Lieutenant Colonel David Cobb to George Washington, 29 June 1781

From Lieutenant Colonel David Cobb

Newtown [Conn.] June 29th 1781

Sir

I arrived here last evening, 7 o’clock, and had the honor of waiting on his Excellency the Count de Rochambeau, who arrived about noon with the first divission of his Troops;1 after a long & perticular conversation, assisted by Count Chautleau,2 the Count de Rochambeau determin’d to sett off from this place on Sunday next & will get as far as Ridgebury that night,3 the next day, Monday, he’ll wait on your Excellency at Head Quarters.4 I shall regulate the Horsemen in such a manner as to give Your Excellency notice, from time to time, of the Count’s approach.

The second divission of the Troops arrived this day, 11 o’clock, in the highest order, and to appearance very little fatigue’d, ’tho’ they had march’d 17 Miles. I am with perfect respect Your Excellency’s most Obedt Servant

David Cobb

ALS, DLC:GW.

1. French lieutenant Clermont-Crèvecœur, then at Newtown, recorded in his journal entry for 28 June that GW’s aide-de-camp had arrived to inform “us that the Americans had started the campaign on the 26th and were waiting for us to join them” (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 , 1:30). Lieutenant General Rochambeau’s aide-de-camp Ludwig von Closen wrote in his journal entry for 29 June that “Colonel Cobb … knew all this country perfectly, he was to remain with us to help plan our marches” (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 , 87).

2. Cobb refers to Major General Chastellux.

3. Clermont-Crèvecœur recorded in his journal entry for Sunday, 1 July: “From Newtown to Ridgebury. Instead of marching by regiments, we marched by brigades. The roads were very mountainous, and the journey difficult” (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 , 1:31). Closen, who accompanied the 1st Brigade, made the same observation in his journal entry for 1–2 July (see 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 , 88).

4. Rochambeau and GW did not meet until 5 July because GW directed the French army to march to White Plains, N.Y. (see GW to Rochambeau, 2, 3, and 4 July, and Rochambeau to GW, 4 July; see also the entries for 5 July in Diaries description begins Donald Jackson and Dorothy Twohig, eds. The Diaries of George Washington. 6 vols. Charlottesville, Va., 1976–79. description ends , 3:389, and Cromot du Bourg, “Diary,” description begins [Marie François Joseph Maxime, Baron Cromot du Bourg]. “Diary of a French Officer, 1781.” Magazine of American History with Notes and Queries 4 (1880): 205–14, 293–308, 376–85, 441–52; 7 (1881): 283–95. description ends 296).

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Source Project: Washington Papers
Title: Lieutenant Colonel David Cobb to George Washington, 29 June 1781
Author: Cobb, David
Recipient: Washington, George
Date: 29 June 1781

Reference

Cite as: “Lieutenant Colonel David Cobb to George Washington, 29 June 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-32-02-0471. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 32, 6 May–4 July 1781, ed. William M. Ferraro. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2023, p. 606.]

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