Major General Chastellux to George Washington, 21 May 1781
From Major General Chastellux
White tavern1—may 21 [1781]
The dificulties arising from the present circumstances and from several other causes having employed my thought upon the road, I imagined and proposed this plan that I submit to your excellency.2 the french army with its field artillery should march to the jerseys and chuse a position between north river and the delaware, there to remain till a fleet under Mr de grasse, officially announced, is arrived at newport or at Boston.3 as soon as that fleet is arrived, our heavy artillery and all our stores left behind at newport or at providence are embarked upon the ships, and the whole fleet Sails directly for chesapeak, whilst we march by land to trenton, embark on boats upon the delaware, fall down to chester or to newcastle and thence proceed to the bay. our fleet being far superior and having taken possession of the bay, sends up the frigates with some transports, and all the small craft of the bay to transport our army to york or any other place near the Army of arnold and Phillips.4 if the brittish have not evacuated Virginy september and october shall afford a sufficient time and a proper seasin to conquer them, nay to march further in the sudern and to besiege charlestown.
This plan proposed by me in a cursory way and as at random, was approved and adhered to. so That it may happen that it will be proposed to your excellency and I dare say it will. Therefore I think it is better that you expect till the matter be laid before your excellency. but if some time happens to pass in this conversation without any mention of it, then your excellency may propose it as a sudden and new born thought.
Now it is my duty to expose the reasons which make me think of the afor⟨e⟩mentioned plan as one of the best that the circum[s]tances can admitt.
the west indies fleet cannot possibly arrive before the end of july. if we remain at rhode island till it arrives we make no diver[s]ion at all and give the brittish all liberty to reinforce Arnold, while we throw a Kind of dishonour, nay a ridicule upon our Armies and dissolve our alliance in the eye of america.
besides. if we must embark at once our troops, baggag[e]—and field artillery, it shall be a matter full of dificulties and delay, but being near the delaware we Keep the english in awe—both at new york and in the bay, and as soon as the fleet is arrived, we proceed to the sudern with the greatest facility. the count Calls for me Just now, I must put an end to my reflexions and to this very uncouth and undigested memorandum. I hope that your excellency will be so good to Keep it secret. even to M. du Portail.
pray, Keep for your self that the fleet is ultimatly announced.
AL, DLC:GW. GW wrote the year on the docket.
1. Daniel White (1749–1816), a captain in the Connecticut militia, operated White’s Tavern at the Sign of the Black Horse, about fifteen miles east of Hartford in what is now the town of Andover. White later served in the Connecticut legislature.
2. Chastellux had left Newport on 19 May with Lieutenant General Rochambeau to meet GW at Wethersfield (see The Wethersfield Conference and Aftermath, 14 May–16 June, editorial note).
3. Chastellux, but not Rochambeau, had informed GW that Lieutenant General de Grasse was en route to the West Indies with a large fleet (see Chastellux to GW, 12 May; see also Rochambeau to GW, 11 May, n.2). Rochambeau officially notified GW during their meeting at Wethersfield.
4. British major general William Phillips had died on 13 May. Brig. Gen. Benedict Arnold commanded the British forces in Virginia until the arrival of Lt. Gen. Charles Cornwallis (see Lafayette to GW, 17 and 24 May).