To George Washington from Colonel Christopher Greene, 4 June 1780
From Colonel Christopher Greene
Newport [R.I.] 4th June 1780.
Sir
Your Excellency’s Orders of the 15th Ult. I received on the 30th. Have Set my Regiment to work as Directed1—The Q.M. will have Twelve Carpenters at work on the Boats the Day after Tomorrow, and will I trust Soon get them all repair’d We had previous to receiving Orders got Nearly Twenty done—The Departments being out of Money has caused an unavoidable Delay ’till this time—It wou’d have been Almost Impossible to have got Carpenters to work had not the Council of War ordered money from the Genl Treasury—Every Material mentioned in the Orders we are geting together as fast as possible.
His Excellency the Govr Acquainted me with The Business Majr Fayolle came on2 and although he was directed to Take post at Point Judith;3 yet Finding Brentons Neck on this Island4 a much better place to Observe from, has concluded to remain here untill he has an Answer to what he writes by this Express5—I think the place mentioned will fully Answer for Observing from the Land without Taking any other Situation Especially as we have a Vessell to Crouise of[f] Block Island to give Signals—Capt. Fontaig⟨n⟩e will notwithstanding Take post this Day at Seconnet Point.6 I am with the greatest Respect your Excellency’s most obt Humle Servt
C. Greene
ALS, DLC:GW. GW’s secretary Robert Hanson Harrison wrote “no answer necessary” on the docket.
1. On 30 May, Greene wrote Rhode Island governor William Greene: “In consequence of orders received from Gen. Washington to immediately set my regiment to work in making fascines, till further orders; and having yesterday found the proper stuff for the purpose, in North Kingstown, have ordered the regiment there” (, 9:112–13).
2. For the mission of Major Fayolle, see GW to William Greene, 23 May.
3. Located at sea level on the southeastern tip of South Kingstown (now Narragansett), R.I., Point Judith commanded the approach to Narragansett Bay about twelve miles southwest of Newport.
4. Brenton Neck, now Newport Neck, with an elevation of fifty feet, formed the extreme southern portion of Newport and overlooked the approach to Narragansett Bay.
5. No letter has been found from Fayolle to GW.
6. For GW’s orders to Captain Rochefontaine, see his letter to William Greene of 24 May, found at GW to Greene, 23 May, source note. Rochefontaine assumed Fayolle’s assignments after the latter’s death on 8 June (see Lafayette to La Luzerne, 15 June, in American Historical Review, 20 [January 1915], 354–55; see also Boston Gazette, and the Country Journal, 12 June 1780).