To George Washington from Colonel Dubuysson, 16 January 1781
From Colonel Dubuysson
Philada Jany 16th 1781
Sir,
I just learned by a letter from France, that in consideration of a Certificate and a letter to General Lincoln which your Excellency honored me with in April last, a Copy of which I forwarded to France, I have been rewarded with a Commission of Colonel in the Service of the French West Indies,1 being intirely indebted to you for this Favor, I beg you will except my warmest Thanks, I have requested the Marquiss to Joyn me in the Same, and at the Same time to mention to you how prejudicial my present Captivity must be, to my Advancement, but being exchanged and going immediately to France with marks of Esteem given to me by the State of No. Caralina, in consideration of the great Value and Esteem that State had for my late good and worthy Friend Baron de kalb, I might have a right of Further advancement, which would utterly be lost if I should continue here any length of time.2
I beg a Thousand Apologies for thus my troubling you so Often, but as I am sensible of your Goodness of Heart to relieve the distressed induces me.3 I have the honor to be with the highest Respects Sir your most Obedient & very humble Servant
Le Che: Dubuysson
LS, DLC:GW. GW replied to Dubuysson on 1 February.
1. See GW to Benjamin Lincoln, 18 April 1780, found at GW to Lincoln, 15 April, source note. The certificate and Dubuysson’s letter from France have not been identified.
2. Dubuysson, formerly an aide-de-camp to Maj. Gen. Johann Kalb, had been captured at the Battle of Camden on 16 Aug. 1780.
3. For his previous appeals to GW on this subject and for his eventual exchange, see Dubuysson to GW, 2 Sept., and the notes to that document.