Brigadier General Béville to George Washington, 2 May 1781
From Brigadier General Béville
hartford may Second 1781.
Excellency
I have the honour to inform you of my arrival yesterday at Middle-town through Danbury. this Road from King’s ferry to Middle town is much better than that through litc[h]field and deserves to be preferred though there is neither hay or straw to be found in both roads. I Intend tomorrow to take notice of that from middle-town to Colchester which I am already informed of is very bad; but in case I Should find it So, the army would march through hartford and go on its march through farmington, Southington danbury &a.1
Colonel hamilton told me when I arrived at New windsor that your Excellency had been So Kind as to write to the Congress in order to intrust M. champlain with the office of Barack Master of the french army.2 I rely So far on your Excellency’s Kindness as to be persuaded that you will honour Mr champlain with your protection in that Occasion.3 I am with respect and my sons too your Excellency’s Most humble and obedient Servant
Béville
ALS, PHi: Gratz Collection; Sprague transcript, DLC:GW.
1. For the towns in Connecticut, see Map 5, following Richard Platt to GW, 31 March.
2. For Jabez Champlin’s recommendation, see GW to Samuel Huntington, 21 April.
3. GW replied to Béville from headquarters at New Windsor on 8 May: “I have duly received the Letter, which you did me the honor to write at Hartford on the 2nd of this Month.
“In consequence of the application to Congress, respecting the appointing of Colonel Champlin Barrack Master to the French Army; the Quarter Master General has been authorised to make out that Appointment, which I have the pleasure of transmitting to His Excellency the Count De Rochambeau, by this present conveyance.
“I request my Compliments may be presented to the Young Gentlemen Your Sons” (Df, in David Humphreys’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW; the draft is addressed to Beville at Rhode Island). For the enclosure, see Timothy Pickering to GW, 4 May.
Jacques de Beville (1757–1830) and Charles de Beville de Pont (1758–1832) both held the rank of captain in the French cavalry and served as aides to their father in the French expeditionary army.