George Washington to Lieutenant General Rochambeau, 17 June 1781
To Lieutenant General Rochambeau
Head Quarters New Windsor 17th June 1781.
Sir
I have the pleasure of inclosing Your Excellency copies of two letters from Major General Greene, which it appears that an agreeable train of successes have attended our affairs in South Carolina. The consequences will be important, but they would be more so, had we a sufficient force in that quarter to pursue the advantages we have gained.1 I have heard nothing further from the Marquis de la Fayette since the 3d Inst.2
Were it practicable for the Count de Barras, by arming the Fantasque and joining the 50 Gun Ship, lately arrived from France, to his Fleet,3 to put himself so nearly upon an equality with the enemy, as to enable him to take a position with security in Chesapeak Bay, it would be of the utmost importance at this moment, as it would effectually prevent a re-union of the enemy’s forces—and by preventing those in Virginia from receiving any supplies by Water, they would soon be reduced to very great difficulties and distresses. I barely mention this as an Idea which has struck me, not as a matter which I would undertake to advise, unacquainted as I am with naval Affairs.4 I have the honor to be with the highest Esteem Your Excellency’s Most obedt and humble Servt
Go: Washington
LS, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, CtY-BR:R; Df, DLC:GW; Rochambeau’s French translation, CtY-BR:R; LB, in French, DLC: Rochambeau Papers, vol. 12; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. GW evidently enclosed copies of Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene’s letter to him dated 16 May and Greene’s letter to Samuel Huntington on 14 May, printed as an enclosure with the former document.
2. See Lafayette to GW, 3 June; see also GW to Rochambeau, 13 June.
3. The Fantasque was a 64-gun ship that the French had converted to a supply and hospital ship (see the entry for 6–15 April 1780 in , 6). For the arrival of the 50-gun Sagittaire, see Barras to GW, 9 June, and n.5.