George Washington to Brigadier General Duportail, 17 June 1781
To Brigadier General Duportail
New Windsor 17th June 1781.
Dear Sir,
I inclose to you, the arrangement of the Army—If there is any place more proper than the one I have assigned for the Engineers, & Corps of Sappers and Miners, pray let me have your sentimts thereon by return of the bearer, as I want to publish the whole in the Orders of this day.1
If it is convenient to you, it would be my wish that you and the Q.M. Genl should view—tomorrow—a spot to form our first Encampment upon—when I hear from you, I will give him Notice.2 With much truth I am—Dr Sir Yr Most Obedt Servt
G. W——n
ALS (retained copy), DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. The enclosure likely was the diagram disseminated with the general orders for 18 June that depicted the brigades at West Point and the army arrangement for the encampment near Peekskill. The engineers and corps of sappers and miners that Duportail commanded were positioned between the left and right wings of the second line (see Fig. 1).
2. GW’s aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman wrote Q.M. Gen. Timothy Pickering from headquarters on this date: “His Excellency desires that you and Genl du portail will go down to Peckskill tomorrow and mark out a place of encampment. Genl du portail has notice and will be here in the morning; I dont know the exact hour, but suppose by 8 O Clock. You had best come in your own Boat as our Barge will be employed. The order of encampment will be furnished by the General” (DNA: RG 93, manuscript file no. 26051; see also General Orders, 19 June).