George Washington to Lieutenant General Rochambeau, 21–22 March 1781
To Lieutenant General Rochambeau
Head Quarters New Windsor 21st[–22] March 1781.
Sir
I arrived at this place yesterday at Noon.1 Upon my return I found intelligence contradicting that which I gave your Excellency from Hartford. The British Transports, I suppose, had made some change of disposition, which gave rise to the report of their having sailed and returned again to New York. I beleive it may now be depended on that they sailed from the Hook the 13th instant.2 I am in hourly and anxious expectation of news from the Chesapeak, which, the moment it arrives, shall be communicated.3
I do myself the honor to inclose your Excellency a New York paper, in which you will find a formal declaration of War on the part of Great Britain against the States of Holland.4 I do not know what effect this may have upon the polities of Europe, but I think the other Neutral powers are bound to stand by the States, as one of the causes of War urged by Great Britain is their having acceded to the Armed Neutrality.5 I have the honor to be with the most perfect consideration and Esteem Yr Excellency’s Most obt and humble Servt
Go: Washington
P.S. 22d Your Excellency’s favor of the 18th came to hand last Evening. The letters for the Chevr de la Luzerne and for Sir Henry Clinton, which were inclosed, have been immediately forwarded.6
The accounts brought by the Edentown Capt. are exaggerated. General Greene had received considerable reinforcements, but not equal to the Captain’s report—It was yet uncertain whether Lord Cornwallis meant to return to south Carolina, or take a post in North.
The answer given by your Excellency to Governor Hancock was, in my opinion the proper one—Should circumstances render it inexpedient to undertake any operation of more importance, perhaps we may hereafter find an opportunity of striking the small detachment the Enemy have at Penobscot.
I have this moment received letters from the Marquis de la Fayette dated at York in Virginia the 15th.7 Neither Fleet had then reached the Chesapeak.8
Go: Washington
LS, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, CtY-BR:R; Df, DLC:GW; Rochambeau’s French translation, CtY-BR:R; LB, in French, DLC: Rochambeau Papers, vol. 7; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. GW had returned from Rhode Island (see his letters to Alexander Hamilton, 7 March, source note, and to Rochambeau, 16 March, n.1).
2. For the erroneous earlier intelligence and its clarification, see GW to Rochambeau, 18 March, and notes 1 and 3 to that document.
3. GW waited for news regarding the French and British fleets that had sailed to the Chesapeake Bay (see Destouches to GW, 8 March, source note, and GW to Lafayette, same date, n.2; see also Destouches to GW, 19 March, source note).
4. Col. Elias Dayton had sent the newspaper with his letter to GW of 18 March.
5. For the League of Armed Neutrality, designed to enforce neutral trading rights, see GW to Samuel Huntington, 6 July 1780, n.6.
6. See Rochambeau to GW, 18 March 1781, and n.1 to that document. Rochambeau’s letter to French minister La Luzerne addressed financial issues and a potential prisoner exchange (see DLC: Rochambeau Papers, vol. 8).
8. See n.3 above.