George Washington to Major General Lafayette, 5 April 1781
To Major General Lafayette
Head Quarters New Windsor 5th April 1781
My dear Marquis
I have successively received your favors of the 3d 7th 8th 9th 15th 23d 25th and 26th of last Month.1 You having been fully instructed as to your operations2 and I having nothing material to communicate, was the reason of my not answering them before—While we lament the miscarriage of enterprize which bid so fair for success, we must console ourselves in the thought of having done every thing practicable to accomplish it. I am certain that the Chevelier de Touche exerted himself to the utmost to gain the Chesapeak—The point upon which the whole turned—The Action with Admiral Arbuthnot reflects honor upon the Chevalier and upon the Marine of France.3
As matters have turned out it is to be wished that you had not gone out of the Elk. But I never judge of the propriety of measures by after events—Your move to Annapolis, at the time you made it, was certainly judicious.
The report of the French Fleet being off Cape Fear was erroneous—They returned to the Harbour of Newport the 26th of last month.4
I imagine the detachment will be upon its march this way, before this reaches you.5 I do not know what you will have done with your heavy Artillery—You had I think (if you should not have already got it to the Head of Christeen River) best leave it at Baltimore or at any safe place—The light peices with the two smallest Mortars and the Ammunition and Stores belonging to them are to go to the southward with the first division of the Pennsylvanians.6 You will therefore leave them at some safe and proper place upon the communication and upon your arrival at Philad. inform General Wayne where they are, that he may take them along with him.
I wish the detachment may move as quickly as they can without injury to the troops.
should Count de Charlus—Count St Maime and Count Dillon be with you—You will be pleased to make my Compliments to them.7 I am with sincere Regard My dear Marquis Yr &.
P.S. You will give me notice of the approach of the detachment especially from Philad. to this place.8
Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. Lafayette wrote two letters to GW on 9 March and two on 26 March.
2. For the instructions, see GW to Lafayette, 20 Feb. (second letter).
3. For the Battle of Cape Henry, see Destouches to GW, 19 March, and the source note to that document.
4. For the return of the French fleet, see Rochambeau to GW, 27 March.
5. GW’s instructions to Lafayette directed him to return to New York with his detachment if the French did not arrive to support his attack on British brigadier general Benedict Arnold’s force at Portsmouth, Virginia.
6. Congress had ordered the Pennsylvania line transferred to the southern department (see Samuel Huntington’s first letter to GW, 20 Feb.). GW had directed Brig. Gen. Anthony Wayne to lead the first detachment of Pennsylvanians to Virginia (see GW to Wayne, 26 Feb.).
7. GW’s aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman wrote Richard Platt, deputy quartermaster general of the main army, from headquarters on 10 April: “Our Allies cost us a great deal in Horse Flesh—But it cannot be avoided—Count St Maime applies this morning for a Horse, in the room of one which he has worn down. His Excellency desires one may be furnished at Newburg if possible, for I believe the fact is, that the tired Horse is unable to proceed a foot farther” (DNA: RG 93, manuscript file no. 26009). Colonel Saint-Maisme was returning to Rhode Island after being with Lafayette’s detachment (see Lafayette to Vicomte de Noailles, 22 May, and n.4 to that document, in , 4:121–25; see also Saint-Maisme to GW, 23 Feb., and n.2 to that document).
8. Lafayette replied to GW on 10 April; see also GW to Lafayette, 6 April.