Lieutenant General Rochambeau to George Washington, 30 June 1781
From Lieutenant General Rochambeau
Newtown [Conn.] June 30. 12. o’clock P.M., 1781
Sir,
About an hour ago, I received your Excellency’s Letter, wrote this morning;1 The 3d french regiment is arrived this evening very Late. The 4th shall only arrive to morrow evening.2 The Troops and Specially those of the Artillery are very tired, however, I make no difficulty about setting off to morrow morning with the first Brigade, and I hope the 2d will follow the day after. I shall be at ridgebury with the first Brigade on the first of July, and at Bedford, on the 2d. I hope the second division will be there on the 3d, tho’ not without difficulty for the men and horses as they shall have marched six days and made Long journeys with Sojourning. I expect every moment the Duke of Lauzun whom I have sent for, and I hope that he may arrive to morrow evening at ridgefield his journey will be of 22, miles and that he will be on the 2d of July at Bedford by noon day.
The Subsistances are not what gives me the Least trouble, but I am going to do every thing possible to endeavour to have some assured till the 3d; after which day, I expect that some may arrive from Fish’skeel. I send to your Excellency at Peekskill the Munitionary3 for the Subsistances to take your orders about the means he is to employ to make the bread arrive to us, either by Land or water.4
I send to your Excellency the Intelligences I have received yesterday from M. T. Correspondant.5 The arrival of the Cork fleet into the hook, seems to me worth while to be attended to, as well as the passing of some troops thro’ hellgate to York island, where it seems the enemy is gathering forces behind King’s bridge. If your Excellency changes any thing in your project, you will be so good as to Let me know it to morrow night at ridgebury, where I expect to receive your Excellency’s Last orders.6 I am with respect and personal attachment Sir, Your Excellency’s Most obedient and most humble servant
le Cte de Rochambeau
LS, DLC:GW; LB, in French, DLC: Rochambeau Papers, vol. 9; LB, in French, DLC: Rochambeau Papers, vol. 12. Both letter-book versions indicate that this letter was written at midnight.
1. See GW to Rochambeau, this date.
2. For the marching arrangement of the French army, see Rochambeau to GW, 15 June, n.2.
3. On both letter-book copies this word is “munitionnaire,” meaning a commissary.
4. GW’s aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman had written Q.M. Gen. Timothy Pickering from headquarters on 15 June: “Three Officers with 24 Artificers from the French Army are expected at Fishkill landing this day, to erect Ovens—Will you be pleased to give orders to the Dy Qr Mr Gl to procure them Quarters upon their Arrival—I find they will be under great difficulty in procuring Bricks. If you know of any within reach they will readily pay for them” (DNA: RG 93, manuscript file, no. 26016; the cover is addressed to Pickering at Newburgh, N.Y.; the docket reads: “recd & acted upon 15th”).
5. Both letter-book versions confirm that the initials refer to Maj. Benjamin Tallmadge.
Rochambeau enclosed an unaddressed letter from Samuel Culper (Abraham Woodhull’s alias), written at Setauket, N.Y., on 27 June: “Your Letter of the 23 Instant was handed me Yesterday by Mr. S—— And observe the contents—Sorry it had not arrived one day earlier, that might have directd Austin Roe. Agreeable thereto, I cannot think I Should be Safe in going to New York—For reasons mentiond heretofore And the most can do in complyance with your very urgent request. For have engaged a faithfull And capable freind to report to me agreeable to your Queries on the 4 of July—Sooner could not obtain it.
“Below is the report of Austin Roe this moment returned from New York. And communicated to him by our late correspondents—A Cork Fleet Just arrived at the Hook numbers and particulars unknown—Arbuthnots Fleet C[r]uising of the Hook—Accounts from the Southward favourable—Coll Ludlows & the Jersey Voulunteers have left Loyds Neck, And are now at Jamaica, The Yaugers And Anspach Regmt Amounting to about 800 Men Croossed Hell Gate yesterday on to York Island—The 17 Dragons & mounted Yaugers are about Islip South—The Enemy expect an Attack, And are Contracting their lines, And collecting in force at K. Bridge. There appears a greater number of Transports in full vew about Newyork now than Some time past but no Ships of force.
“Inclosed you have the papers. … N.B. The Enemy have no more than Six Sale of the line” (DLC:GW; underlines signify decoded text; for the code, see Tallmadge to GW, 25 July 1779). The newspapers have not been identified.