the beginning of last Campaign.

It would be very difficult for me, my dear General to judge with any Certainty of our money resources, & consequently the Question whether We are to act offensively or defensively, must remain yet some time undecided. However, in Either Case, we must have an Army & that army more or less strong must be armed & provided for. My representation to Congress has been limited to these two Objects. The season being so far advanced, I was frightened to see that before my Arrival the states had not yet been called upon for their Quotas of Men, and it was not without great importunities Congress was brought to pass the Resolves which I have sent to Your Excellency.

I cannot yet answer that the states will all send their full Numbers. But at least I believe they will begin recruiting immediately.

But supposing We shall have all the Men, is it not to be feared We shall want the Arms. We cannot much rely on a supply from France. The disaster which has retarded the Voyage of Mr Gerard, leaves us almost no hopes to receive any thing before June or July next.2

The Board of War have told me that there is only about 50003 stands of Arms in the Military stores on which We may rely I will however make the most Exact researches upon this Object, wherefore I expect with great impatience the returns of the Arms of the Army & those of Genl Knox.4

With regard to the Provisions & necessaries, I hear there is a Commission appointed to regulate that branch.5

I have received the same Day your favour of the 7th Mr de la Luzerne has not yet fixed the Day of his Departure, but it will be, I believe towards the End of this month. I shall give you notice some days before hand.

He wished much to be better acquainted with the means on which Congress may rely with some appearance of Certainty for next Campaign before he should speak on that point to Your Excellency.

I shall make use of your Letter to procure Major Lee a convenient Escort.6 I am with the greatest respect sir Your most obedient & very humble servant

steuben

LS, DLC:GW; LB, NHi: Steuben Papers.

1. See Steuben to GW, 12 February.

2. Conrad-Alexandre Gérard, the former minister plenipotentiary of France, sailed on 18 Oct. 1779 from the port of Chester, Pa., on board the Continental frigate Confederacy. The ship also carried John Jay, whom Congress had appointed minister to Spain to negotiate a treaty of alliance, amity, and commerce (see 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 15:1113). The Confederacy, dismasted in a gale, diverted to Martinique in the West Indies. Gérard and Jay continued to Spain in a French frigate, finally arriving at Cadiz on 22 January. At this time, Gérard was in Madrid. He did not reach Versailles until 15 March. The Board of War had asked Gérard to help in expediting the shipment of 10,000 muskets, 100 tons of powder, and 100 tons of lead from France (see the Board of War to GW, 23 Sept. 1779).

Congress had already requested a large order of military supplies from France, and Major General Lafayette, at this time in France, was already working to hasten the shipment of 15,000 muskets, in addition to powder and accoutrements (see Smith, Letters of Delegates, description begins Paul H. Smith et al., eds. Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774–1789. 26 vols. Washington, D.C., 1976–2000. description ends 13:187–88, and Lafayette Papers, description begins Stanley J. Idzerda et al., eds. Lafayette in the Age of the American Revolution: Selected Letters and Papers, 1776–1790. 5 vols. Ithaca, N.Y., 1977-83. description ends 2:341–44, 359–60; see also Franklin Papers, description begins William B. Willcox et al., eds. The Papers of Benjamin Franklin. 42 vols. to date. New Haven, 1959–. description ends 31:267–68).

3. The letterbook copy has “500.”

4. See List of Returns Requested by the Board of War, c.29 Jan., enclosed in Steuben to GW, 26–30 January.

5. Steuben probably is referring to the commissioners appointed by Congress on 20 Jan. to investigate the expenses of the staff departments and retrench those expenses (see Samuel Huntington to GW, 25 Jan.).

6. Steuben is referring to a letter, which has not been found, that GW enclosed in his letter to Steuben of 7 February.

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Source Project: Washington Papers
Title: To George Washington from Major General Steuben, 14 February 1780
Author: Steuben, Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin, baron von
Recipient: Washington, George
Date: 14 February 1780

Reference

Cite as: “To George Washington from Major General Steuben, 14 February 1780,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-24-02-0371. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 24, 1 January–9 March 1780, ed. Benjamin L. Huggins. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2016, pp. 469–470.]

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