Memoirs, Correspondence and Manuscripts of General Lafayette by Lafayette

L >> Lafayette >> Memoirs, Correspondence and Manuscripts of General Lafayette

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38

Inclosed I send to your excellency the copy of my letters to congress,
which, in concert with Mr. Franklin's longer despatches, will give you
a sketch of European intelligence. Contrary winds have much delayed an
expedition which I think should have been undertaken much sooner: the
kings of France and Spain seem desirous of carrying it on before the
winter; it may be, however, deferred till next spring, and the siege of
Gibraltar would be the only land expedition for the present campaign.
In a few weeks time, when West India successes may be compared to those
in Europe, my gazettes and predictions will have a greater degree of
certainty, but one must not be a conjuror to see that England is in
such a way that one may defy her to get up again, and that a happy
peace, blessed with American independence, will, in this or the ensuing
campaign, be the certain effect of the present war.

As my private circumstances are somewhat interesting to your
friendship, I will tell you, my dear general, that since my last letter
I have hardly quitted this place, where head-quarters had been fixed. I
was to disembark with the grenadiers forming the vanguard, and am,
therefore, one of the first who will land on the English shore. The
king's own regiment of dragoons, which he gave me on my return, was to
embark at Brest, and join us a few days after the landing. From Count
d'Estaing's expedition on the American coasts, the nation raises great
expectations, and very impatiently waits for intelligence. How unhappy
I am to find myself so far from you on such an occasion you will easily
conceive. The impression of sorrow such a thought gives me cannot be
alleviated but by the sense I have that the general opinion of the turn
warlike operations will take this campaign, the ties of my duty towards
my own country, where my services had been employed for the expedition
against England, and the hope I entertained of being here more useful
to the United States, had not left me the choice of the part I should
take for this campaign. I hope, my dear sir, you will agree in opinion
with me.

Whatever may be Count d'Estaing's success in America, it will bring on
new projects and operations. My ideas I laid before your excellency at
Fishkill; but permit me to tell you again how earnestly I wish to join
you. Nothing could make me so delighted as the happiness of finishing
the war under your orders. That, I think, if asked by you, will be
granted to congress and your excellency. But be certain, my dear
general, that in any situation, in any case, let me act as a French or
as an American officer, my first wish, my first pleasure, will be to
serve again with you. However happy I am in France, however well
treated by my country and king, I have taken such a habit of being with
you, I am tied to you, to America, to my fellow soldiers by such an
affection, that the moment when I shall sail for your country will be
one of the most wished for and the happiest in my life.

From an American newspaper I find that a certain English intelligence
had been propagated through the United States, that, at the head of
fifteen hundred officers or non-commissioned officers, I was going to
embark for America, and that, with soldiers of your army embodied under
them, I wanted to teach military discipline throughout the _American
army_. However remote I am from thinking of teaching my own masters,
and however distant from such views was that command in France, whose
end you very well know, I could not help taking it as a reflection on
the _American army_. The English troops may remember that on some
particular occasions I have not had to lament the want of discipline
and spirit in the troops which I had the honour to command. Whilst we
have but the same British army to fight with, we need not be looking
out for any other improvement than the same qualities which have often
enabled my fellow American soldiers to give, instead of receiving,
pretty good lessons to an enemy, whose justly-reputed courage added a
new reputation to American bravery and military conduct.

The above article, my dear general, I beg you will have _printed in the
several newspapers_.

As there is but a little time to write before the sailing of the
vessel, I cannot call to mind all the friends I have in the army,
unless your excellency is pleased to make them a thousand compliments
from one who heartily loves them, and whose first wish is to be again
in their company.

I congratulate you, my dear general, on the spirited expedition of
Stony Point,~[2] and am glad it has added, a new lustre to our arms.

Be so kind, my dear friend, as to present my best respects to your
lady. Mine begs leave to be kindly remembered to you and to her.
Thousand assurances of friendship wait from me on your family.

Oh! my dear general, how happy I should be to embrace you again!

With such affection as is above all expressions any language may
furnish, I have the honour to be, very respectfully, &c.

Footnotes:

1. To this letter was joined a long letter to the president of
congress, which contained nearly the same things, expressed in a
different manner.

2. A brilliant exploit of General Wayne, who, on the 15th of July, took
by assault the fort of Stony Point, and forced five hundred and
fifty-four English to capitulate.

TO M. DE VERGENNES.

Versailles, February 2d, 1780.

You approved, sir, of my putting down in writing, before conversing
with you upon the subject of the expedition, some of the measures
necessary to be taken in either of the following cases: first, if I
should command the French detachment; and secondly, if I should resume
an American division.~[1]

I must begin by observing that this commission is not only a military
and political, but also a social affair: and from the circumstances
under which I am now placed, I assure you, on my honour, that I believe
the first measure would be most favourable to the public service, and
the interest of France as regards her allies.

As I must immediately begin my preparations, I should wish to be
informed of the decision in sufficient time to select some officers of
proper age, experience, and talents, with whom I can become acquainted
before I take charge of the corps; and on this account it is necessary
to arrange matters immediately with the Prince de Montbarrey. Two old
experienced lieutenant-colonels should command the infantry under me:
in distant expeditions, it is necessary that officers should suit each
other, and I am particularly fond of old officers.

In regard to myself, sir, I ask for nothing,--and as during the course
of a war I may hope to acquire rank, you might either give me one of
those commissions of M. de Sartine, which are only of use in America,
or one that would not prevent my seniors from resuming afterwards their
rank, or else letters of service, to enable me simply to command in the
capacity of an American general officer.

There are three methods of concealing the real aim of the expedition:
1st, to set out together for Lorient, under pretence of taking an
island, and operating in Carolina in the autumn;--2nd, to pretend to
send troops to M. de Bouille; there need be no commander, and I should
have the title of _marechal-des-logis;_--3d, for me to set out
immediately with the grenadiers and dragoons for America, and that the
four battalions, commanded by the two ancient officers, should join me
at Rhode Island.

If I should have the command, you may act with perfect security,
because the Americans know me too well to feel the slightest anxiety. I
will bind myself, if it be desired, to ask for neither rank nor titles,
and, to put the ministry quite at their ease, I will even promise to
refuse them should they be offered me.

In the second case, sir, it would be necessary to prevent, beforehand,
in America, the bad effects that the arrival of another commander would
excite: that I am not to lead that detachment is the last idea that
could ever occur in that country; I will say, therefore, that for
myself I prefer having an American division.

I must be in the secret to prepare the various measures, and inform
General Washington of the transaction. A secret with which I was not
acquainted would appear very suspicious at Philadelphia.

Three merchant frigates and a transport ship would be procured at
Lorient. We have, it is said, an American crew; the fifteen thousand
suits of clothes, and fifteen thousand guns, &c. might be embarked; at
the end of the month it would be necessary to set out for the
continent.

On arriving at a port, I should endeavour to commence my operations
with General Washington; I should take a division in the army, and,
with M. de la Luzerne's aid, prepare everything for the arrival of the
French. To increase the number of my division,--to serve as an example
to them,--to change the ideas entertained respecting us,--and to shew
in what perfect good intelligence French and Americans may live
together,--I should request to take with me, at once, a battalion of
six hundred grenadiers, three hundred dragoons, and one hundred
hussars.

Two or three officers, whom I should bring back with me, must obtain
the same rank in France which they had in America, and I should say
that I have refused that rank myself from motives which are purely
social. This attention is necessary to flatter the self-love of the
Americans. We may stop at Bermuda on our way, and establish there the
party for liberty.

I shall set out on Wednesday for Nantes, where the clothes are making;
I shall also attend to the selection of the arms; I shall see the
king's regiment at Angers, to form a detachment from it; I shall repair
to Lorient to hasten the arrangement of the frigates, and to see the
battalion of grenadiers; I shall only be here the 20th, and as my
departure must be public, I shall take leave the 25th, in an American
uniform, and if the wind be favourable, I shall sail the 1st of March.

As it is physically impossible that a detachment commanded by a
foreigner should amalgamate together well, I believe it would be
necessary to increase it by a battalion, which would raise the number
to about three thousand six hundred, and the grenadiers would remain
more particularly attached to me during the campaign.

If that little corps be given to an old field-marshal, we should
certainly displease all the American chiefs. Gates, Sullivan, and Saint
Clair, would not like to be under the orders of others, and their
opinion in the council would be opposed to combined expeditions. I
think it necessary, very necessary, to select a brigadier, and name him
field-marshal, which he would look upon as a promotion. The corps must
consider itself as a division of our army; its commander must abjure
all pretensions, think himself an American major-general, and execute,
in all respects, the orders of General Washington. The naval commander
may have more power placed in his hands.

Conclusion. 1st, I think it would be best to give me the corps.--2d, If
it be not given to me, I must instantly set out with the powers I
demand. In either case, it is, unfortunately, necessary to reveal to me
the secret, and set me immediately to work.

I shall have the honour, sir, of paying my respects to you during the
procession.

Footnote:

1. This letter contains the basis of the plan which was finally
adopted. We have been obliged to retrench several letters which relate
to projects analogous to those presented at various periods by M. de
Lafayette. It was at length determined to send an auxiliary corps even
stronger than he had hoped to obtain. As to himself, he was to precede
it to America, whither he repaired with political instructions from the
French cabinet, and to resume a command in the army of the United
States. His instructions are dated the 5th of March; his departure took
place the 19th.

TO HIS EXCELLENCY GENERAL WASHINGTON.~[1]

(ORIGINAL.)

At the entrance of Boston harbour, April 27, 1780.

Here I am, my dear general, and, in the midst of the joy I feel in
finding myself again one of your loving soldiers, I take but the time
to tell you that I came from France on board a frigate which the king
gave me for my passage. I have affairs of the utmost importance which I
should at first communicate to you alone. In case my letter finds you
anywhere this side of Philadelphia, I beg you will wait for me, and do
assure you a great public good may be derived from it.

To-morrow we go up to the town, and the day after I shall set off in my
usual way to joined my beloved and respected friend and general.

Adieu, my dear general; you will easily know the hand of your young
soldier.

My compliments to the family.

Footnote:

1. The second of the measures discussed in the preceding letter was the
one preferred, and M. de Lafayette embarked alone at the island of Aix.

TO M. DE VERGENNES.

Waterburg, on the Boston road,

From the Camp, May 6th, 1780.

I have already had the honour of writing to you, sir, and of announcing
to you the news of my arrival; but I place so much confidence in the
kindness you express for me, that I do not hesitate to repeat the
contents of my former letter. It was the 28th of April, after a voyage
of thirty-eight days, and after having experienced both calms and
contrary winds, that the _Hermione_ entered the Boston harbour. I
cannot sufficiently express my admiration of the frigate herself, and
my gratitude to her commanding officers.

I can neither give you any certain information, sir, nor promise you
any degree of accuracy respecting numbers and dates. General Washington
can alone inform me of the truth; but this does appear to me certain;--

Our army is not numerous; the eastern states are occupied in recruiting
it. Paper has been regulated by congress at forty for one: these are
very high taxes, and they hope to be able to raise the finances a
little, which are in a very low state; but, at present, I cannot give
you any settled ideas upon this point.

The scarcity of horses, their price, and the want of provisions, have
very much increased during my absence; but I assure you, sir, that, in
a moral point of view, I continue to see a most favourable prospect for
my American friends.

General Clinton has besieged Charlestown, and as he has eight or ten
thousand men, and the report is spread that his vessels have crossed
the bar, it is impossible not to fear for that place, unless Spanish or
French vessels should come from the islands to its succour. Some troops
from the army of General Washington have proceeded thither.

New York has only six or seven thousand garrisoned men; such is, at
least, the public report, and I do not believe that the hostile forces
are much more numerous at present. They say, at Boston, that there are
only four thousand men; but I repeat, sir, that my gazettes cannot be
at all accurate at present.

The English have but few vessels at Charlestown; at most they have
only, I think, one or two at New York. It is said here, and every one
seems to believe it, that if some French forces were to arrive at this
moment, they might strike some decisive blows.

Be pleased, sir, to accept the assurance of the warm and respectful
affection with which I have the honour to be, &c.

P.S. Some American officers, just come from New York, assure me that a
frigate has, arrived with important despatches from the English
government. Don Juan de Miralles, who has been long established at
Philadelphia, and who knows M. d'Aranda, died at Morristown; he was
buried with much honour.

FROM GENERAL WASHINGTON.

(ORIGINAL.)

Morristown, May, 1783.

My dear Marquis,--Your welcome favour of the 27th of April came to my
hands yesterday. I received it with all the joy that the sincerest
friendship would dictate, and with that impatience which an ardent
desire to see you could not fail to inspire. I am sorry I do not know
your route through the State of New York, that I might with certainty
send a small party of horse, all I have at this place, to meet and
escort you safely through the Tory settlements, between this place and
the North River. At all events, Major Gibbs will go as far as Compton,
where the roads unite, to meet you and will proceed from thence, as
circumstances may direct, either towards King's Ferry or New Windsor. I
most sincerely congratulate you on your safe arrival in America, and
shall embrace you with all the warmth of an affectionate friend, when
you come to head-quarters, where a bed is prepared for you. Adieu till
we meet. Yours, &c.~[1]

Footnote:

1. General Washington expressed, in several letters, the
pleasure he felt at M. de Lafayette's return. (See his letters of the
13th and 14th of May.) The 16th of May, the congress declared, by a
public resolution, that "they consider his return as a fresh proof of
the disinterested zeal and persevering attachment which have justly
recommended him to the public confidence and applause, and that they
receive with pleasure a tender of the further services of so gallant
and meritorious an officer."--(Journal of Congress, May 20th.)

It was afterwards resolved that the commander-in-chief, after having
received the communications M. de Lafayette had to make to him, was to
take the proper measures which were most likely to forward the success
of the plan they had in view. The communications related to the
expected arrival of a French squadron and land forces. The plan in
contemplation was to make some attacks, especially on New York.

TO THE COUNT DE ROCHAMBEAU.

Philadelphia, 19th May, 1780.

Sir,--This letter will be handed to you by M. de Galvan, a French
officer in the service of the United States, and you may receive with
confidence the various accounts which he will have the honour to give
you. I have appointed him to await your arrival at Cape Henry, and you
will see that my instructions to this officer are in conformity with
those which I have received from the Count de Vergennes.~[1]

I reached Boston. on the 26th of April. On the morning of the 10th of
May, I was at head-quarters, and after passing four days with General
Washington, I went to meet the Chevalier de la Luzerne. The military
preparations and the political measures which it was necessary for us
to attend to, have delayed M. de Galvan up to the present moment. I now
hasten to despatch him to his destination, and shall keep him informed
of whatever news may be interesting to you, continuing to add the ideas
of the general, with regard to the best means of improving present
circumstances.

Immediately upon my arrival, confidential persons were sent out to
procure plans and details upon the different points which become
interesting for the operations of this campaign. As to other matters,
the Chevalier de la Luzerne has had the goodness to enable me, as far
as possible, to fulfil my instructions, and he has taken the first
measures requisite to procure a supply of food and other necessaries
for the land and naval forces. Although the scarcity of all things is
infinitely greater than when I left America, the precautions taken
before-hand by the Chevalier de la Luzerne, and the measures we are now
taking here, render it certain that the French will not be in want,
either of flour or of fresh meat.

I will now give you a summary of the present situation of the enemy on
the continent. I shall say nothing of Canada, or Halifax, or the
Penobscot, from whence we are expecting news, and which, for the
moment, are not of essential importance. Rhode Island is in our
possession; you can enter it in full security; letters, signals, and
pilots will await you there, agreeably to my instructions. Your
magazines, your sick, and all your unnecessary baggage, can go up the
Providence by water; I shall soon send to Rhode Island more particular
information on this point.

The enemy have, at the present moment, seven thousand men of their best
troops employed at the siege of Charlestown; they have also some ships
of the line without the harbour; one vessel of fifty guns, two frigates
of forty-four, and several smaller vessels. According to news from New
York, Charlestown still held out on the 3rd of this month. On the
Islands of New York, Long Island, and Staten Island, the forces of the
enemy consisted of eight thousand regular troops, a few militia, upon
which they place no dependence, and a small number of royalists, very
contemptible in all respects. They have only one ship of
seventy-four guns, and some frigates. The American army is in three
divisions; one guards the fort of West Point and keeps open the North
River; another is in South Carolina; and the third, which is the
largest, is in the Jerseys, under the immediate command of General
Washington. This last division, not very numerous at present, will be
increased in a few days; and for that reason, I shall defer till
another letter giving you a more exact account of its situation.

Your voyage is known at New York. Advices were immediately sent on to
Charlestown, recalling either the troops, or at least the ships of war.
They are erecting fortifications on the Island, and preparing vessels
loaded with stones to obstruct the passage; in a word, if it be true
that the present divided state of the English forces seems to insure
their destruction, and to promise us the conquest of New York, it is
equally true that, at the moment of your arrival, if by good fortune
things remain in their present state, we shall have no time to lose in
taking advantage of those favourable circumstances.

At the same time that I here execute the orders of my general, and
communicate to you the sentiments of my friend, permit me to assure you
of the strong desire of our army to do whatever may please you, and how
much we shall all endeavour to merit the friendship and the esteem of
troops, whose assistance at the present moment is so essential to us.
You will find amongst us a great deal of good will, a great deal of
sincerity, and above all, a great desire to be agreeable to you.

I send a duplicate of this letter to the Chevalier de Ternay, and I
shall send the same to Point Judith and Seaconnet; so that in case you
should make land at Rhode Island, you may at once sail for Sandy Hook.
The next letter which I shall have the honour to write to you, will be
dated at headquarters. The confidence of General Washington, which M.
de Galvan has deserved, and the means which he has of fulfilling his
instructions, all assure me that you will be satisfied with our choice.
I have the honour to be, &c.

Footnote:

1. The instructions given to M. de Lafayette by the minister of foreign
affairs, (5th March, 1780), were, that, to prevent any mistake or
delay, he was to place, both on Rhode Island and on Cape Henry (the
mouth of the Chesapeake), a French officer, to await the arrival of the
French squadron, which was to land at one of those two points, and to
give it all the information it might require on its arrival. This
letter was consequently given to M. de Galvan, and he repaired to Cape
Henry, but vainly expected those frigates: they landed at Rhode Island.
they left Brest the 2nd of May, under the orders of the Chevalier de
Ternay, and appeared before Newport the 10th of July. This letter was
delivered afterwards to M. de Rochambeau, as well as several others,
which want of space and interest do not allow us to insert.

TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.

(ORIGINAL.)

Camp at Preakness, July 4th, 1780.

You know, my dear general, that I am very anxious to see the army well
clothed for this campaign; the importance of such a measure is on every
account obvious, and from the knowledge I have of the auxiliary troops
that are coming, I can so well demonstrate its necessity that I shall
for the present but attend to the means of executing it.

In the space of six months (we know from experience) the coats of our
soldiers begin to be worn out, so that there is no great inconvenience
in giving some new clothes to the draftsmen, and after they shall be
discharged, the number of the remaining soldiers will not much exceed
six or seven thousand men; as those very men will have been completely
clothed by the middle of July, I think I make full allowance for them
by keeping in store the seven thousand unmade suits that have been
shipped by Mr. Ross.

If more are wanted in the course of next summer, I engage to go over to
France and bring back ten thousand complete suits properly conveyed.

Excluding wagoners, servants, and all such people who do not want to be
uniformly clothed, we may calculate the continental army to consist of
fourteen thousand men in the field. There may be found in the army four
thousand coats and waistcoats which are not absolutely bad, four
thousand stocks or cravats, and one thousand pretty good hats.

We may get from the stores fifteen thousand overalls, ten thousand
pairs of shoes, three thousand round hats, and some few shirts.

There are also six or seven hundred coats of every colour, to which may
be added about three or four hundred of the same kind, and some
indifferent hats found in the army, &c.

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38