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

Benjamin Franklin noted on March 4 that the “French officers who have returned to France this winter speak of our people in the handsomest and kindest manner, and there is a strong desire in many of the young noblemen to go over and fight for us. There is no restraining some of them, and several changes among the officers of their army have lately taken place in consequence.”2

France honored Duportail with the order of Chevalier de Saint Louis in 1782. He wrote to General Washington on June 27 that he and his companions had expected to return to America within the appointed time but had been delayed, along with the Marquis de Lafayette, awaiting either news of the peace or, in case that should fail, assurances of further military aid. He added in closing, “i wish you be persuaded how much i long to join your excellency and the american army. i consider myself as an american if not by birth by a mutual adoption. the Cause of America is mine, all my pleasure is in it, and i will not leave it before we attained the success.”3

General Duportail and Gouvion boarded the Danae on November 8, 1782, and left France. Duportail was bringing a letter from Lafayette to General Washington dated October 14, 1782. The Danae foundered in the fog in the Delaware Bay on December 16, and there was some delay before she could be refloated. She carried many packets for the army and 180,000 livres, and she brought news that the British government had agreed to preliminary articles of peace and tacitly recognized American independence. Lafayette’s letter read in part,

you must by this time know that I am kept in this country at the request of the American plenipotentiaries and with a view to be serviceable to our cause, which with me will ever be the first object. Public intelligence will be given to you by General Duportail. Those of a more secret nature I have communicated to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, whom I have requested to send the letter to your excellency. You will be able to form your own opinion upon the situation of affairs, but though the forwardness of affairs do not permit me (consistent with the motives I have explained to you) to depart for the present from this country, yet it is my private opinion that a success is necessary before the general treaty can come to a conclusion.4

PROMOTIONS

During January and February 1783, General Duportail busied himself in urging the promotion of the different officers who served under his command, particularly Villefranche; L’Enfant; Cambray; and his aide-de-camp, Castaing. He corresponded with the French minister and with the Comte de Rochambeau, as well as with General Washington and the president of Congress. He intended to join General Washington at headquarters on the Hudson as soon as these important negotiations were well underway.

Colonel Gouvion had joined the army immediately at Newburg. Duportail wrote in a letter from Philadelphia to General Washington on January 29, “i am very impatient to be informed by colonel gouvion if he could get a quarter for me at camp. i will set off immediately to pay my respects to your excellency.”5 Three weeks later, on February 19, he wrote, “i was setting off for camp last Saturday . . . when I was stopped by the intelligence of the peace. . . . i have been told yesterday of your excellency proposing to make a journey to the eastward.”6

The representatives of the United States and England signed the Preliminaries of Peace in Paris on November 30, 1782. Word reached America toward the end of January 1783. As there was every reason to believe that Congress would ratify the treaty, Duportail realized that the war was practically over and ceased to think more about joining the army at headquarters unless positively ordered to do so. The French minister, Chevalier de La Luzerne, notified Washington on April 10, 1783,

I have to inform your Excellency, that I have just received instructions from the Minister—that in consequence of the Peace the French Troops actually here are to be sent to France without delay. If you see no cause to defer it I shall accordingly take immediate measures for their departure—I impatiently await the arrival of the Duke de Lauzun to give the necessary orders, as no definitive arrangements can be made in his absence.7

Duportail sent the following message on April 16, regarding the French engineers serving in the Continental Army:

i am expecting every day orders of the court of France as they will probably recall us home and give us very little time, i wish that if your excellency thinck that if we can be of some further service to this country in this moment to communicate to me his orders and wishes. my attachment to america and in particular to your excellency will not finish with the war but only with my life and i will thinck myself very happy and much honored if i can be of some utility to a country that is in my heart next to the country to which I owe my birth.8

RETENTION OF FRENCH ENGINEERS

Washington replied on April 23,

I have received your favor of the 16th instant. . . . In answer to your questions respecting the Engineers, I can only say that a Peace Establishment is now under consideration, in which it is recommended that Congress should form Military Academies & Manufactories as a part of this Establishment—should this idea be adopted, and the Plan carried into execution; it will doubtless be necessary for us to retain some of the French Engineers in America, for the first beginning of the Institution. . . . I am persuaded that none will be more agreeable than those gentlemen of your Corps who have distinguished themselves in our service with so much ability & satisfaction.9

Congress had already requested Duportail