George Washington to William Greene, 12 March 1781
To William Greene
Newport 12th Mar. 1781
Sir,
I have been honored with your Excellency’s polite favr of the 8th1—It would have given me singular pleasure had circumstances admitted of my making a visit to Providence upon my return to the Army, but the very interesting intelligence which we may now daily expect from the Southward2 make it necessary for me to return by the route on which the chain of Expresses are stationed; lest I should miss the dispatches which they may bring.
His Excellency the Count De Rochambeau informs me that there are some heavy Cannon at Providence which do not appear to be of any great use there, but would be of particular Service to him, in the defence of this Post, he being obliged to strip a Frigate of her Guns and to mount some of his heavy field Artillery for want of the number required for the Works3—When it is considered that this place effectually covers Providence, I flatter myself your Excellency will find no difficulty with the Legislature in granting the Counts request, should you not have the power yourself to lend the Guns in question.4
The detachment which I a little time ago made from the Troops in the vicinity of West-poin⟨t⟩,5 obliged me to call upon the neighbouring States to send in the recruits which were raised. I directed my order to Lt Colo. Olney for those of Rhode Island, and I have not the least doubt of that Gentlemns punctuality in the execution of it, so far as respects the men who have been delivered to him;6 but I must entreat your Excellency’s exertions to procure the deficiency of your quota, if any yet remains, that they may arrive at the Army time enough to receive the necessary discipline before they are carried into Service.7 I have the honor to be With great respt & Estm Yr Excellys most Obt Ser.
Go: Washington
P.S. Since writing the foregoing letter, I have, for particular reasons determined to return by the way of Providence; and shall set out in the morning for that place.8
G. W——n
ALS, NNGL; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. GW wrote the postscript on the draft, which otherwise is in the writing of his aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman.
1. Greene’s letter to GW on 8 March has not been found.
2. GW refers to a potential French and British naval battle (see GW to Samuel Huntington, 11 March, and n.4 to that document).
3. For the fortifications protecting Newport Harbor, see Rochambeau to GW, 25 Sept. 1780, and n.2 to that document; see also William Heath to GW, same date.
4. A resolution soon passed the Rhode Island legislature that directed Maj. William Perkins “to deliver unto the order of Count Rochambeau fifteen cannon belonging to the state, of twenty-four and eighteen pounds, if so many are to be found, for the use of the French army, in the fortifications in this state” (, 9:344).
5. GW had sent this detachment to Virginia (see his second letter to Lafayette, 20 Feb., source note).
6. See GW to Jeremiah Olney, 21 Feb., and Olney to GW, 4 March; see also GW to Heath, 22 February.
7. Greene had reported recruits for about a third of Rhode Island’s required infantry regiment (see his letter to GW, 22 Jan.; see also General Orders, 1 Nov. 1780, and Greene to GW, 8 Dec.).
8. GW left Newport for Providence on 13 March. The Newport Mercury for Saturday, 17 March, printed an item: “Last Tuesday morning his Excellency General Washington, and Major General Howe, who accompanied his Excellency to this place, with their respective Suites, s[e]t out on their return to head-quarters, through Bristol, Warren, &c. on which occasion the French army in this place was paraded under arms in Broad-street and for some distance beyond the town, with the General Officers in the centre, and his Excellency in passing the front of the line received all possible honours. As he passed by Tommany hill, he was saluted by the French artillery with thirteen cannon. His Excellency was attended as far as Bristol-ferry by a number of gentlemen of the town.” Miantonomi Hill was a fortified elevation in the northernmost portion of Newport.
GW acknowledged Bristol residents who turned out to see him with brief remarks. He then proceeded through Warren and reached Providence. The crowd that greeted GW reportedly prompted him to remark to a French officer: “We may be beaten by the English; it is the chance of war; but here is an army they can never conquer” (, 369–70; see also , 1:29–30, and GW to Providence Citizens, 14 March, source note). For an account of the stops and expenses of GW and his traveling party between Newport and Providence, see 14–15; see also , 15–17.