Major General Chastellux to George Washington, 12 May 1781
From Major General Chastellux
Newport May 12. 1781
dear general
your excellen[c]y is persuaded I hope, that I cannot forget any word that was dropt from your mouth. I Know very well how you labour under the scarcity of provisions, and it was on that account that I was the first to propose that colonel Menonville might be directed to your excellency, previous to any aplication to congress. I was sensible that every aplication of that kind should rather truss your measure[s] than promote our[s].1 this shall be avoided by the message of the colonel, who shall act only by your directions. he is full of gratitude for your good and kind reception, and of admiration for your person.2
as my zeal for your country and my attachment for your excellency knows no limits, I hazard, dear general, a step that may be conceived as a transgression, acting but an under part in the french armie.3 but I rely on the secrecy of your excellency as one of his numerous virtues. I determine accordingly to acquaint you with the news that I have got by private letters, which deserve as much confidence as the very dispatches of the count.4 the convoy that we expect will carry but a very indifferent reinforcement; and rather recruits than reinforcements.5 but the deficiency in troops is made up by a considerable assistance in money to be aplied only to the support of your armie. a large fleet of 26 ships of the line sailed from brest, mar[c]h 22, bound for west indies under m. de grasse. 5 ship will seperate from the fleet and make their way to east indies under commandeur de suffren6 6 ships of the line were ready to sail with m. de la mote Piquet, their destination unknown.7 upon the large fleet seven or eight thousand land forces are embarked, but the greatest part recruits and only one batallion of dillon of thousand men and the new levies Regiment of ⟨pondicherry⟩ at 1500.8
a conferince with your excellency is on foot. I will follow the count at hartford, and I wish that this conferince be more conducible to the publick wellfare than the last.9 I should be glad to have some private conver[s]ation with your excellency; but we must avoid giving suspicion of a peculiar impression. I foresee that your excellency shall find a great inclination to march on north river, and a great dislike for advancing any further and particularly beyond the bay.10 I speak of men that you know. the admiral is a good plain dealing gentleman who shall rise no dificulty.11
I entreat your excellen[c]y to burn this letter that I write in a hurry and to excuse my bad style. I have the honor to be dear general your most humble and obedient Servant
Le chr de chastellux
do’nt you think that newport should be preserved by a small body of french troop assisted by the militia? I think that the last without the former should not do. this is a point that is to be discussed12 at hartford.
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. See GW to Chastellux, 7 May.
2. For Lieutenant Colonel Ménonville’s discussions with GW, see GW to Ménonville, 6 and 9 May.
3. Chastellux had established a friendship with GW during a visit to headquarters (see GW to Samuel Huntington, 27 Nov. 1780, n.1).
4. For these dispatches from the French court, see Rochambeau to GW, 11 May 1781, n.2.
5. For the expected convoy, see Rochambeau to GW, 8 May, n.1.
6. Pierre-André, bailli de Suffren-Saint-Tropez (1729–1788) entered the French navy as a cadet in 1743 and became a captain in 1772. From 1781 to 1784, he commanded a squadron of warships in the Indian Ocean. He rose to chef d’escadre (rear admiral) in 1782. In 1784, Suffren was named a vice admiral with the rank of a marshal of France.
7. Lieutenant General La Motte-Picquet sailed his squadron into the Atlantic Ocean on 25 April and captured twenty-three prizes (see , 228–29).
8. Lieutenant General de Grasse’s warships escorted transports with 6,000 reinforcements for the French army in the West Indies (see , 205, 217–18).
9. The commanders met at Wethersfield rather than Hartford (see The Wethersfield Conference and Aftermath, 14 May–16 June, editorial note). For the previous meeting, see The Hartford Conference, 20–22 Sept. 1780, editorial note.
10. Chastellux refers to the Chesapeake Bay.
11. Rear Admiral Barras had just arrived at Newport (see Barras to GW, 11 May).
12. Chastellux wrote “discuted.” The French verb “discuter” means “to discuss.”