Captain Clement Gosselin to George Washington, 2 May 1781
From Captain Clement Gosselin
New Windsor, May 2d 1781
Monsieur
Puisque Vous voulés avoir la bonté de vous interesser pour moy auprés de Son Excellence, je ne demande point que l’on me gratifie de la peine et des risques que j’ai couru pendant mon voyage en Canada; Je m’estime assés honoré et très Sattisfait d’etre Capable de porter les armes pour le Soutien de la cause presente.
Je demande Seulement, Monsieur, que l’argent que J’ai depensé a mes propres fraix et depens pour ma propres Subsis⟨tance⟩ et pour celle des personnes qui etoient Sous ⟨ma⟩ direction, me Soit rembourcé, je n’exige point le rembour⟨sement⟩ de certaines minuties que J’ay avancé, Je parle du principal qui certainement, Si Son Excellence M’honore de Sa protection, je me trouveray tres Sattisfait dans le tems present de recouvrer cet argent.
Je vous donne cy Joint, Monsieur, Selon que je puis me Souvenir, une notte des avances que J’ay faittes.1
Ayant lhonneur d’etre avec Respect Monsieur Votre tres humble et tres obëissant Serviteur
Clt Gosselin Capt.
ALS, DLC:GW. No address appears with the letter, but Gosselin probably intended it for GW, whose aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman wrote on the docket: “Capt. Ghoselins papers.”
Gosselin seeks no reward for his Canadian undertaking but desires reimbursement for expenses. He includes a record of his expenses compiled from memory (see n.1 below).
1. The enclosure, written in French, presents Gosselin’s expenses from early July to September 1780 for gathering intelligence in Canada. They amount to “305 Dollars” in “Continental money” (DLC:GW). For Gosselin’s mission, see Jacob Bayley to GW, 31 Aug. 1780, and n.4; see also an undated intelligence report about Canada that Gosselin wrote in French (DLC:GW, filed under January 1781).
GW’s warrant book for 5 July 1783 records a payment of $179 to “Captain Clement Gosselin—Amount of his Expences—on three Journeys to Canada in 78 79 & 80 on public business as ⅌ his account annexed” (Revolutionary War Warrant Book 5, 1780–1783, DLC:GW, ser. 5). Gosselin later sought relief from pecuniary distress (see his letter to GW, 18 Sept. 1789, in 4:53–55).