To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 13 December 1780
From Major General Lafayette
philadelphia december the 13th 1780
My dear General
I have Not Yet Receiv’d Your Answer to Any of My letters—since My last No News have Come to hand—I hope We Shall Soon Some Way or other hear from france.1
After Many debates Congress have Elected Clel Laurens as An Envoy to france—But he Still Refuses to Go and thinks hamilton Ought to be sent—how this Will End I do Not know2—doctor franklin has A party Against him—I think it Would be Very wrong to Recall him.3
The letter which I wrote to You from paramus has been put into the hands of clel Gouvion Who Was then Going to New Windsor—there Was Nothing Material in it But What Related to hamilton.4
Vicomte de Noaïlles and Count de Damas Will Take Albany in theyr Way to Newport5—Cher du plessis is With them and has Requested I Would Write to You On A particular Business of his—he is Gone to france on furlough and Therefore hopes he May be intitl’d to the half pay—As Fleury and himself Are the only ones in this same Case, I think it Would be Well to decide it in theyr favor.6
Cher dubuisson whose Wounds do not Seem So very Dangerous as I expected is Earnestly Solliciting that I Will Send A letter of his to General Reidezel—inclos’d You Will find it as Well as a Line from Me Which I Reluctantly Wrote—if You find the Least impropriety in it, I Request, My Dear General, You will please Not to Send it—at least to Suppress Mine—I hate to have the Air of Asking Any favor from Them, and drew as Cold a letter as Decency Could permit.7
Will You be pleas’d, My dear General, to present My Respects to Mistress Washington and My Best Compliments to The family8—Most Affectionately and Respectfully I have the honor to be Your friend
Lafayette
ALS, PEL; ADfS, in French, Lafayette Papers, LaGrange, France.
1. Lafayette last wrote GW on 9 Dec.; see also his letters to GW on 4 and 5 (twice) December (first letter; second letter).
2. Lt. Col. John Laurens accepted the assignment as congressional envoy to France (see Laurens to GW, 6 Nov., n.2).
3. Benjamin Franklin remained U.S. minister to France.
5. See GW’s second letter to James Clinton, 19 Dec., and the source note to that document.
7. Neither the enclosed letter from Lieutenant Colonel Dubuysson to Major General Riedesel nor Lafayette’s recommendation has been identified. Dubuysson had appealed repeatedly for official intervention to facilitate his prisoner exchange (see his letter to GW, 2 Sept., and n.2 to that document; see also GW to Dubuysson, 1 Feb. 1781, DLC:GW).
8. Lafayette means GW’s military family (see General Orders, 28 Oct., source note).