To George Washington from Captain Destouches, 7 February 1781
From Captain Destouches
à Bord du Neptune Rade de Neuport ce 7e fer 1781.
jay l’honneur d’informer votre Éxellence, que Mr Le Ch[evali]er de La Luzerne, m’ayant apris Le desir q’uavet Les Ètats de virginie et du marillans, d’avoir des forces maritimes En état de détruire et dissiper La flotille de piratte qui dézole Les Cotes de La Baÿe de chezapeak. ayant Le plus grend desir dêtre útile aux Ètats únis de L’amerique, jay sur le champt destiné un vaisseau et deux fregates, pour Ramplir Cet óbjet1 et celuy de transporter a la ville D’yorc, Les àrmes et habilements destiné pour LÈtat de virginie, qui se trouvoint á la providence par Évennement de guerre.2
son Éxellence, aura peutêtre deja etè informee que LÈscadre de Lámiral grève, avèt [avait] Essuié un Échec dans un Coup de vent assè violent, qui fit Courrir de grands Risques á deux de mes fregates, venent de Boston quàtre vaisseaux anglais qui étoint sortis de gardener Baÿe, pour s’opposer à Leurs passages, ne sen sont pas sy Bien tiré. L’un deux [d’eux] de 74 Canons à etè jetté à La Cote de Longues island, et un second Dématé de tous ses mâts.3 Ensorte qu’il ne Reste dans gardener Bay que sept vaisseaux Embossé sur une Ligne, Ce qui Ren⟨d⟩ nos forces plus Égales, et Les mèt dans Letas [l’état] de ne pas se diviser, tenant mon Escadre toujours preste à mettre sous voille, et proteger ainsy mon Éxpedition dans la Baye de chezapeack, Contre Le ⟨sr⟩ árnauld, que ie [je] Regarderés, Comme Le plus Beau jour de ma vie, Celuy de vous Le Livrer prisonnier de guerre. jay l’honneur d’etre avec Respect De votre Éxellence Le tres humble et Tres òbeissant serviteur
Destouche
ALS, DLC:GW. For GW’s receipt of this letter on 20 Feb., see his reply to Destouches on 22 February.
GW’s aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman wrote on the verso of the final page of the ALS: “be pleased to translate this.” Also on the verso, GW’s aide-de-camp Alexander Hamilton summarized the letter: “He informs the General that in consequence of an intimation from the Chevalier [de La Luzerne] of the desire of Virginia to have something attempted against Arnold, he had detached 1 ship of the line and two frigates to the bay and held the rest of his fleet ready to protect his operation.
“He speaks of the loss suffered by the enemy in the storm and now gives them seven Vessels of the line.
“Says it will be the happiest day of his life to deliver Arnold prisoner to us.
“Says he has sent in the abovementioned vessels arms and ammunition which arrived at Providence for the state of Virginia.”
1. French minister La Luzerne’s letter to Destouches was dated 16 Jan. 1781 (see , 3:319).
Since the sailing of the expedition under British brigadier general Benedict Arnold from New York in December 1780, Virginia delegate Theodorick Bland, apprehensive that Arnold’s force was destined for Virginia, had been pressing La Luzerne to have Destouches send a line-of-battle ship and two frigates to Chesapeake Bay (see Bland to Thomas Jefferson, 9 Feb. 1781, in , 16:693–94). On 26 Jan., Virginian Richard Henry Lee had written Bland: “For Heaven’s sake, for the preservation of the sacred cause of liberty, press every motive and strain every nerve, to procure an adequate naval aid. … if secrecy and despatch were used, one ship of the line and two frigates would be the means of delivering Arnold and his people into our hands; since the strongest ship here is a forty-four, which covers all their operations” (, 2:57–58). The ships did not sail until 9 Feb. (see Rochambeau to GW, 12 Feb.).
2. For the request from the Virginia delegates to have this shipment of arms, ammunition, and clothing delivered to Virginia (see Virginia Delegates to Samuel Nightingale, Jr., 30 Dec. 1780 and 2 Jan. 1781, and to Jefferson, 1 Jan. 1781, in , 16:518, 541, 528–29).
3. For the sailing of these British warships from Gardiners Bay in pursuit of French warships, and for the subsequent storm that wrecked a British 74-gun ship and heavily damaged another warship, see Rochambeau to GW, 29 Jan. and 3 February.