Washington's Engineer by Norman Desmarais (speed reading book TXT) 📕

destroying the works of the English on both sides of the river, and in repairing two that we made last spring to prevent the English ships from interrupting the communication which is constant and very necessary for the subsistence of our army. If you know where Mr. Duportail is dare I beg you, Monsieur, inform him of the death of Mr. de la Radiere. I have written him on the subject but as there is nothing so liable to get lost as letters in this country, it is possible that he has not received it. You will be so good as to have Monsieur de la Luzerne accept the assurance of my respect.

I have the honor to be with Respect, Monsieur, etc.

Gouvion.39

General Duportail returned to camp near the end of November. His first care was to look after the affairs of his friend. He wrote the French minister,

Morristown 12 Xbre 1779

Monsieur,

I take the liberty of sending you, Monsieur, as you have very kindly permitted me, the papers concerning the late M. de la Radiere. Since a death certificate is lacking because we could not have the Church having no part whatever in his burial, I have had two certificates drawn, one for Colonel Baldwin, engineer Colonel who cared for him up to the very last moment, the other for the adjutant general of the army who ordered military honors and conducted la pompe funèbre [funeral]. Besides I have joined one for myself as Commandant of the Corps in which M. de la Radiere served in this country. I think that these certificates, signed also by your Excellency, will be sufficient to prove legally the death of this officer. Indeed I am informed that nothing more is permitted in this country where every one makes his entry into the world and his exit from it the most often, without any written proof of either the one or the other.40

The following note from Marbois was found among the Washington Papers:

A Philadelphie the 1 March 1781

Monsieur,

I have received a letter from the relatives of M. de la Radiere who are distressed at the loss of that officer. They desire that Your Excellency will be so good as to express in a personal letter to me, or in any other way, your opinion regarding services and his zeal: I know how much his family will prize such a testimonial. If anything could lessen the regret which they feel for this loss it will be to know that he merited your esteem. I eagerly seize this occasion, Monsieur, to assure you of the profound respect with which I am etc.

DE MARBOIS.41

Washington replied,

Head Quarters 23rd March 1781

Sir,

I had the pleasure of receiving your favor of the 1st. while at New Port, upon a most agreeable visit to Count de Rochambeau and the Gentlemen of the French Army. I shall most readily grant the Certificate which the friends of the late Colo. La Radiere desire, but as it will be necessary for me to see General duportail to ascertain some particulars relative to the different ranks which he bore in the American service, I must defer transmitting the Certificate until the General returns from R. Island.

Washington forwarded the requested certificate on May 16, 1781, but no copy was preserved among his papers. The testimony to the character and merits of the deceased must have satisfied the family.

General Washington directed General Duportail and General Greene to meet the morning of December 16, 1779, to “examine all the grounds in the environs [of the encampment at Morristown] and make a written report to me without delay of the different spots which appear most proper to be occupied in case of any movement of the enemy towards us, pointing out the comparative advantages and disadvantages of each.” They were to “consider the several positions as relative to an army of ten thousand men in two lines, three divisions in the first and two divisions in the second.”42

Duportail wrote to Marbois about the situation of the army on taking up winter quarters,

Morristown, 11th Xbre 1779

Sir, I have not had the honor of writing you since I returned to camp from Boston because nothing of importance had happened either on our side or that of the enemy. You have learned, doubtless, that we have left West Point and have come to take up our winter quarters in the outskirts of this town. Perhaps some persons will be surprised that we did not go farther down in New Jersey to be in a position to prevent the excursions of the English. It is certain that the force of our army, since the troops of Gates and Sullivan have joined us, would have permitted us to do something at this moment without danger, but we have to think of the future. It is well to realize that our army is obliged to remain in winter quarters long after the season permits entering on a campaign; that this year in particular the army will have melted away by half before the month of april, because at least a third of our soldiers belong to a group that will have two or three months leave and there is very little hope that they will reinlist; the small value of continental paper does not permit one to believe that others can be induced by that means to engage themselves. The country people will not even sell us their poultry, or their butter for this money therefore it is not at all likely they will be willing to sell themselves.43

The Washington Papers contain numerous notes and memoranda in the hand of General Duportail and others in that of Colonel Gouvion during the winter of 1779. They relate to defenses, plans of operations, and so on and show how much the commander in chief relied on these men for their accurate knowledge and trained minds.

When Washington sent Duportail to help Major General Benjamin Lincoln at Charleston, South Carolina, Gouvion left West Point to replace Duportail