To George Washington from Lieutenant General Rochambeau, 12 July 1780
From Lieutenant General Rochambeau
A Newport, rhode-island. 12 juillet. 1780
Monsieur.
Les ordres du roy mon maitre m’ammenent aux ordres de votre excellence, j’y arrive avec toute La Soumission tout Le zele et toute La veneration que j’ai pour votre personne et pour Les talents distingués que vous montrez a Soutenir une guerre a jamais memorable.
Depuis Le depart de Mr De La Fayette, il nous est arrivé beaucoup de contradictions.1 Le Depart de Mr De Guichen avoit degarni Le Port de Brest de vaisseaux de Transport.2 Les ordres ont été donnés des Le mois de Fevrier de Les remplacer par des convois du Havre, de St. Malo, et de Bordeaux. Les deux premiers ports ont été bloqués par une petite escadre Anglaise, celui de Bordeaux a eu Les memes vents contraires qui nous ont retenu si longtemps en rade. Le roy s’est decidé a me faire partir avec une premiere division, dans Laquelle j’emmenerois tout ce qu’il seroit possible d’embarquer a Brest. La Marine royale m’a aidé de tous ses moyens, et nous sommes parvenus a etre en rade Le 14. avril, avec 5. mille hommes, artillerie de campagne, artillerie de Siege et autres effets en proportion. Les vents contraires ne nous ont permis de sortir que Le 2. may,3 et pour Les details de notre route, permettez moi pour ne pas allonger cette Lettre de vous prier de Lire copie du compte que j’en rends aux ministres de France, cy joint. No 1.4
Nous voila, Monsieur, arrivés a vos ordres. j’y ai reçu Les differentes Lettres du 19, 23 may et 23 juin de Mr De la Fayette.5 Les circonstances du retour de Clinton et d’Arbuthnot ayant changé depuis Les premieres, je Suivray Les derniers ordres que vous m’adressez par celle du 20. juin6 et m’occupe de mon debarquement a Newport dans rhodeisland.7 Le Ch. de Ternay a desiré qu’en attendant Le moment ou nous pourrons operer, nous nous soutenions respectivement dans ce poste ci. J’y vais camper Newport derriere moi occupant toute La pointe de l’isle du coté de L’ennemi,8 Le Ch. de Ternay mouille dans Le port et va etablir un poste et des batteries dans l’isle de Connenicut.9 Dans cette position, nous y defierons toutes Les forces Anglaises. Un Long sejour en rade a Brest, une Longue traversée nous à donné bien des maladies, mais fort peu de dangereuses, et trois semaines de sejour a terre nous Les rendra sains et bien portans.10 Dans Le meme temps, je m’occupe avec Mr De Corny, qui d’apres Les ordres de votre excellence11 a fait tous Les preparatifs qu’il a pu, a faire arriver Les Chariots pour Les vivres, pour Les bagages Les chevaux pour monter quelques officiers, et s’il est possible du moins, une centaine de houzards de Lauzun,12 et j’espere que dans un mois, nous serons en etat d’operer suivant Les ordres de votre excellence.13 Dans cet intervale, j’espere que La 2de division de France sera arrivée, ou que nous aurons du moins nouvelle de son depart.14 Le roy m’a charge personnellement d’assurer votre excellence qu’il secourrira ses alliés de tout son pouvoir, que cette avant-garde cy sera soutenue de toute sa puissance, et La preuve La plus forte que je puisse vous en donner, est, que toute L’armée etoit prete a embarquer a Brest Le 1er d’avril, si Les vaisseaux de transport eussent eté en assez grand nombre, que Lors de mon depart, Mr du Chaffault etoit en rade avec beaucoup de vaisseaux et que L’on n’attendoit que L’arrivée du convoy de Bordeaux pour nommer La 2de escadre qui escortera La 2de division. il est superflu de dire a votre excellence que japporte Les fonds pour payer argent comptant tout ce qui sera necessaire a L’armée du roy, et qu’elle y vivra en aussi bonne discipline que sous Les murs de Paris. Le General Heath m’a rejoint ce matin ici. Je trouve ceci fort degarni de toutes especes de provisions, et Les habitants y etoient toujours en crainte d’y voir revenir L’ennemi. Le General heath a envoyé partout dans Le Continent faire part de notre arrivée, de La discipline que nous tiendrons et du payement en argent comptant,15 je ne doute pas que d’ici a quelques jours, il ne s’etablisse ici un marché abondant, je joins a cette Lettre copie de mes instructions, meme de mon instruction secrette ne voulant avoir aucun secret pour mon General.16 Je suis avec respect, Monsieur, de votre Excellence, Le tres humble et tres obeissant Serviteur.
Le comte de Rochambeau
Je joins ici L’ordre de Bataille de cette iere division.17
LS, DLC:GW; LB, DLC:GW: Rochambeau Papers, vol. 7; LB, DLC: Rochambeau Papers, vol. 8; copy, FrPMAE; two copies, FrPBN. GW replied to Rochambeau on 19 July.
Rochambeau announced the arrival of his army at Newport, explained the circumstances of his departure from France, related his defensive preparations, and discussed other military matters.
1. Major General Lafayette had left France on 20 March.
2. Rear Admiral Guichen had departed Brest, France, in early February with a fleet bound for the West Indies.
3. The fleet of warships and transports carrying Rochambeau’s army sailed from Brest on 16 April, but contrary winds forced a return the next day and kept the fleet in port until 2 May (see , 7–10).
4. In his letter (in French) to French minister of war Alexandre-Marie-Léonor de Saint-Mauris, prince de Montbarey, dated 23 June–12 July, Rochambeau relayed news that Charleston, S.C., had fallen to the British. He also reported several other events, including an encounter with a British squadron on 20 June; the receipt of news on 4 July, when off Chesapeake Bay, that the British in New York were alerted of their approach; the decision the same day to sail for Rhode Island instead of entering Chesapeake Bay, because British general Henry Clinton had returned to New York from South Carolina with part of his army; and an encounter with two British frigates on 5 July. At the conclusion of the letter, he advised Montbarey that many of the soldiers and sailors were ill with fevers and scurvy, reported his arrival at Newport on 12 July, and informed him that one transport carrying 350 soldiers of the Bourbonnais regiment had become separated from the fleet in the fog (DLC:GW).
5. For Lafayette’s letter to Rochambeau of 19 May, see GW to Lafayette, 16 May, n.3. Lafayette’s letter to Rochambeau of 23 May concerned “disembarkation points and supplies for the French forces in Rhode Island” (, 3:547). Lafayette’s letter to Rochambeau of 23 June has not been identified.
6. In his letter of 20 June, Lafayette advised Rochambeau that Clinton and Vice Adm. Marriot Arbuthnot had returned to New York City from South Carolina with some of their forces. After informing Rochambeau of the recent British incursion into New Jersey, Lafayette wrote: “If you arrive at Rhode Island … General Washington suggests that you have the vessels and transport ships put in at those places, as far as Providence, that seem most convenient to you for assembling your invalids, stores, etc., and that you disembark the troops there. After you have sent us news of your arrival, he proposes (unless this letter is followed by a more definitive one) that you wait for the information that we shall be in a position to obtain for you” (, 3:58–60; see also GW to David Forman, 10 July, n.1).
7. French army captain Ludwig von Closen, an aide-de-camp to Rochambeau, wrote in his diary entry for 15 July: “Although the disembarkation of the army was carried out as fast as possible, the troops were, however, completely disembarked only on the 15th. The entire train of artillery took such a long time, because of the very crowded condition of the ships and the lack of small boats, that we had to obtain some of the latter from ship owners on the island” (, 32).
8. Closen gave a detailed description of the camp, forts, and batteries Rochambeau set up in the Newport area, including a large battery and fort on Goat Island; a twelve-gun battery on Brenton Point; a fort on Rose Island; an eight-gun battery on Coasters Harbor Island; several small forts with cannon and a four-gun “barbette battery” on Brenton Neck, where Brigadier General Lauzun’s legion and some infantry camped; and a battery on Conanicut Island, where one battalion of the Soissonais regiment camped. The army’s main “entrenched camp,” to the east of Newport, “formed a cresent whose extremities were only 2 miles distant … Several old English works, which required only a few repairs, were put back into condition, besides. All the defenses of the new forts were placed on the summits of the terrain; the whole formed a double inclosure of works” (, 31–33; see also , 128–29).
9. The southernmost part of Conanicut Island in Narragansett Bay is about two miles west of Newport.
10. For another report on the health of the French forces, see Rochambeau to GW, 22 July.
11. See GW to Corny, 10 June.
12. The hussars of Lauzun’s legion had arrived at Newport dismounted. GW had expressed an opinion that at least fifty to sixty should be soon mounted and that he hoped a full squadron (company) could be mounted until sufficient funds became available to mount all the hussars (see GW to Corny, 10 June, and n.6 to that document; see also Lafayette to La Luzerne, 3 June, in , 3:47–50).
13. By 5 Aug., Rochambeau considered his army ready to receive a British attack (see his letter to GW of that date).
14. A shortage of transport ships had forced Rochambeau to sail without the second division of his army; it was to have included two additional regiments, with two battalions each, and was to sail when transports became available.
15. See William Heath to GW, this date, and n.2 to that document.
16. Montbarey’s orders to Rochambeau of 1 March (in French) specified that Rochambeau would act under the orders of GW, but that the two generals would consult on campaign plans. The French troops, as auxiliaries, must give first place to the American troops when the two operate together. The French officers were to retain jurisdiction over all individuals in their army. The French king expected that GW, working with the French war commissary, would give orders to supply fresh provisions to the French, as well as horses. Rochambeau was directed to keep his soldiers in strict discipline and work to maintain harmony with the American troops and inhabitants. In cases where any or all of the French troops acted with a detached American corps not under GW’s personal command, the American and French commanders would act in concert, but one would not command the other (DLC:GW).
Montbarey’s secret orders to Rochambeau of 2 March (in French) directed that, except in the case of brief detachments, Rochambeau should keep the French army together to act as one corps and advise GW of this requirement. The French army should protect itself and perform all necessary duties in its camps, cantonments, and quarters to ensure its own safety. The king authorized Rochambeau, before his departure from France, to divide his force into two divisions if shipping was lacking for the whole and proceed to America with the first division, leaving orders for the second division to join him as soon as possible (DLC:GW).
17. The enclosed undated document (in French) is filed with this letter in DLC:GW. A translation of the document, in the writing of GW’s aide-de-camp Alexander Hamilton, reads: “Order of Battle of the 1st division of the Army under the orders of the Count De Rochambeau Lt General of the armies of the King.” Rochambeau is listed as “Commander in Chief—Lt General.” The Count de Vioménil and the Viscount de Vioménil are listed as major generals. The “Van Guard,” commanded by Lauzun, consisted of his legion of “Foreign volunteers” with 300 hussars and 300 infantry. The “Brigade of the left,” commanded by the Marquis de Custine, consisted of two battalions of the Soissonais regiment in the first line and two battalions of the Saintonge regiment in the second line. The “Brigade of the right,” commanded by the Marquis de Laval, was made up of two battalions of the Bourbonnais regiment in the first line and two battalions of the Royal Deux-Ponts regiment in the second line. Also listed was a detachment of royal artillery (the second battalion of the Auxonne regiment) under colonel-commandant François-Marie d’Aboville and a “corps of Engineers,” commanded by Brigadier General Desandroins. A “Recapitulation” gives the strength of Lauzun’s legion as 600 men, the infantry as 4,000 troops, and the artillery as 500, for a total strength of 5,100 soldiers. The “Staff of the army” is given as Brigadier General Béville, quartermaster general; and three officers, the Count de Rochambeau, de Collot, and the Chevalier de Béville, as assistants to the quartermaster general. The “Staff of the Infantry” is listed as the Chevalier de Chastellux, adjutant general; and Lieutenant Colonel Ménonville, Tarlé, and the Chevalier de Bouchet, as assistant adjutants general. GW wrote “French order of Battle” on the margin of the document (DLC:GW).