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

and as he is a very deserving officer—that his accounts be settled by the comptroller.”11

JACOB SCHREIBER

Captain Schreiber also petitioned for permission to return to Europe awaiting exchange but on condition that Congress would settle his account “in specie” because American paper had no value in Europe. He said, “[T]he same principle that made me enter the service still pushes me through all the hardships and dangers of its continuance, and nothing but the mere impossibility of continuing it would make me leave it.”12

Captain Schreiber’s petition was submitted on August 6, 1781. The Board of War reported on his case on November 12:

[F]rom General Lincoln’s warrant it will appear that Mr. Schreiber resigned his commission of a Lieutenant of artillery in order to undertake the duties of an engineer with the rank of Captain. It appears to the Board to be but just that Mr. S. should receive the pay, having done the duty of an engineer, and therefore we give him a warrant for six months pay as a prisoner captivated at Charlestown.13

The report then goes on to say that because he desires it, there is no reason preventing him from going to Europe, especially as his services are not really necessary to the corps; therefore, it was ordered that the comptroller cause accounts forthwith to be settled.

Captain Schreiber had not expected such a result from his petition. He had not wished to resign from the corps. It seems also that General Duportail, to whom he appealed for advice and who was then preparing to sail for Europe, regretted very much the action of Congress. Duportail, therefore, wrote a letter, in which he said, “[H]aving had in Charlestown the opportunity of knowing the zeal and intelligence of Capt. Schreiber I think it my duty to inform Congress that I should be very sorry to loose this officer. . . . it would be very advantageous if Congress would give him the assistance he asks at this moment and keep him in the service of the United States.”14

Captain Schreiber sent Duportail’s letter with an appeal from the recent decision of Congress. The matter was taken up November 23, 1781, and a resolution proposed that the request be granted and that he be allowed to retain his “rank and appointments.”15 It was “negatived,” however, by Congress. Captain Schreiber’s position remained that of a prisoner with no further opportunity of serving in the army of the United States. He seems not to have been exchanged until near the end of the war, in 1782.

The accounts of Cambray were likewise ordered settled by the comptroller, as he is comprehended in the resolve of Congress prescribing the “mode of settling accounts of officers not belonging to any state. . . . He is entitled to three months pay as an officer captivated at Charlestown and this will put him on a footing with other officers captivated there so far as present exigencies will permit. It is sad to contemplate the hard lot of these prisoners, especially of the foreign officers, so far removed from any help from home.”16

The names of Laumoy, Cambray, and Schreiber, with those of fourteen American officers, were attached to a petition addressed to the president of Congress, dated March 6, 1782:

[A]fter our arrival here from Carolina in July last, Congress ordered . . . that we should be supplied with wood until further orders—The end of December [it was] ordered that no wood should be given us but at the end of every month money to pay for some. End of January given only half allowance—end of February both wood and money refused. Now we are told the Sec. of Finance refuses both. This is “punishing us for our misfortunes,” and as the resolutions of July and August have not been repealed, and as such unjust regulations cannot be approved by Congress, we have presumed Sir, through you to state the matter.

The records of Congress show that the petition was read in Congress on March 6 and “ordered to lie,” which means no further notice was taken of the appeal.17

Finally, in August, through the instrumentality of the Comte de Rochambeau, Colonel Laumoy was exchanged, as documented in the following letter:

New York August 1st 1782

Sir,

Your Excellency’s proposal in your letter of the 17th July last, to make up the ballance of Forty four in the exchange of Colonel de Laumoy for Majors Green and Timpany, out of the remaining convalescent prisoners sent from Gloster to New York in February last, I think reasonable and readily consent to it, and the more freely, as it will finish, to your Excellency’s observation, the exchange of our land officers by the Count de Grasse’s fleet.18

COLONEL LAUMOY’S EXCHANGE

Colonel Laumoy received the happy news of his release through the French minister. He immediately wrote to General Washington,

philadelphia August the 14th 1782 10 o’clock A.M.

Dear General

His Excellency the Minister of France has just informed me that the Count de Rochambeau had effected my Exchange, and that he was sending to your Excellency the papers relative to it. I should upon their intelligence only have set off immediately to join your Excellency’s Head Quarters, but as the Count’s aid is going to you in an hour hence and is to be back again in a very few days I’ll wait till his return and for your Excellency’s orders, upon receiving of which I’ll set off without delay. I have to assure your Excellency that my gratitude for the share you had in this is equal to the very Respectful Consideration with which I have the Honor to be

Your Excellency’s etc.

LAUMOY.19

Two weeks later, the commander in chief sent for Colonel Laumoy to join the army at Newburg:

Head Quarters, Newburg Aug. 28th 1782

Sir,

The army is about to take a position in the field; it is my wish you would attend it yourself as Chief Engineer, and take one other officer of that Corps with you—The remainder of the Gentlemen belonging to it, in this