George Washington to Lieutenant General Rochambeau, 22 April 1781
To Lieutenant General Rochambeau
Head Quarters New Windsor 22d April 1781.
Sir
I have been honored with your Excellency’s favors of the 15th and 18th instants.1 I am obliged by the care which you promise to take of my packet for Mr Laurens.2
Major Tallmadge, who your Excellency will have seen before this reaches you, has been upon Long Island, and there obtained intelligence that the British Fleet had returned to New York.3 From whence I conclude that the whole are there. I will however endeavour to ascertain the matter, and transmit my information to your Excellency.4
I have heard nothing from New York for some days past—I cannot therefore say any thing further respecting the progress of the embarkation mentioned in my late letters.5
I am made very happy in hearing that you are under no uneasiness on account of the paragraph which appeared in Rivingtons Gazette extraordinary. I could not help being fearful that the Convoy mentioned in it, was the same which is expected at Newport.6 I have the honor to be with very great Esteem Your Excellency’s Most obt and humble Servt
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. Rochambeau replied to GW on 26 April.
1. See Rochambeau to GW, 15 and 18 April.
2. See GW to John Laurens, 9 April, and to Rochambeau, 16 April, postscript.
3. Maj. Benjamin Tallmadge arrived in Newport on 22 April (see Tallmadge to GW, 24 April; see also Rochambeau and Destouches to GW, 25 April). For Tallmadge’s intelligence, see his letter to GW, 20 April.
5. For this British expedition’s departure from New York, see William Heath to GW, 1 May, n.1.
6. GW refers to reinforcements expected from France (see Destouches to GW, 15 April).