The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

32 WASHINGTON'S WRITINGS. [IET. 49.
most concern is, that you should go on board the enemy's vessels, and furnish them with refreshments. It
would have been a less painful circumstance to me to
have heard, that in consequence of your non-compliance
with their request, they had burnt my house and laid
the plantation in ruins. You ought to have considered
yourself as my representative, and should have reflected on the bad example of communicating with the enemy, and making a voluntary offer of refreshments to
them with a view to prevent a conflagration.
It was not in your power, I acknowledge, to prevent
them from sending a flag on shore, and you did right to
meet it; but you should, in the same instant that the
business of it was unfolded, have declared explicitly,
that it was improper for you to yield to the request;
after which, if they had proceeded to help themselves
by force, you could but have -submitted; and, being
unprovided for defence, this was to be preferred to afeeble opposition, which only serves as a pretext to
burn and destroy.
I am thoroughly persuaded, that you acted from your
best judgment, and believe, that your desire to preserve my property, and rescue the buildings from impending danger, was your governing motive; but to
go on board their vessels, carry them refreshments,
commune with a parcel of plundering scoundrels, and
request a favor by asking a surrender of my negroes,
was exceedingly ill judged, and, it is to be feared, will
be unhappy in its consequences, as it will be a precegetting more than half; in a word, instead of having every thing in readiness to take the field, we have nothing; and, instead of having the prospect of a glorious offensive campaign before us, we have a bewildered
and gloomy defensive one, unless we should receive a powerful aid of
ships, land troops, and money from our generous allies, and these at present are too contingent to build upon."