Washington's Engineer Norman Desmarais (best e book reader .TXT) 📖

easily imagine how extremely anxious I am to be in activity; how painful it is to me to be a prisoner, when I could show, at least by my good will, my strong attachment at the Cause of America.

The particular situation I am in gives me the greatest uneasiness; the British having none or a very few Colonels, we, of that rank, have no Hopes but either in an exchange settled by Tariff or in a partial one. As to the first, your Excellency knows what terms of an exchange are more advantageous to the United States and will certainly regulate his conduct upon that consideration alone. Happy those that so wise a plan will favor. But if I could not be one of that Number I should ardently wish and beg that your Excellency would, if practicable, propose a partial one for me, or recommend it to Congress. It would be presuming too much of my own talents to think them equal to so great a favor; but your Excellency may be sure that, what little I have, will be exerted to the utmost of my power to promote the good of the Country and convince your Excellency that I was not unworthy of his kindness. And my gratitude for it will be equally Boundless.

I am with the greatest Respect

Your Excellency’s etc.

LAUMOY, Col. of Engres.

Although I was taken to the southern I hope that will not be an impediment to my being exchanged here.6

Lieutenant Colonel Cambray appealed,

Philad. 23 August 1781

Sir

Having heard of a resolution of the Hon. Congress for exchanging the officers of the Convention [of Saratoga], I take this opportunity to recommend myself to your Excellency, being extremely anxious to go into the field and to show my good will in being useful.

I would even [?] the invasion of Gl. Prevost in the southern department—the different events of which [I was in] that part of the continent gave me an opportunity of acquiring some knowledge of the southern states, which induces me to believe my services may be of some utility.

As I apprehend that the delays of a negotiation and the length of the journey, should make me take the southern army too late, I beg your Excellency be so good as to have my certificate of exchange sent to me without delay, with an order for being furnished with horses that I may repair to the army with the utmost speediness.

I am your Excellency’s etc.

CAMBRAY, Lt. Col. Eng. taken prisoner at Charlestown.7

Washington wrote to the president of Congress on September 1, reporting that General Duportail had “very earnestly solicited the exchange of Colos. Laumois and Cambray,” but Washington could not give those men preference to others of the same rank who had been longer in captivity without deviating from an order of Congress and an established rule of exchange, so he asked Congress for advice on the matter.8

Although Washington was hurrying southward to join in the Yorktown campaign, he wrote to Abraham Skinner, the commissary general of prisoners, who replied,

Elizabethtown, Sept. 3rd 1781

Sir

In obedience to your Excellency’s commands I have obtained the release of all our Privates in the hands of the Enemy. I am this day to confer with the British Commissary on the subject of your letter of the 28th ulto. relative to the exchange of General Burgoyne for our officers, and shall immediately report to you my proceedings on my return from Staten Island, the place appointed for our meeting. I am, with the highest respect your Excellency’s etc.

Abm. SKINNER, Commisy. Genl of Pris.9

The privates were all exchanged, but it was not easy to satisfy both sides regarding the officers. The Board of War received and considered General Washington’s letter on September 24, 1781, addressing the exchange of Colonel Laumoy and Lieutenant Colonel Cambray. They observed that

the same obstacles which have occurred to the Commander-in-Chief create difficulties with us of so important a nature that unless we were pointedly ascertained that the services of these gentlemen are so absolutely necessary for the operations of the war, that they could not be dispensed with, we could not undertake to recommend a measure which deranges the system of exchanges and causes infinite jealousies in the minds of the officers who conceive themselves retained in captivity by any preferences. On this consideration we beg leave to return the letter of Colonel Pinckney as connected with this subject, leaving Congress to judge of the reasons he has mentioned, which will at least serve to show the grounds we have to believe much uneasiness will be created by the exchange of Colonel Laumoy and Lieutenant Colonel Cambray would derange the system of exchanges and cause infinite jealousies. . . . Preferences have been given heretofore to foreign officers on principles of policy and if Congress should be of opinion that such principles should prevail on this occasion, they will be pleased to direct General Duportail’s request in favor of these gentlemen to be complied with. We cannot but add in favor of these Gentlemen, that we are convinced of their abilities, and join with General Duportail in opinion that their abilities, with the local experience they have added to their professional knowledge cannot be more usefully employed than in a Southern enterprise.10

The impatience of these officers to find themselves free to take part in the siege of Yorktown, then underway, had to be controlled. There were long, dreary months of inaction still before them. Finding himself unable to be of any service to the American cause, Lieutenant Colonel Cambray petitioned Congress early in October for leave to go to France on a short furlough in order to arrange his affairs that had been seriously compromised by his captivity and the fact that he had not received any pay from Congress. He also asked that his account be settled. The following resolution was submitted on October 26, 1781: “Lt. Col. Cambray desires to go to Europe on account of his destitute situation in regard to money,