George Washington to Arthur Lee, 7 June 1781
To Arthur Lee
Hd Qrs New Windsor June 7th 1781
Dear Sir,
I have had the honor to receive the letter wch you did me the favor to write on the 19th Ulto,1 and thank you for the extract taken from the letter of Mr Lee of Feby 20th—The information contained in it, is important—& went to some matters which were new to me—I suspt with you, that Mr Lee is rather too sanguine in his expectation of a genl Peace—within the year—but he accompanys it with a recommendn to vigs exertns. the most likely means to effect it2—but which I fear will not have its due weight in the Minds of the People especially if the idea of Peace once takes hold of them. I have the honr to be Dr Sir Yr Most Obt Hble Sert
G. W——n
ADfS, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. Lee’s letter to GW dated 19 May has not been found, but for its receipt, see the entry for 26 May in , 3:372.
2. The extract, which has not been identified, presumably came from a letter William Lee wrote Richard Henry Lee from Brussels on 20 Feb. with an observation that British officials “have determined not to send any fresh troops to America for this campaign; indeed, we know they have not any to send; therefore it is reasonable to imagine, that weakened as they are, last campaign, the force they have now in America cannot advance much in the way of conquest; but America will be culpable if she does not make a proper use of the favorable moment and by a vigorous exertion drive the enemy entirely off the continent.” Following extended remarks on the activities of European powers, the letter concludes: “On the whole I am clearly of opinion, that a general peace is within this year, unless some unexpected and unforeseen [occurrences] in America should happen, that may induce the King of Great Britain to risque every thing elsewhere, in hopes of obtaining his favorite object, the Subjugation of America.—You have the game therefore in your own hands.” (, 3:843–48, quotes on 846 and 848).