vented my honoring, in due form, an address from the Honorable the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island, &c. I have already assured them how sensible I am of their politeness, in a visit to my ship, to give me an assurance of their granting every necessary supply for the squadron and fleet of the King of France during their continuance in this State.

I with pleasure embrace this opportunity of testifying to the Honorable Assembly my peculiar satisfaction in an appointment by the King, my Master, to conduct succours to his allies, who have several years been successfully contending to establish an independence, which will be the basis of their future felicity.

I have nothing further to aspire after than the hour when I shall participate with the United States in the glorious advantages resulting from war with enemies, who vainly attempt to subjugate them, and wrest from them that freedom, the blessings of which they already experience. I beg the Honorable Assembly would be persuaded that I am penetrated with the warmest attachment to every member of which that body is composed.

THE CHEVALIER DE TERNAY, Commandant of the Naval Forces of his Most Christian Majesty at Newport.

To the Honorable the General

Assembly of the State of Rhode

Island and Providence Plantations.

ADDRESS OF THE GOVERNOR, COUNCIL AND REPRESENTATIVES OF THE State of RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS

The Governor, Council and Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in General Assembly convened, being excited by the sincerest attachment and respect, present their most affectionate and cordial acknowledgments to your Excellency and the officers and troops composing the Army under your command, for the great and eminent services rendered since your first arrival in this State. Nothing can equal our admiration at the manner in which you have participated with the Army of the United States, in the fatigues, the

toils, and the glory, that have attended the allied arms, but the magnanimity of the Father of his people and the Protector of the rights of mankind.

Our inquietude at the prospect of your removal would be irrepressible but from the fullest conviction of the wisdom that directs the councils of His Most Christian Majesty,

May Heaven reward your exertions in the cause of Humanity and the particular regard you have paid to the rights of the citizens; and may your laurels be crowned by the smiles of the best of kings, and the grateful feelings of the most generous people.

Done in General Assembly, at East Greenwich, this 27th day of November, A. D. 1782, and on the seventh year of independence.

I have the honor to be, in behalf the Council and Representatives, with great esteem and repect,

Your Excellency's most obedient

and very humble servant, WILLIAM GREENE, Governor By order, Samuel Ward, Secretary. The Comte de Rochambeau

ANSWER OF THE COMTE DE ROCHAMBEAU TO THE ADDRESS OF THE Governor, &c., OF RHODE ISLAND

Gentlemen: It is with inexpressible pleasure that I and the troops under my command have received the marks of esteem and of acknowledgment, which you are so good as to give to the services which we have been happy enough to render to the United States, jointly with the American Army, under the orders of General Washington.

This State is the first we have been acquainted with. The friendly behavior of its inhabitants now and at our arrival here will give them always a right to our gratitude.

The confidence you have in the wisdom of the views of our Sovereign as to the disposition and march of his troops, must likewise assure you that on no occasion whatever he will separate his interests from those of his faithful allies.

LE COMTE DE ROCHAMBEAU

D. O. M.

CAROLUS LVDOVICVS D'ARSAC DE TERNAY. Ordinis sancti Hierosolymitani cques, nondum vota professus, a vetere et nobili genere, apud armoricas, orivndus, unus e regiarium classium praefectis. CIVIS MILES, imperator, de rege suae patriae, per 42 annos, bene meritns, hoc sub marmore jacet, Feliciter audax naves regias, post Croisiacum cladem per invios Vicenoniæ fluviit enfractus disjectas à cœcis voraginibus, improbe labore, annis 1760, 1761 inter tela hostium detrusit avellit, et stationibus suis restitvit incolvmes Anno 1762, terram novam in America invasit Anno 1772, renvnciatus prætor ad regendas Borboniam et Franciae insulas, in Galliae commoda et colonorvm felicitatem per annos Septem, totus incvbvit. Fœderatis ordinibus pro libertate dimicantibus a rege Christianissimo missvs subsidio anno 1780, Rhodum insulam occupavit; dum ad nova se accingebat pericula, In hac vrbe, inter commilitonum planctus inter foederatorum ordinvm lamenta et desideria, Mortem obiit gravem bonis omnibus, et luctuosam suis, die 15 Xbris MDCCLXXX, natus annos 53. Rex Christianissimus, Severissimus virtvtis judex, vt clarissimi viri memoria posteritati consecretur MDCCLXXXIII hoc monumentum ponendum jussit.

TRANSLATION

In the name of GOD CHARLES LEWIS D'ARSAC DE TERNAY, Knight of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, though the Vows of the Order he had never acknowledged, descended from an Ancient and Noble Family of Bretagne, one of the Admirals of the King's Fleets, a Citizen, a Soldier, a Chief, served ably, faithful to his King and to his Country, for 42 years, now rests beneath. this Marble, happily resolute. In the years 1760 and 1761. after the Croiafiah Battle, with painful difficulty, amidst the weapons of Enemies, he rescued and brought off from dangerous whirlpools the Royal Fleet, dispersed near the innavigable eddies of the River of Vicenza, and gave his Ships the Stations he wished without any damage. In the Year 1762 he invaded Newfoundland in America. In 1772, having resigned his command. he received the Regency of Bourbon and the French Islands adjacent. in which office for 7 Years, to the emolument of France, and the happiness of the Colonies, he was assiduously faithful. Being ordered by His Most Christian Majesty in the Year 1780 with Assistance to the United States, engaged in the Defence of Liberty, he arrived in Rhode Island, where, while he was prepared to encounter the Dangers of his Command, to the inconsolable Grief 0. his Fellow Soldiers, to the sincere sorrow of the United States, he expired in this City, regretted by all the Good; but particularly lamented by those to whom he was related, December 15th, MDCCLXXX, Aged 58. His Most Christian Majesty, strictly just to Merit, in order that the Memory of this illustrious man might be consecrated to Posterity, hath ordered this Monument to be erected, MDCCLXXXIII.

LETTERS OF DE FERSEN

AID-DE-CAMP TO ROCHAMBEAU

WRITTEN TO HIS FATHER IN SWEDEN

1780-1782

Translated for the Magazine from Baron de Klinckowstrom's Count de Fersen

Paris-1878

III

York, 23 October, 1781 As I have not time to give you the smallest details upon the siege, I add to this a little journal of our operations; they are ended for this year; we shall remain. in winter quarters in the neighborhood, and headquarters will be at Williamsburg, a miserable little town, which is more like a village. There are some indications that we shall next year make a campaign towards Charleston, which we will finish by a siege of that place. The English will not fail to send troops from New York to this part of America, and I believe we shall have active operations there. It seems that there is nothing else for General Clinton to do. M. de Rochambeau has asked for a reinforcement of troops, and I think that M. de Grasse will return here from the Antilles with his 28 vessels. If the command be left to him, he will bring troops with him. With his forces joined to ours, we shall be in a situation to make a pretty campaign, and the capture of Savannah, where M. d'Estaing failed, and that of Charleston may well be the issue of the campaign, and crown the work we have so well begun.

I have no doubt that the troops which M. de Rochambeau has asked for will be sent to him; he knows too well the

use to make of them, and he has just rendered services too great to be refused, at a moment like this, so just a request. I am only afraid of peace, and pray that it be not made yet.

All our young Colonels who belong to the Court are leaving, so as to pass their winter in Paris. Some will come back; others will remain, and will be greatly surprised not to be made brigadiers, because of having been at the siege of York; they think they have done the finest thing in the world. As for myself, I shall remain. I should have no other reason for going to Paris but my amusement and pleasure; they must be sacrificed. My affairs will do without me; I should spend money there; I ought to husband it. I prefer to employ it in making some campaign here and finishing that I have begun. When I took up the resolution to come over here I foresaw all the ennui I should have to endure; it is just that the instruction I may acquire should cost me something.

JOURNAL OF OPERATIONS

(Annexed to the preceding letter)

After eleven months passed at Newport in complete inaction, the army moved on the 12th June, 1781, leaving 600 men and 1000 militia men, under the orders of M. de Choisy, Brigadier, to defend the works we had raised there, protect our little squadron of 8 vessels which was to remain and cover our stores at Providence, where we had all our siege artillery. The army passed by water from Newport to Providence, and thence continued its march by land

ation of all the inhabitants, who had never seen such a number of men uniformed and armed alike, nor so well disciplined. The army, after a sojourn of two days, took up its march on the fifth to the Head-of-Elk River, which is the head of Chesapeake Bay. The 6th we learned that M. de Grasse arrived on the 3d with 28 vessels in Chesapeake Bay, and that 3000 soldiers, under the orders of M. de Saint-Simon, Maréchal de Camp, had been landed and joined the 1800 men under the Marquis de Lafayette at Williamsburg. The march of the troops was hurried, and on the 7th the entire army had arrived at the Head-of-Elk. It was resolved to embark the army; but the scarcity of vessels, all of which the English had captured or destroyed in the 5 months they had been masters of the bay, only allowed of the embarkation of our grenadiers and Chasseurs, 800 men, and 700 Americans. The remainder, with the waggons, marched to Annapolis, and were embarked in frigates. The whole arrived, and encamped the 26th-at Williamsburg. M. de Grasse, two days after his entrance into the bay, the 5th September, discovered the English fleet of 20 ships in the offing. Admiral Hood, with 12 vessels, had joined the 8 of Graves. M. de Grasse went out at once with 24 vessels; he left 4 to guard the York and James rivers. Afer a combat which was not very spirited, the English withdrew. M. de Barras, with his 8 vessels, joined M. de Grasse, and the 8th they were all in the bay.

as far as Phillippsbourg, 15 miles distant from Kingsbridge, where it arrived the 6th July, and encamped on the left of the Americans. The legion of Lauzun had always covered our left flank, marching 9 or 10 miles from us, between us and the sea. Our army was of 5000 men, the Americans about 3000 men. During our stay at Phillippsbourg we made several great foraging exeditions and reconnoissances towards Kings-Bridge. The 14th August we received news of the arrival of M. de Grasse. He left the Islands on the 24th July. I was sent to Newport to hasten the departure of our fleet, and the embarkation of the artillery at Providence. The 17th the army left Philippsbourg, and arrived the 21st at Kings ferry on the bank of the North or Hudson's river. It was four days in crossing, and the 25th we ourselves began our march. 2000 Americans were with us; 3000 were left to guard the defiles near Philippsbourg. Every thing seemed to announce a siege of New York. The establishment of a bakery and other store houses at Chatham, 4 miles distant, from Staten Island; our passage of the North River, and march towards Morristown seemed to indicate that we intended to attack Sandy Hook to facilitate the entrance of our vessels. We were not long in seeing that our views were not turned upon New York, but General Clinton was entirely deceived; that was precisely what we wished. We crossed Jersey,which is one of the finest and most highly cultivated provinces of America, and the army arrived the 3d September at Philadelphia. It passed through the city on parade, and aroused the admir

From the moment of our arrival at Williamsburg the debarkation of the field artillery and waggons was pressed;

all was ready on the 28th, and the army marched to invest York, where Lord Cornwallis was. He occupied York, which is on the right bank of the river, and Gloucester, which is on the left bank. The river is a mile wide, that is, about a third of a French league. We began our investment the same day, but the Americans could not finish theirs until the next day; they had to cross a morass; the bridge had been broken, and another had to be constructed. The 29th the investment was complete, and we set to work to construct a quantity of fascines, saucissons, hurdles and gabions necessary for the siege. The 30th the enemy evacuated their advanced works, and withdrew into the body of the place. These works consisted in two great redoubts and a battery of two pieces of cannon, which were separated from the town by a great ravine, and were about 400 fathoms distant. We took possession of it, and our works were much advanced thereby, as it gave us the opportunity to establish our first parallels on the other side of the ravine. If Lord Cornwallis committed a fault in this, it may be excused, for he had express orders from General Clinton to shut himself up in the body of the place, and a promise that he (Clinton) would come to his succor.

The 6th October, at 8 o'clock in the evening, we opened a trench at 300 fathoms from the works. The left rested on the river, the right on a great ravine, which descends perpendicularly upon the town, at a point about a third to the right of the works, and thence leads to the river in the sight of the town. Our trench was 700 fathoms in extent, and

was defended by 4 palisaded redoubts and 5 batteries. The ground, which is very much cut up by little ravines, greatly facilitated our approach, and enabled us to reach our trenches under cover without being obliged to cut a tunnel. On our left we had opened another trench, the left of which rested on the river, and its right on a wood; we had there a battery of 4 mortars, 2 howitzers and 2 pieces of 24, which swept the river, endangered the communication from York to Gloucester, and greatly troubled the vessels in the river. The enemy fired very little at night. The following days were spent in completing the trench, palisading the redoubts, and putting the batteries in order. They all opened fire during the day of the 10th. We had 41 pieces cannon, mortars and howitzers, all included.

Our artillery was admirably served; the character of the works, which were of sand, did not allow all the effect from our cannon which they would have had on ground of another kind; but we learned from deserters that our bombs did great execution, and that the number of killed and wounded increased considerably. The besieged fired but little; they had only small pieces, their largest being 18; they had only mortars of 6 to 8 inches; ours were 12 inches. During the day they fired numerous bombs and royal grenades, and at night they established flying batteries— During the day they ordinarily withdrew their cannon, and placed them behind the parapet. The night of the 11th to 12th a second parallel was opened at 120 fathoms, its left resting, like that of the first, on the same ravine, the right