Washington's Engineer by Norman Desmarais (best romantic novels in english TXT) 📗

direction to prepare for it, I have not thought myself at liberty to desist from my preparations, or to fix upon a day for them to cease. I have written to them today upon the subject, stating the uncertainty I am under with respect to His Excellency’s coming, the great expense which must necessarily attend the continuing of our measures for a cooperation, and the difficulties supposing it undertaken, from the advanced season; and I requested their earliest decision as to the part I am to pursue. . . .

When you have received the determination of Congress, if it be against a cooperation, it will be necessary for you to recall the pilots, except such a number as may be thought material for general purposes in case of the Count’s arrival, for the security of his Fleet and such as were employed here or immediately in consequence of My Letters, you will desire to send in their Accounts.34

Washington heard of the disaster at Savannah between November 11 and 16 when he wrote to Major General Gates from headquarters at West Point, in part as follows:

Much more time having been spent in the seige of Savannah . . . than was at first expected, and there being no certainty of reducing them in a short time by regular approaches, it was agreed to attempt the place by storm on the 9th ultimo; the attack was accordingly made by the allied troops, who were repulsed; in consequence the seige was raised, the cannon and stores having all been previously brought off.35

Reconstructed Spring Hill redoubt. This area was the focal point of the fighting during the Battle of Savannah. Photo courtesy of the author.

The Count has been obliged, I imagine, from his engagements in another quarter, . . . to leave the coast of Georgia. It remains now to put the army in such a chain of winter cantonments as will give security to these posts, and with the remainder to take a position, which will afford forage and subsistence, and will at the same time preserve us from the insults of the collected force of the enemy.36

Washington wrote General Schuyler from West Point on November 24 that Duportail had returned to camp; Alexander Hamilton, however, was detained by a slight indisposition. Headquarters were moved to Morristown, New Jersey, early in December. Here, Washington wrote to General Lincoln, who had been in command at Savannah,

I had the pleasure of receiving yours of the 22d of October, by Colonel Laurens, to whose information I am indebted for a very particular account of the situation of affairs to the southward. . . . While I regret the misfortune [of Savannah] I feel a very sensible pleasure in contemplating the gallant behavior of the officers and men of the French and American army; and it adds not a little to my consolation to learn, that instead of the mutual reproaches which too often follow the failure of enterprises depending upon the cooperation of troops of different nations, their confidence in and esteem for each other are increased. I am happy in believing, that the delicacy and propriety of your conduct upon every occasion have contributed much to this agreeable circumstance.37

Despite the loss at Savannah, the allies began to cooperate. Washington might have feared at first that the evacuation of Newport was intended as a trap and that the British would return when least expected. The passage across the Hudson at King’s Ferry also remained open, permitting the allied armies to cross safely on their way to Philadelphia and Yorktown in 1781. D’Estaing’s fleet and his attack on Savannah prepared the way for the subsequent allied successes at Yorktown two years later.

COLONEL RADIÈRE’S DEATH

Colonel Radière died suddenly of some illness at West Point on October 30. Washington briefly announced it from West Point to the watchers on the coast in a note dated November 1, 1779, where he says, “I am sorry to inform you of the death of Col. de la Radiere, who died on Saturday. He is to be buried this day with the honors due his rank.”38

To all appearances, Colonel Radière was with General Duportail in the Highlands during part of the summer of 1779 and probably was left in command of the engineering work during the latter’s absence in the search for d’Estaing. Colonel Laumoy was at Charleston in the South, so the only member of the Royal Corps nearby was Lieutenant Colonel Gouvion. This officer’s letter to General Duportail announcing the death of their companion is not among the documents, but there is one written by Gouvion to Marbois, secretary to the French minister, which mentions his death and certain facts that throw an interesting light on the evacuation of the advanced posts on the Hudson by the British:

King’s Ferry November 5, 1779

Sir,

I have not been able to send you the details of the evacuation of Stony Point and Verplank’s Point as soon as I wished because I was absent from the army when the English abandoned the posts; I had been sent by General Washington to see to having some preparations made further down than White Plaines and in case some operations were undertaken against New York. The reports were so different in the place where I was that I did not wish to send any thing from there not knowing what to believe. I had not been here but one day when I learned of the death of Monsieur de la Radiere and I was obliged to go instantly to New Windsor (from which place I returned only yesterday) to put his affairs in order. So this sad event retarded a few more days the news which I send. I join also, Monsieur, a plan of the position of the English. I shall be very happy if this sketch of a point whose possession was the unique end of the operations of General Clinton during this campaign, interests you.

I am at present engaged in