Sir, I am grateful to have received the letters that you did me the honor to write. They arrived around the same time, and I waited to answer the first one until I could say something definite about the expedition that I had the honor to be put in charge of. The strong desire that I have to earn the esteem of a man such as yourself, and my keen appreciation for the kind letters I have received from you make me want to know your opinion about this business. I am a very young soldier, sir, and consequently more likely than anyone to be mistaken, but I dare say that necessity dictated my conduct for the simple reason that there was nothing else to do. I find not more than a third of the troops that I was promised, and I find them ready to explode with discontent because of the horrible neglect with which they were being paid, no money, no uniforms, no provisions, no stores ready; time dictated everything, and since the time it would have taken to procure half of what was needed would have brought me past the season when the lake is passable, I preferred to stop, rather than expose the American forces to a clear humiliation caused by a poorly planned operation. The details of what just happened to me would seem extraordinary in Europe, but in a young country one must be patient, and adapt to circumstances. In its reply, the Congress approved the position that I was obliged to take.
I do not know yet, Sir, in which part of this continent I am destined to serve; I would find myself fortunate to have the opportunity to meet you, to get to know you, and to earn your friendship and your esteem. Although I risk losing much of the favorable opinion that my friends have been willing to give you of me, I assure you that my fears on that account will yield to the pleasure I will have in seeing you, and the benefit I will hope to draw from your advice, if you are willing to give it to me.
Allow me, Sir, to compliment you on being so near to seeing General Washington. This great man only has enemies in his own country, and yet, any noble and sensitive soul will not be able to resist admiring the excellent qualities of his heart. I believe I know him as well as anyone, and this is exactly the opinion I have of him. His honesty, his candor, his sensitivity, his virtue in all senses of the word are above all praise. It is not for me to judge of his military talents, but so far as my very dim intelligence can follow, his opinion in the council has always seemed to me to be the best, even if modesty sometimes keeps him from insisting on it, and his predictions have always been fulfilled. I have been happy to give you a sense of my friend's character in all sincerity, since some other persons might perhaps have tried to mislead you on this point.
I have not yet had the honor, Sir, of seeing the officer you have told me about. I would be eager to be of some use to him. I believe that it would greatly harm Mr. des Epiniers to deprive him of the benefit of being with you, especially now that the Canadian expedition has been halted. I can tell you that the favorable opinion you have of him will only increase, the more you know him. You will receive a second letter from me in which I will take the liberty to let you know of my destination, and while I await the pleasure of assuring you in person, I beg to persuade you of the most distinguished sentiments with which I have the honor to be, Sir, your very humble and obedient servant The Marquis de Lafayette.