22 March, 1822
Dear Madam,
The circumstances which I had the honor of communicating to you some time since in conversation, relative to the introduction of French troops into this country during our revolutionary war, I fully intended long since to have stated to you in writing, but the disordered and painful state of one of my eyes, which for several months, occasioned by confinement to a dark room, has till now prevent me from doing. You will perceive Madam in the statement which I now have the honor to transmit on that Subject, that I have introduced some particulars, which though not immediately connected with the principal fact, will tend to show the existence of a long established friendship and intimacy between General Hamilton and myself and the relative situation in which we were placed, and thereby be explanation of confidential communications made to me by him.
In the campaign of 1781 Genl. Hamilton, after he had retired from the family of Genl. Washington, was appointed by him to the command of a select corps of Infantry, of which had the honor of being next in command, this Corps was composed of the light companies of the New-York line, and two light companies of the Connecticut line, and thus organized marched with the main army from the banks of the Hudson River to Virginia, where the Marquis La Fayette was then in command, with a body of light troops, previously detached from the army—On General Washington's arrival in Virginia with the combined army, (American & French) La Fayette, with his troops joined the army, & Hamilton's Corps was annexed to the Marquis' command—the French fleet under the command of Count de Grasse having arrived in the Chesapeak to co-operate with the combined army, the siege of York-town commenced; during which, and throughout the whole of that Campaign, I had the happiness and good fortune of being the mess mate of Genl. Hamilton, and of occupying with him the same tent—this added to our previous intimacy and uninterrupted friendship from the year 1775, when he was a student of King's College, and where with a few others we had formed a weekly club, for improving ourselves in debating & public speaking, naturally led occasionally to confidential and unreserved conversations; in one of these, the General speaking of the Marquis La Fayette, said, The United States are under infinite obligations to him beyond what is known, not only for his valor & good conduct as Major Genl. In our army, but for his good offices & influences in our behalf with the court of France—the French army now here, co-operating with us, would not have been in this Country, but through his means, he then said, that for some considerable time previous to the arrival of the French army under Count Rochambeau; he Genl. Hamilton had conceived the idea, and had weighed in his own mind the propriety of such a measure, and having satisfied himself on that subject, he had suggested the idea to the Marquis La Fayette, expressing to him at the same time, not only the powerful effect that would be produced in our army, and the Country generally, by the introduction of a small military force from France, to cooperate with us, but the increased effect that would result, should the Marquis himself be appointed to the chief command—This project met a welcome reception, and after some remarks, as to the details of the plan, the Marquis with all the zeal and promptitude which characterized him, addressed the French Government, and their Ambassador here, on the subject, urging the advantages which would result to both nations, from having a French military force in this Country; this proposition was immediately patronized and inforced by the family & connections of the Marquis, who were then in power and great influence in France, and accordingly adopted by that Government.
An army under County Rochambeau was sent to this Country: a fleet under County de Grasse, was also sent, and the capture of Lord Cornwallis' army which terminated the war, and sealed our Independence, was the consequence—As the idea of introducing into this country, a small auxiliary army from France, first presented itself to the mind of Genl. Hamilton, as avowed by him to me, and possibly not communicated by him to any other friend, I deem it a duty incumbent on me, and a tribute due to his memory, that the knowledge of that fact should not be lost, but be preserved and recorded as an additional evidence of his brilliancy of imagination and preeminent services to his Country.
When the siege of York town had commenced, our first parallel line was thrown up, it became evident, that the two Redoubts which Lord Cornwallis had constructed in front of the town, would prolong the siege, until they could be allowed by our cannon, or taken by storm; the former of these methods would probably have been preferred and preserved in with confidence of ultimate success, had not the French Admiral announced his wish to return with his fleet to the West Indies, intimating that circumstances would compel him to depart in a few days—thus circumstanced Genl. Washington and induced to change his plan of regular approaches, for the more expeditious one of storming those works-to this end an arrangement was made that one Redoubt should be attacked by a column of American light Infantry, and the other by a column of French Grenadiers. The command of the American Infantry consisting of two Battalions one commanded by Col. Gemat, the other by myself—was given to Genl. Hamilton, and a signal from our grand battery answered by a correspondent signal from the French battery, put the two columns of attack immediately in motion.
The American Infantry animated by the address and example of their leader, marched to the attack, with Muskets unloaded and Bayonets fixed relying on their Bayonets alone for success; they soon arrived at the counterscarp, under a heavy and constant fire from the redoubt, which they bravely sustained, and surmounting all difficulties and impediments of abattis, ditch and palisade mounted the parapet and took possession of the work together with those who had defended it, and Major Campbell the commanding Officer; all this was effected agreeably to previous arrangement made by Genl. Hamilton; and his troops regularly formed within the Redoubt and order completely restored, while the other column, whose mode of attack was different, were yet engaged in the conflict.