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

The summer passed with no word from Congress about the French engineers, so General Duportail wrote the commander in chief on September 16,

Dear General the officers of my department and myself have waited patiently till now with the army that Congress be pleased to take a resolution concerning them and we would wait still longer if we are not in a peculiar situation. when the army or part of it shall be dismissed the american officers can go home when they please but it is not so with us. your excellency knows that we are almost all foreigners—so to go home we must cross the atlantic. but i beg leave to observe, dear general that the winter is approaching, that in that season the opportunities for going are much more scarce, the voyage not pleasant and for many of us the distance from the sea town to our respective places of abode very great—i may add that it is of some importance for those who are attached to the service in europe to show themselves there the soonest possible. thus, dear general I take the liberty of entreating your excellency to urge the resolution of Congress respecting our department.—If the present circumstances do not permit them to take a final determination it is possible perhaps to take such measures as would set at liberty those who would wish for it without however losing irrevocably those whose service might be desired afterwards by Congress and who might be inclined to continue them. but i entreat your excellency again most earnestly, to engage Congress to take a resolution upon this the soonest possible, for which we shall have the greatest gratitude.20

Washington responded immediately on September 19, “I have received your letter of the 16 instant and this day have laid it before Congress; their determination, which I hope will be speedy & agreeable to your wishes, shall be transmitted to you as soon as they come to hand.”21 Four days later he wrote again,

I was this day in conference with a Commee of Congress upon the subject of your letter to me of the 16th inst. They discovered every disposition to relieve the Gentn. of your departmt. from the state of uncertainty in which they are prest but wished previous to their making a report to Congress to obtain your sentiments more in detail upon a proper Peace establishment for the engineering Line of the army agreeably to the idea contained in your general observations which are now before Congress—I know you will require more information than they, or I, can give you in the undecided state in which things now are before you can deliver a precise opinion but all the data I can give you to work upon is, that we ought to maintain West Point as a Post—those which the British are to surrender to us,—and such as it may be found necessary to establish West or So-west upon our interior boundary and these too upon the most economical plan.

The sooner you can favor the Comee. (or me in their behalf) with your sentiments on this subject, the sooner the matter will be brought to a decision. In the mean time, if you have it in your power, you would oblige me by giving me information of the name of the Genln. in yr. departmnt. who are disposed to remain in this country upon a Peace establishment.22

Duportail sent the desired memorial with the following letter on September 30:

according to the demands of the committee i have the honor to send to your excellency my ideas about the establishment of my department. i wish i may be so happy as to meet with your own. i had a peculiar intention not to say any thing more than what is necessary to take a determination upon the matter. . . .

i am sorry that i cannot give to your excellency the name of the gentlemen who might be disposed to remain in this country. in the present unsettled state of the affairs their choice would be a blind one— . . . congress must pronounce first and show what they intend to do. then if the gentlemen see that they have here an honorable, solid employment, if the united states show themselves to be a great respectable empire, or at least take proper measures for becoming so—I do not doubt that many of my department induced by inclination, and by the opportunity offered them here of doing things more important and interesting than those they could do in europe, would remain with pleasure.

I take the liberty of requesting again your excellency in the most earnest manner to use his influence with congress to have a resolution upon this the soonest possible.23

Duportail wrote to the president of Congress on October 6, stating that Brigadier General Laumoy, Colonel Gouvion, and himself being the “three and only officers of the royal corps of engineers who had been sent in ’77 by the court on request of the american congress” now beg very earnestly to be given permission to return to France the soonest possible, especially because the “present opportunity may not present itself again for a long while.” He also begs that their accounts be settled before they leave.24

A committee of Congress considered this letter on October 10 and reported,

That Major General Du Portail, Brigadier General Laumoy, and Colonel Gouvion, were permitted by his Most Christian Majesty to serve in the army of the United States at an early period of the war and further suppose for this purpose furloughs were granted to them by the king of France, from time to time, and it appears that from a desire to give a repeated manifestation of his affection for attachment to the United States, the services of these Engineers were considered equally entitling them to the favour of their sovereign, as if they had been performed in the armies of France.

That these Gentlemen have distinguished