1. Following this date, both letter-book versions have “au soir,” which translates as “in the evening.”

2. For the march of the French army, see Rochambeau to GW, 15 June, n.2.

The Connecticut Courant and Weekly Intelligencer (Hartford) for Tuesday, 3 July, printed a report under the heading “HARTFORD,” same date, that on 22 June “His Excellency General Rochambeau arrived here with the first division of the army under his command; the three other divisions arrived the three following days.” The last French division left “this place last Thursday morning. A finer body of men were never in town, and no army was ever better furnished with every thing necessary for a campaign. The exact discipline of the troops, and the attention of the officers to prevent any injury to individuals, have made the march of this army through the country very agreeable to the inhabitants; and it is with pleasure we assure our readers not a single disagreeable circumstance has taken place.”

3. For French impressions of the towns and people, see the entries for 20–30 June in Acomb, Closen Journal description begins Evelyn M. Acomb, ed. The Revolutionary Journal of Baron Ludwig von Closen, 1780–1783. Chapel Hill, N.C., 1958. description ends , 85–87; see also Rice and Brown, American Campaigns of Rochambeau’s Army description begins Howard C. Rice, Jr., and Anne S. K. Brown, eds. The American Campaigns of Rochambeau’s Army, 1780, 1781, 1782, 1783. 2 vols. Princeton, N.J., 1972. description ends , 1:28–30 (journal entries for 19 June–2 July), and 247–48 (journal entries for 23 June–2 July).

4. Ripton, now Huntington, Conn., was seven miles north of Stratford. North Stratford, now Trumbull, Conn., was five miles southwest of Ripton and four miles northwest of Stratford.

The Connecticut Journal (New Haven) for 28 June printed an item under the heading “NEW-HAVEN,” same date: “Yesterday pass’d thro’ this Town on their way to join the American Army, the Duke Laeuzon, with his Legion, consisting of about 600—The strictest Order and Discipline was observed among them.”

5. See GW to Rochambeau, 17 June, and Rochambeau to GW, 20 June. The enclosed translated copy of Rear Admiral Barras’s letter to Rochambeau, written from Newport on 21 June, reads: “I receive this moment your Letter, my dear General, and the copy therein inclosed of General Washington’s. I send my answer, and what is wrote me from Boston.

“All the vessels of the Convoy are arrived at Boston, excepting the Stanislas, who was one of the two that have been obliged to put under sail, whilst they were anchored near Boston.

“Mr De La Perouse sends me word that the man of war the Sagittaire, has 220. sick at the hospital. In addition to that misfortune, the Privateers at Boston take away the Seamen of the Convoy. Mr De La Perouse has complained of it to Govr Hancock, and has asked Leave to visit these vessels. The Govr has made answer that he must assemble his counsel to deliberate on it. you must be sensible that that is a good way to Let these deserters make their Escape. We are here for the Service of the Americans. if they don’t make their best to hinder Desertion and if on the contrary, the Privateers take away our people, there are no means Left to make the fleet go out. however I shall employ all possible means to put it in a condition to go to sea. But that cannot be done, unless the Americans furnish me with some men and you help me. I desire only to be usefull if I can. You know very well that I am in a want of a great many seamen on the fleet. The Sagittary alone needs more than 220. men. The Fantasque will need as many. If you are willing, I should take all the garrison at New port, to be imbarked on the Squadron, with the four 24. pounders you have Left there at Brenton’s point. I will give two canons from every ship to arm the Fantasque. With all these helps and that of the crew of the Gentille, which I shall unarm, the ships will want a great many men. however I will make ready to go to chesapeak. But I don’t see I can, before 25 days, before I will be obliged to wait for the convoy from Boston, then to take what will be necessary from these ships and afterwards to send them up the river before I can take away their crews which will be absolutely necessary to me.

“I have wrote to Boston, to do all that is possible to arm the Sagittaire, which will not be easy. I expect at Newport, in a few days that part of the convoy which arrives from Boston.

“The Cutter the Prudence is arrived this day from New London and reports that an American Privateer had made declaration that eight days before, he had met with 14. sail at the Southward of Long island.

“I don’t write to General Washington, because I can announce him nothing positive, When my dispositions will be made, I’ll inform him of it, unless, the arrival of Count de Grasse being announced very surely and very soon puts a stop to their execution and to the desire of doing myself something usefull to America. In that case, I would not hesitate sacrificing to the General good all the projets that could appear to have my own personal glory for principal object” (DLC:GW; see also Barras to GW, 24 June).

6. The enclosed translated copy of Rochambeau’s reply to Barras, written from Hartford on 23 June, reads: “I have received, my dear Admiral, the Letter which you did me the honor to write me of the 21st instant, and I send it to General Washington, whom certainly it will please very much. you must have received a Letter from him which I sent you before yesterday, relative to a piece of News which wants confirmation, and that I cannot as yet make clear, about the arrival of a corps of 4000. Troops with a 64. gun Ship, coming from Cork to Chesapeak bay; as soon a[s] it will be assuredly confirmated or proved false, I’ll send you word of it directly. It would be very extraordinary that this corps of Troops should arrive from Europe and that neither Congress nor the French Minister nor We should not have heard any thing of it. When your fleet, my dear Admiral, sets sail for the expedition that you propose against Chesapeak bay, I give you entire Liberty to make use of the 400. men under the orders of Mr De choisy, It being understood that you will give me them again, when the circumstances shall put you in the Way of making some operation combinated with us, and that you shall not take them to no other foreign part. As to the 4. pieces of canon of Siege, I own to you that of 12. pieces that I have, I never could have thought that the Navy which has so many, would have needed them. I beg of you, then to send them back to Providence with the 4. mortars, that they may be ready, at all events to help us in our Land operations. I desire, likewise, my dear Admiral, that the Major of Deux ponts may go to Providence, (when the fleet Leaves rhode island,) with all the Valetudinarians either those that have staid behind at Boston, or at the hospital at Providence, or at Newport, that they may form a Troop, to put themselves with the company of Artillery at Providence, in a condition of defending our Artillery of siege, our magazines and Specially the transports which you will be obliged to send up the river, and which I believe, can only anchor betwixt Patuxet and the Bar of Providence.

“If the militia of Boston have joined you by the time of the departure of the fleet, you will examine with Mr De Choisy, whether it would not be suitable to Leave these Boston militia alone for the guard of Newport, where there will be no more important objects, and to send to Patuxet with the Major of Deux ponts the rhode island militia to cover and defend that post, jointly with the french Valetudinarians; With this disposition, and by placing some canon in the batteries of Patuxet, the transports anchored, and our deposite at Providence would be perfectly secure, because the only practicable place for the Enemy to attack Providence, would be by making a descent at Patuxet” (DLC:GW). Rochambeau refers to militia from Massachusetts rather than Boston specifically.