To George Washington from Colonel Dillon, 1 March 1781
From Colonel Dillon
philadelphie ce 1er mars 1781
Mon general
L’amitié qui éxiste entre Mr le Cote De charlus et Mr Le marqui De La fayette m’offre une ocasion toujours heureuse pour un Soldat—Mr De charlus est Décidé a Suivre L’éxpédition que votre éxcelence a confiée a Mr De La fayette,1 Son éxemple, et la permission que ce géneral veut Bien me Donner de la Suivre comme volontaire ne Peut qu’être aprouvé De touts ceux qui veulent Bien S’intérésser a moi. j’ose me flatter que votre permission me Donnera le Droit D’être témoin De Sês Sucçês, Dont le courage éprouvé Des troupes qu’il a Sous Sês ordres ne me permettent pas De Douter.
je Suis trop heureux que cette ocasion me mêtte a portée De présenter a votre éxcellence les homages respectueux avec les quels je Suis Mon general Votre tres humble et tres obeissant Serviteur
Robrt Dillon
ALS, DLC:GW.
Dillon requests to join Major General Lafayette’s expedition as a volunteer.
GW replied to Dillon from headquarters at New Windsor on 23 March: “Your favor of the 1st from Philada met me at this place on my return from Newport—I cannot but approve that Zeal which carries you to the southward with the Marquis de la Fayette while I am assured that you would not have undertaken the measure had it in the least interfered with your duty in the French Army.
“I had the pleasure of seeing your Brothers and other Friend[s] well at Lebanon” (Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW). GW had departed for Newport on 2 March (see his letter to Rochambeau, that date). He stopped at Lebanon, Conn., on his return to New Windsor, where he arrived on 20 March (see GW to Rochambeau, 16 March, Cty-BR:R; see also GW to Chastellux, 21 March).
Dillon’s brothers, Capt. Guillaume Henri Dillon (b. 1760) and Lt. François Théobald, comte Dillon (1764–1837), were officers in the legion of Brigadier General Lauzun. François Théobald eventually rose to the rank of maréchal de camp and became an honorary lieutenant general in 1825.
1. For Colonel Charlus’s request to join Lafayette’s expedition as a volunteer, see Charlus to GW, this date. For the orders for the expedition to Virginia, see GW to Lafayette, 20 Feb. (both letters [1 and 2]).