From George Washington to Lieutenant General Rochambeau, 12 November 1780
To Lieutenant General Rochambeau
Head Quarters Passaic Falls 12th Novemr 1780
Sir
I have not been honored with any of your Excellency’s favors since mine of the 4th instant—neither have I received any intelligences from New York contradicting what I communicated in that letter, on the contrary, the accounts seem confirmed.1
I have lately made an exchange of a considerable number of prisoners with Sir Henry Clinton—part of the British are at Rutland in Massachusetts Bay, and it is stipulated that they shall be allowed to embark2 on board a Flag Vessel that will be sent from New York for that purpose, I have thought it proper to give Your Excellency this previous notice.3 I have the honor to be with the highest Esteem Your Excellency’s most obt and humble Servant
Go: Washington
LS, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, CtY-BR:R; Df, DLC:GW; Rochambeau’s French translation, CtY-BR:R; LB, in French, DLC: Rochambeau Papers, vol. 7; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. See GW to Rochambeau, 4 Nov., and Lafayette to GW, 11 Nov.; see also GW to Rochambeau, 16 November.
2. The words “at Providence or Newport” appear at this point on the draft, which is in the writing of GW’s aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman.
3. GW had acceded to a prisoner exchange agreement (see Henry Clinton to GW, 4 Nov.; William Phillips to GW, same date; and GW to Abraham Skinner, 8 Nov.; see also GW to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 13 Dec.).