From George Washington to Lieutenant General Rochambeau, 18 October 1780
To Lieutenant General Rochambeau
Head Quarters Prakness Octr 18th 80
Sir,
On the 16th the fleet containing the embarkation, mentioned in my last, sailed1—It consisted, according to the general tenor of my advices,2 of the grenadiers and light infantry, two levy corps detachments from several regiments and a small one of horse amounting in the whole to about3 three thousand. The destination most commonly supposed is a Southern one, which appears to me the more probable, as Cornwallis, by the last advices had advanced to Charlotte in North Carolina—Rhode Island however is spoken of.4
My advices mention the arrival of a fleet from England; a part of it transports with troops, two British regiments, some german and scotch recruits, in the whole about 2600 men. The Cork fleet not yet arrived.5 I have the honor [to] be with the greatt regard Yr Excellency’s Most huml. st
G: W——n
Df, in Alexander Hamilton’s writing, DLC:GW; LB, in French, DLC: Rochambeau Papers, vol. 7; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. Rochambeau replied to GW on 23 October.
1. GW last wrote Rochambeau on 14 Oct. (see Rochambeau to GW, 8 Oct., n.4). The letter-book version indicates that GW means the letter he wrote Rochambeau on 12 October.
2. The letter-book version omits the preceding eight words (see also John Hendricks to GW, 17 Oct., n.2).
3. The letter-book version omits any qualifier.
5. For this supply fleet’s arrival, see Nathanael Greene to GW, 23 Sept., n.1; see also the cross reference in n.2 above.