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.

328 WASHINGTON'S WRITINGS. [AET. 50.
between Philadelphia and Trenton, in which, I am informed, there were letters from you to me. These
were probably of the same date as your despatches to
Congress, wherein the correspondence between General Leslie and yourself was enclosed. I mention this
circumstance, that you may forward duplicates in case
you should judge it necessary.
You will, I imagine, have heard, before this reaches
you, of the arrival of M. Vaudreuil with a fleet of thirteen ships of the line on this coast. I can give you no
particulars, as I have no official account of his arrival.
The army of the Count de Rochambeau, having, as I
advised you in my last, marched towards the northward, it was concluded at our meeting in Philadelphia,
upon a consideration of all circumstances, that this
corps should proceed to join the army on the Hudson. They were at Baltimore by the last intelligence
from that quarter.
Since the receipt of the letter from the commissioners, Sir Guy Carleton and Admiral Digby, I have seen
a New York paper of the 3d instant, in which is a
speech of General Conway, and some other articles,
which appear to be designed to propose independence
to America on certain conditions not admissible, namely, that the legislature of America should be totally
independent of the Parliament of Great Britain, but
that the*King of England should have the same kind
of supremacy here as in Ireland. I have not information sufficient to determine, whether this is the kind
of independence alluded to in the letter of the commissioners, or not. I hope my suspicions, however,
may be ill-founded. Wishing you all the success and
happiness you can desire, I am, my dear Sir, with the
highest sentiments of regard and esteem, &c.