From George Washington to Benoît-Joseph Tarlé, 26 July 1780
To Benoît-Joseph de Tarlé
Head Quarters Bergen County 26th July 1780
Sir
I have been honored by the receipt of your favr of the 15th1—I should be happy that the little assistance which I was able to give Monsieur De Corny might have contributed in any degree to the completion of the arrangements committed to his care.
Your assurances of making all your future dispositions accord as far as possible with those of the American Army, merit my acknowlegements, and will be undoubtedly attended with very salutary consequences—You may depend that I shall with pleasure do every thing in my power to assist your operations to contribute to the accommodation of the troops of his most Christian Majesty and to testify with how much consideration I have the honor to be Yr most ob. and humble Servt.
Df, in Tench Tilghman’s and Alexander Hamilton’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
Benoît-Joseph de Tarlé (1735–1797) had served as a commissaire des guerres in the French army for twenty years prior to his appointment in March 1780 as commissaire ordonnateur, or senior commissary with the duty of intendant, of the French expeditionary army. Upon his arrival in Rhode Island, Tarlé took over the duty of handling all French supply contracts, a task previously assigned to French war commissary Corny. In 1781, Louis XVI named Tarlé to the Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis. He retired from military service in 1788 but held local political offices under the French revolutionary governments.
1. On 15 July, Tarlé wrote GW from Newport: “Je m’acquitte avec Empressement de l’hommage de La Reconnoissance duë aux sécours que vous avés accordés a M. de Corny pour faciliter Les dispositions dont il étoit chargé; j’y ajoute celui de tous Les sentiments qui vous appartiennent à tant de Titres. j’aurai La plus grande attention, Mon Général, dans L’administration qui m’est confiée, de Concourrir aux Vues de Vôtre Excellence, à fin que Les Opérations Relatives au service de L’Armée Françoise soient faites de manière á ne pas gêner celles qui intéressent L’Armée Américaine” (ALS, DLC:GW).