Lieutenant General Rochambeau to George Washington, 4 May 1781
From Lieutenant General Rochambeau
Newport, May 4th 1781.
Sir
I this moment have received by a way which is known to your Excellency, intelligences of the 29th ulto from New york which report that the English ships will, as they say, be repaired in ten days, and that they work very hard on them; that in the mean time they are very uneasy least the french fleet be ready before them; that the garrison at Lloyd’s neck does not consist of more than 400. or 500. fighting men, but that there are 800. yagers and of the Anspach regiment cantonned in the neighbourhood of Oyster bay, where they seem to me near enough to support the garrison.1 I have acquainted the Chevalier Destouches with these particulars, and he has decided to send as soon as it will be possible, the only frigate remaining here with a 16. gun Brig, as the romulus is a careening,2 and to send them in the sund to try the accomplishment of some coup de main and vivacity upon huntingdon-Bay, where the small fleet of the refugie’s goes to harbour he told me he could only take a board 75. men of our Land troops, with which he will arm his Shalloops, if he can approach near enough to burn that small fleet. The rest of his fleet will be ready by the 15th of may, and much about the same time that of the British likewise.
I join here for your Perusal the extract of Letter from the Governor of St Domingo, we must hope that these succours so much announced will arrive at last.3 I have received your Excellency’s Letter of the 26th ulto.4 I am so much the more pleased with the uncertainty of the preparations at New york for that embarkation so much talked about, as Mr Wadsworth, who has undertaken the approvisionning of our army, looks on it as impossible for my corps to make a movement by Land, before the end of may or begginning of June, Specially at the West of Connecticut river.
I beg of you Excellency to forward the inclosed Letter to the Chevalier De La Luzerne, as soon and safely as possible it mentions the very urgent necessities of the Colony of San Domingo.5 I am with respect and personal attachment Sir, Your Excellency’s Most obedient & humble Servant
le Cte de Rochambeau
LS, DLC:GW; LB, in French, DLC: Rochambeau Papers, vol. 9; LB, in French, DLC: Rochambeau Papers, vol. 12. GW replied to Rochambeau on 7 May.
1. The letter-book versions indicate that the 800 troops split evenly between the jägers and Anspach Regiment.
Rochambeau received this intelligence from the Culper ring. Maj. Benjamin Tallmadge had written Rochambeau from Wethersfield, Conn., on 2 May at 2:00 A.M.: “I have this moment recd some dispatches from my Confidential Agents, Copies of which I have the honor to inclose to Your Excellency. I am well acquainted with both the Authors, & can recommend their Information as coming from faithful hands.
“My first business, after I left New-Port, was to establish the Correspondence proposed, and am happy to observe that I have engaged the Person whom I could wish, (the Author of the letter No. 2) as the proper Stage on Long Island, who will receive all my Instructions, & communicate them to such Persons as may be appointed at New York.
“The Person whom I wished to employ at the latter Place has refused; as Your Excellency will observe in Letter No. 2—The Accuracy of his information, he being a Gentleman of Abilities & Interest, & much in the secrets of the Enemy, has made him a very serviceable Person to me in this way heretofore. I hope, however, soon to engage some trusty Correspondent at N. York, who under Colour of being a friend to the British, may make it his business to observe every movement of the Enemy, & give the necessary information. I am aware that the business will be expensive, but if the Posts can be properly established, I trust it can be made a serviceable Channel of Communication. Depend on my utmost Exertions in the business, & when I have duly established it I will be more particular.
“As I am at a Centrical Post at present, between Your Excellency & the Commander in Chief, I shall give him all the Information which can be of service to him.
“I am happy to inform Your Excellency that the Boat which I sent to Long Island on this business, took one of the Enemies boats on the sound, & bro’t her in to a safe Port. … P.S. I pray Your Excellency to make my most respectful Compliments to Genl Chatellaux & request him to forward my numerical Dictionary by the first Conveyance, as I need it much in accomplishing the purposes requested. … In my next shall furnish a Draught of Brookly[n] fort opposite the City of New York—Enclosed is a New York paper for Your Excellency’s perusal” (CtY-BR:R). The enclosed spy reports are labeled “No. 1” and “No. 2”—the former from “S.G.” and the latter from Samuel Culper (Abraham Woodhull’s alias). They closely follow the versions sent GW (CtY-BR:R; see also Tallmadge to GW, 2 May, and n.2 to that document). Tallmadge apparently had lent his code book when he visited the French officers at Newport (see Tallmadge to GW, 25 July 1779; see also Tallmadge to GW, 24 and 25 April 1781).
2. For the process of careening, see Rochambeau and Destouches to GW, 25 April, n.2.
3. Written on the LS was an “Extract of a Letter from Mr Reynaud commander in chief at San Domingo, to the Count de Rochambeau,” dated at Cap Français, Saint Domingue, on 10 April: “The Last news from the Marquis de Bouillé are of the 22d ulto he was every minute expecting a squadron of 20. or 24 ships of the Line, which the minister had announced to him, with a great many troops and a rich convoy, and in the mean time, Martinico was Blocked up by 16. or 17, men of war and Admiral rodney was yet at Statia with General Vaugha[n] and 5. ships of the Line” (DLC:GW).
5. For a letter-book copy of Rochambeau to French minister La Luzerne on this date enclosing an extract from Brigadier General Reynaud’s letter to Rochambeau, see DLC: Rochambeau Papers, vol. 9; see also n.3 above.