George Washington to Philip Schuyler, 23 March 1781
To Philip Schuyler
New Windsor Mar. 23d 1781.
Dear Sir,
Upon my return to this pla⟨ce⟩ 3 days ago1 I had the pleas[ur]e to rec[eiv]e your favor of the 25th Ulto. I thank you for the honor you intended me if Mrs Schuyler had added a Son to your family & chearfully become a sponsor for the daughter on the birth of whom and the good health of your Lady please to accept & offer my congratulatory Compliments.2
By a Manœuvre too profound for my understanding—if it is intended for th⟨e⟩ public good—the choice of a Minister of War is postponed till October—I have heard no reason assigned for it, and am uncharitable enough to believe that no good one can be given.3
We are in a most critical and disagreeable state of suspence with respect to the two Fleets. Neither had arrived within Chesapeak bay the 15th Instt when letters from the Marqs & Baron de Steuben were dated at Yorktown (20 Miles from the Mouth of James River). tho’ both were expected.4
How unhappy it is for all our measures, that the adoption of them cannot be in season! Had the French Commrs at R. Island complied (in the first instance) with my request to send the whole Fleet, and a detachmt from their Land force to Virga the destruction of Arnolds Corps must have been compleat during the debilitated State of the British Fleet.5 The unde⟨r⟩taking now, is bold & precarious—rendered more so, by an unfortunate & to me unaccountable delay of 24 hours in their quitting New port. After it was said they were ready to Sail—the Wind being as favorable to them & as adverse to the Enemy as Heaven cd furnish6—But—It is our true policy to make the most of their assistance without censuring their mistakes therefore it is I communicate this in confidence.7
By my last advices from General Greene Lord Cornwallis was retreating—but the design of his retrograde movement was not sufficiently explained—Genl Greene was advancing & the Militia assembling8—The situation of things there, & in Virginia are critical & big with important events—God grant they may be favourable to us.9 I am with great esteem & regard & much Affecte Dr Sir Yr Most Obed. Servt
Go: Washington
ADfS, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. GW had visited the French commanders at Newport (see his letters to Alexander Hamilton, 7 March, source note, and to Rochambeau, 16 March, n.1).
2. In his letter to GW of 25 Feb., Schuyler announced the birth of his daughter Catherine. He indicated his intention to name a boy after GW and asked GW and Martha Washington to serve as sponsors at the infant’s baptism. Schuyler also recommended revising the Articles of Confederation to increase congressional authority.
3. Congress established the office of secretary at war on 7 Feb. but postponed filling that post until 1 October. Congress then elected Maj. Gen. Benjamin Lincoln on 30 Oct. (see John Sullivan to GW, 6 March, and n.4 to that document, and , 21:1087).
4. See Lafayette to GW, and Steuben to GW, both 15 March. For the Battle of Cape Henry between the French and British fleets on 16 March, see Destouches to GW, 19 March, source note.
5. Following a January storm that wrecked or damaged British warships in Gardiners Bay, N.Y., GW proposed a plan for combined naval and military operations to attack Brig. Gen. Benedict Arnold’s forces in Virginia. He recommended that Captain Destouches send his entire fleet. Destouches instead dispatched a small squadron to the Chesapeake Bay that returned to Newport after capturing a British frigate (see Rochambeau to GW, 29 Jan. and 12 Feb.; GW to Rochambeau, 7 and 15 Feb.; Destouches to GW, 7 and 20 Feb.; and GW to Destouches, 22 Feb.).
6. Destouches dispatched his entire fleet on a second expedition that proved unsuccessful (see Destouches to GW, 25 Feb. and 8 March, and n.4 above; see also GW to Rochambeau, 27 Feb., and to Destouches, 2 March).
7. GW marked this paragraph as private on his draft. See also GW to Joseph Jones, 24 March; to William Fitzhugh, 25 March; to John Armstrong, 26 March; and to Lund Washington, 28 March.
8. Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene provided this intelligence from the southern department when he wrote GW on 28 Feb.; see also GW to Greene, 21 March.
9. Schuyler replied to GW on 3 April.