Lieutenant General Rochambeau to George Washington, 15 May 1781
From Lieutenant General Rochambeau
Newport, [May] the 15th 1781.
Sir,
I have received your Excellency’s Letter of the 11th instant, The report mentioning the number of ships in the British fleet, seems to me to be accurate1 and confirmed by the correspondance of M⟨——⟩ T⟨——⟩2 and by the prisoners arrived on board a flag: they have 7. ships of the Line 2. 50 guns ships and 4. 44. gun ships with some frigates. The Troops for the Embarkation according to M⟨——⟩ T⟨——⟩ is only of 2000. men, And he mentions the regiments Employed in it.3 I believe that their destination is for Willmington, tho’ they say it themselves; My reason for it, is that there are Dragoons and horses embarked, and it seems difficult to render them useful in Virginia, unless for the expedition on the Delaware that had been talked of: But Your Excellency can judge [better] than I, if their projects be possible or not.4
In my instructions, mention is made of six millions of French Livres, which your Excellency may draw on France, to Supply to the needs and cloathing of the American Army;5 But there is no doubt that the Chevalier de La Luzerne has commission to announce to your Excellency that pecuniary succour, in an official Letter.6
I wait with impatience for your Excellency’s answer to my Letter of the 8th, about the rende⟨zvous⟩ for the Conference that Mr Le Cte de Barras and I desire to have with your Excellency.7 Mr Le Cte de Barras has wrote Likewise to your Excellency to inform you of his arrival.8 I am with respect and personal attachment Sir, Your Excellency’s Most obedient humble servent
le Cte de Rochambeau
LS, DLC:GW; LB, in French, DLC: Rochambeau Papers, vol. 9; LB, in French, DLC: Rochambeau Papers, vol. 12. The LS is dated 15 March, but GW’s aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman docketed it “15th May 1781.” Both letter-book copies also bear that date. The letter-book copies do not include a French translation of the final sentence before the complimentary close.
1. See GW to Rochambeau, 11 May, and n.1 to that document.
2. The letter-book copies identify the person as Maj. Benjamin Tallmadge.
3. For this report from the Culper ring, see Tallmadge to GW, 12 May, n.1.
4. The expedition was bound for Virginia (see William Heath to GW, 1 May, n.1). For reports that a British expedition would be sent to Delaware, see Samuel Huntington to GW, 7 April, and n.1 to that document, and 26 April, and n.2 to that document.
5. See Rochambeau to GW, 11 May, n.2.
6. See La Luzerne to GW, 1 June.
7. See Rochambeau to GW, 8 May; see also GW to Rochambeau, 13 and 14 May, and The Wethersfield Conference and Aftermath, 14 May–16 June, editorial note.
8. See Barras to GW, 11 May.