Thomas Jefferson to George Washington, 28 March 1781
From Thomas Jefferson
Richmond March 28. 1781.
Sir
I forward to your Excellency, under cover with this, copies of letters received from Major General Greene and Baron Steuben which will give you the latest State of the situation of things with us and in North Carolina.1
We had hoped to have received by the French Squadron under Mons: Tilly eleven hundred stand of arms which we had at Rhode-Island, but were disappointed.2 The necessity of hurrying forward the troops intended for the Southern operations will be doubtless visible from this letter.3 I have the honor to be with the greatest respect Your Excellency’s most obedient and most humble servant
Th: Jefferson
LS, DLC:GW; LB, Vi. The letter-book copy also is addressed to Samuel Huntington, president of Congress (see , 5:269–70).
1. Jefferson enclosed a copy of Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene’s letter to him of 23 March, written at his camp near South Buffalo Creek in North Carolina: “As the Militia of Virginia came out only for six Weeks their time will very shor[t]ly expire. I must request of your Excellency to order out 1500 more for three Months, to be sent from those Counties which are best able to Arm & equip themselves. Their services will be immediately wanted.
“Every hour serves to confirm the severity of the action on the 15th, and proves the calculation made of the Enemy’s loss to be rather under than over. Their precipitate retreat from Guilford, and the leaving behind our wounded at the Court House, and seventy of their own at New Garden settlement, are circumstances that bear strong marks of distress.
“Our troops are in high spirits, and the Army in the most perfect readiness for another action. The Enemy are retiring and we advancing. their rout is conjectured by some to be towards Cross Creek, and by others towards Pedee” (DLC:GW). For the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, see Greene to Samuel Huntington, 16 March, printed as an enclosure with Greene to GW, 17 March.
Jefferson also enclosed a copy of Major General Steuben’s letter to him of 26 March, written from Williamsburg at 8:00 P.M. on 26 March: “I am this Moment informed of the return of the English fleet into Lynhaven-Bay in the night of the 24th and that this morning eighteen Sail more arrived and joined them. it is very probable the last are Transports with the reinforcements expected from New-York—when the Express came from Hampton one Ship was under way coming up to Hampton-Road—the Wind has not been fair to-day for the Vessels to come up the river. We have no certain Intelligence of a second Engagement between the Fleets” (DLC:GW).
2. Captain de Tilly had sailed in February for the Chesapeake Bay with arms, ammunition, and clothing for the Virginia forces, but he had been unable to land them (see Destouches to GW, 7 and 25 Feb., and n.2 to the earlier document, and Rochambeau to GW, 24 Feb., n.3). Captain Destouches later sent the arms to Philadelphia in the frigate Hermione (see Destouches to GW, 19 March, source note). The arms were subsequently transported to Virginia (see GW to Steuben, 1 May).
3. GW replied to Jefferson on 18 April.