Francisco Rendon to George Washington, 12 June 1781
From Francisco Rendon
Philadelphia June 12th 1781.
Sir
Last Evening I had the honour of receiving Your Excellencys esteemed Letter of the 8th Instt. In answer to my former one, for which favour please to Accept my most Expressive thanks.1
On the 10th Instt Anchored in this River a Vessell coming from the Havana, which brought me a Packet from the Governor of that Place dated 28th Ulto acquainting me, that on the 24th he had received advise from General Galvez, anouncing that Pansacola had Surrendered to the Arms under his Command on the 8th of the Same Month, having made all it’s Garrison Prisonners of War, but that he had not as yet received the particulars, which he momentary expected there by the return of the Fleet and Army;2 These Last having entered that Bay on the 29th in which day Sailed the abovementioned Vessel arrived here. Concequently I expect to have them by the first Ship that comes from that Port, when I Shall do myself the honour to put them under Your Excellency’s Immediate Notice.3 I respectfully remain Sir Your Excellency’s most Obedt and Most Hble Servt
Francisco Rendon
LS, DLC:GW.
1. See GW to Rendon, 8 June, found at Rendon to GW, 29 May, n.6.
2. Don Juan Manuel de Cagigal was captain general and governor of Cuba. The Pennsylvania Packet or, The General Advertiser (Philadelphia) for Tuesday, 12 June, printed an item under the heading “Philadelphia,” that date: “By a vessel which arrived here on Saturday last, after a short passage from the Havanna, we learn, that Pensacola was taken by the Spanish forces, under general Galvez, on the 8th ult. after a siege of about ten days, with the loss of between 150 and 200 killed, and about the same number wounded. No particular account of this important event had reached the Havanna, when this vessel came away, at which time the fleet from Pensacola, (returning from the expedition) appeared off the harbour. The surrender of the place was considerably hastened, by the blowing up of a magazine in the garrison, into which a shell was thrown from general Galvez’s camp. It is said three British men of war were taken in the harbour, and that the number of prisoners amounts to about fifteen hundred.” Spanish and French forces captured the British post at Pensacola, Fla., on 9 May (see Rendon to GW, 24 April, n.5).
3. GW replied to Rendon from headquarters at New Windsor on 21 June: “I with the greatest pleasure congratulate you on the success of His Catholic Majestys Arms at Pensacola, and I have no doubt but a recital of the particulars will reflect much honor upon General Don Galvez and the troops under his command.
“No material movements on the part of the enemy having taken place in this quarter, since my last I have no communications of any importance to make to you” (Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW).