George Washington to Major General Lafayette, 31 May 1781
To Major General Lafayette
Head Quarters New Windsor 31st May 1781.
My dear Marquis
I have received your favors of the 4th 8th 17th and 18th instants, your conduct upon every occasion meets my approbation, but in none more than your refusal to hold a correspondence with Arnold.1 By an account which I have just received from New York, Genl Robinson goes to succeed Genl Phillips. You may have something to apprehend from his age and experience but not much from his Activity.2
In a letter which I wrote to Baron Steuben on the 16th instant, I desired him to inform you, as I did not know at that time where you might be, that I had good reason to believe a detachment of between 1500 and 2000 Men had sailed from New York a few days before.3 I now have it confirmed,4 and I think you may either look for them in Chesapeak or further southward.
Your determination to avoid an engagement, with your present force, is certainly judicious. I hope the Pennsylvanians have began their march before this, but I have no information of it.5 General Wayne has been pressed both by Congress and the Board of War to make as much expedition as possible and extraordinary powers are given to him to enable him to procure provisions.6
Upon your intimation that Colonel Vose wished to return to the Northward, I ordered Colo. Tupper to releive him, and he had sat out before your letter of the 4th reached me.7 I am with very sincere Regard My dear Marquis Yr most obt and humble Servt
Go: Washington
LS, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, MiU-C: Clinton Papers; Df, DLC:GW; copy, P.R.O.: 30/11/6, Cornwallis Papers; copy, P.R.O.: C.O. 5/102; copy, UK-LoPHL: Parliamentary Archives; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. On the draft, also in Tilghman’s writing, GW’s aide-de-camp David Humphreys wrote: “June 4th. Duplacate. The Original supposed to have been taken in the last Mail.” For the interception of the LS, see GW to Lafayette, 4 June, n.1. GW probably enclosed the duplicate, which has not been found, when he wrote Lafayette on 4 June. Gen. Henry Clinton enclosed the copy at P.R.O.: C.O. 5/102 in a letter he wrote George Germain dated 9–12 June (see , 19:120–22).
1. See Lafayette to GW, 4, 8, 17, and 18 May. Lafayette reported his refusal to correspond with Brig. Gen. Benedict Arnold when he wrote on 17 May.
2. GW refers to Lt. Gen. James Robertson (see his first letter to Lafayette on this date, n.9).
3. See GW to Steuben, 16 May.
4. See Benjamin Tallmadge to GW, 29 May, n.1.
5. A detachment of the Pennsylvania line under Brig. Gen. Anthony Wayne’s command had marched for Virginia on 26 May (see Wayne to GW, that date).
6. See Board of War to GW, 13 May. Congress had voted on 18 May to grant Wayne the authority to impress “provisions and forage necessary for the immediate march of the detachment under his command to the southern department” (, 20:516).
7. For Lafayette’s report that Col. Joseph Vose desired to return to the main army, see his letters to GW dated 10 (first letter) and 12 April; see also GW to Lafayette, 22 April (first letter). For Col. Benjamin Tupper’s reassignment, see GW to William Heath, 27 April; see also GW to Lafayette, 5 May.