Captain Destouches to George Washington, 10 May 1781
From Captain Destouches
Newport 10th May 1781.
Sir
Your Excellency will be informed by the Count de Barras himself of his appointment to the Command of the Squadron of the King and of his arrival at Boston.1 The care of defending the Coasts of America cannot be intrusted to a more distinguished Officer, and I shall have the honor to conduct under him the Advance Guard of the same forces of which I just before had the Command in Chief. I dare beleive that the time while they were under my direction will not be looked upon as mispent in the common cause. It will always be esteemed the most valuable Epoch of my life, on account of the honorable testimonies of approbation which the Congress of the U.S. and your Excellency have been pleased to bestow upon my Zeal.2 I am with Respect Yrs &.
des Touche.
Translation, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; LS, in French, DLC:GW.
GW replied to Destouches on 14 May from headquarters at New Windsor: “I have been honored with your favor of the 10th announcing the arrival of the Count de Barras to take the command of His Majesty’s Fleet. You judge very rightly in supposing that the term of your command will not be looked upon as mispent—You may be assured, Sir, that America will ever retain the most grateful remembrance of the exertions you have made in her behalf—As to myself, I shall ever be happy in opportunities of testifying the high sense I entertain of your merit & with how much Esteem” (Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW).
1. See Barras to GW, 11 May.
2. For praise given Destouches and his command for their performance during the Battle of Cape Henry, see GW to Destouches, 31 March, found at Destouches to GW, 19 March, n.11; see also GW to Alexander McDougall, 31 March, and Samuel Huntington to GW, 6 April, n.1.