VII. From Brigadier General Duportail, 14 June 1781
VII
From Brigadier General Duportail
14 jun. 1781
dear general
i have not Thought of any other thing but which occurred to me yesterday in the Conversation. but as i am more Convicted by Reflection of their advantage i will expose them again to your excellency.
since the fleet is to Come so soon and to stay a short while i thinck there is no more occasion for Desitating for the proper situation of the fleet of mr du barras. he must absolutely, i believe, stay at Rhodeisland and if a thousand militia were not sufficient for its security it should be proper to Call two or three thousand, even without any other Considerations. but we have others.1
the gentleman acquainted with the eastern states assured us yesterday in the board of the general officers that the militia of new hampshire and massachuset-bay wanted to Come here at least four weeks from the time that they will Receive the orders.2 so if your excellency does not apply immediately to these states they Cannot be here at a time.3
i observe that it is a very happy Circumstance that the french fleet is in need of militia at newport for its safety. your excellency may Cover his designs but4 all the militia which may be Called from new hamshire, massacuset-bay Rhode island, and part of Connecticut for the siege of new york Can be Called to newport. it will appear natural to every body here and at new york that our french army be Replaced at Newport by an equal number of militia.5 these militia Can, i thinck embark on the fleet to Come to new york. i do not see any such favorable Reason for Calling soon the militia of pensilvania and jersey, but they are nearer. yet it would be advantageous perhaps to Call some of the state of the back Contry new york state on the pretext of garrisoning west point.
would it not be advantageous to Collect soon provisions upon the Roads by which the militia should Come. i observe many times they are stopped in their march for want of provisions in proper places all these precautions Can be taken without betraying the secret.
i do not see now any strong Reasons for hurrying the march of our army down, except some large body to hinder the ennemy, if possible, from destroying forage in white plain and farther Down.6
i believe very important in this Circumstance to Recommend le marquis de la fayette not to hazard his army for any Reason.
the principal thing, i believe, is to hurry our preparations for the siege. i Recommend in my departement the plancks for the plattformes and the sand-bags.7
if something occurs to me, according your excellency’s orders i shall have the honour to Communicate it to you. i am with the greatest Respect and attachmt your [e]xcellen[c]y most obedient and very humble servant
duportail
ALS, DLC:GW. GW had invited such views (see Document V).
1. Duportail refers to the expected arrival of a French fleet from the West Indies. Rear Admiral Barras’s squadron remained at Rhode Island (see Proceedings of a Council of War, 8 June, printed as an enclosure with Barras to GW, 9 June; see also GW to La Luzerne, 23 May).
2. See Document VI. For GW’s requisition of militia, see Document IV.
3. GW acted on Duportail’s suggestions (see his letters to John Hancock, to William Livingston, and to Meshech Weare, all 15 June).
4. Duportail wrote “bud” for this word.
5. The French had requested militia to secure Newport (see Rochambeau to GW, 31 May, and Chastellux to GW, 9 June).
6. GW’s army soon marched to Peekskill (see General Orders, 19 June).
7. For Duportail’s efforts to prepare siege materials, see Henry Knox to GW, 8 June.