Lieutenant General Rochambeau to George Washington, 4 July 1781
From Lieutenant General Rochambeau
North Castle, July 4th 1781.
10. o’clock A.M.
Sir,
I arrived here with the first Brigade yesterday at 9. A.M. The 2d by a forced march joined me in the afternoon, and we are now all together ready to execute your orders.1 I wait with the greatest impatience to hear from you and the Duke de Lauzun. I have caused my march to be opened on White plains, in case circumstances should render it necessary.2 I am with respect and personal attachment Sir, Your Excellency’s Most obedient and humble Servant
Le Cte de Rochambeau
LS, DLC:GW. The French camped around North Castle Church (now Mount Kisco) in Westchester County, New York.
Rochambeau’s aide-de-camp Ludwig von Closen wrote in his journal entry for this date that “M. de Rochambeau sent me with Colonel Cobb to find General Washington, whom we joined in White Plains, where his army was resting, while he was selecting a camp site there. White Plains is a certain district containing only some hills and wasteland, almost uninhabited and full of heather and thorns. I had a chance to see the American army, man for man. It was really painful to see these brave men, almost naked, with only some trousers and little linen jackets, most of them without stockings, but, would you believe it? very cheerful and healthy in appearance. A quarter of them were negroes, merry, confident, and sturdy” (, 89).
1. Rochambeau had diverted his army to North Castle Church in response to orders (see GW to Rochambeau, 2 July). In his journal entry for 3 July, French lieutenant Clermont-Crèvecœur recorded that the first brigade had marched five miles from Bedford, N.Y., to North Castle Church “by a very pretty road [Guard Hill Road]. The Second Division joined us that day, having marched 24 miles. … Everything here has been either destroyed or burned by the English” (, 1:32, brackets in source; see also Rochambeau to GW, 15 June, n.2).
French captain Berthier began his journal entry for 3 July: “The Second Brigade left Ridgebury at three in the morning and at one that afternoon arrived at North Castle, 22 miles away, where it joined the First Brigade, which had arrived from Bedford.
“The Fourth Division, which had marched without a day’s halt from East Hartford, 92 miles away, made this last 22-mile march in excessive heat with a courage and gaiety quite in keeping with the ardor of the French. …
“The grenadiers and chasseurs camped on a height. … The rest of the army was encamped on high ground. … The position was an excellent one, since its left was protected by marshes and closed by mountains and woodland” (, 1:248). For the French encampment, see map 38 in , 2:233.