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General Washington to the President of Congress.

Headquarters, West Point,

July 25, 1779.

To

The President of Congress.

Sir: Lieutenant-Colonel Fleury having communicated to me his intention to return to France at the present juncture, on some matters interesting to himself, I have thought proper to give him this letter to testify to Congress the favourable opinion I entertain of his conduct. The marks of their approbation which he received on a former occasion have been amply justified by all his subsequent behaviour. He has signalized himself in more than one instance since; and in the late assault on Stony Point he commanded one of the attacks, was the first that entered the enemy's works, and struck the British flag with his own hands, as reported by General Wayne. It is but justice to him to declare that, in the different stations in which he has been employed, he has rendered services of real utility, and has acquitted himself in every respect as an officer of distinguished merit, one whose talents, zeal, activity, and bravery alike entitle him to particular notice. He has intimated to me a desire to obtain a furlough for a few months. I doubt not Congress will be disposed to grant him every indulgence which can be granted with propriety.

I have the honour to be, &c.,

Geo. Washington.

General Washington to the President of Congress.

Certificate.

West Point, July 28, 1779.

To

The President of Congress.

I certify that Lieutenant-Colonel Fleury has served in the army of the United States since the beginning of the campaign of 1777, to the present period, and has uniformly acquitted himself as an officer of distinguished merit for talents, zeal, activity, prudence, and bravery; that he first obtained a captain's commission from Congress, and entered as a volunteer in a corps of riflemen, in which, by his activity and bravery, he soon recommended himself to notice; that he next served as brigade-major, with the rank of major, first in the infantry and then in the cavalry, in which stations he acquired reputation in the army, and the approbation of his commanding officers, of which he has the most ample testimonies; that, toward the conclusion of the campaign of 1777, he was sent to the important post of Fort Mifflin in quality of engineer, in which he rendered essential services, and equally signalized his intelligence and his valour.

That, in consequence of his good conduct on this and on former occasions, he was promoted by Congress to the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and has been since employed in the following stations, namely, as a sub-inspector, as second in command in a corps of light infantry in an expedition against Rhode Island, and lastly as commandant of a battalion of light infantry in the army under my immediate command; that in each of these capacities, as well as the former, he has justified the confidence reposed in him, and acquired more and more the character of a judicious, well-informed, indefatigable, and brave officer. In the assault of Stony Point, a strong fortified post of the enemy on the North River, he commanded one of the attacks, was the first that entered the main works, and struck the British flag with his own hands.

I have the honour to be, &c.,

Geo. Washington.

A Memorial for M. de Fleury, an Officer in the Regiment of Rouergue for twelve years; a Captain of Engineers in the Service of France for three years; and a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Service of the United States for two years.

M. de Fleury left France with M. du Coudray in 1776.

He obtained a furlough and was commissioned as a captain of engineers.

Congress having refused to employ M. du Coudray and the officers who came over with him, almost all of them were discouraged; but M. de Fleury joined the army and served as a volunteer private during a part of the campaign of 1777.

At the fight of Piscataqua he had the good fortune to be remarked while in performance of his duty, and he was promoted to the rank of captain. (Certified by Colonel Morgan).

He was afterward employed to make a survey of the environs of Philadelphia, which was to be the seat of the approaching campaign, to take soundings in the Delaware, and to fortify Billingsport. (Certified by General Washington).

The enemy having landed at Hith, he joined the army and acted as major of brigade.

At the battle of the Brandywine, he remained on the field after his brigade had been routed, had a horse shot under him, and carried off a piece of ordnance.

On the report of General Washington to Congress, it was ordered that a horse be presented to M. de Fleury "as a mark of the high sense Congress entertained of his merits." (Certified by General Washington and General Sullivan).

N.B. This honour has been paid only to General Arnold and M. de Fleury.

At the battle of Germantown he acted as brigade-major of dragoons, charged several times, and made several prisoners. The horse which had been given to him by Congress was shot under him, and he himself was wounded in the leg. (Certified by General Count Pulaski).

Fort Mifflin, on Mud Island, the only defence of the Delaware, was threatened by the British army and squadron. It was a post of the greatest importance, and M. de Fleury was sent there as chief engineer. He sustained a siege of six weeks behind a stockade. A ship of sixty-four guns, the Augusta, and one of 22 guns, the Merlin, blew up under fire from the fort. The commandant and the garrison, numbering 600 men, were relieved three times, but M. de Fleury refused to leave the fort. He was wounded October 15th, and the fort was evacuated that same night. For this action he was made a lieutenant-colonel, and a letter of thanks was addressed to him by the President of Congress. (Certified by Congress, the General-in-chief, and M. de la Fayette).

During the winter of 1778 he formed the project of crossing the ice and setting fire to the English squadron. The Delaware not being frozen that year hard enough for his purpose, he invented explosive boats, and he was engaged in constructing them when he received orders to join the Army of the North. (Certified by General Washington and Commodore Hasilwood).

The Canadian expedition did not take place, and on his return M. de Fleury was appointed inspector and charged with forming, instructing, and disciplining the troops. (Certified by General Washington).

At the opening of the campaign of 1778 he was second in command of a select corps (in which was the general's body-guard) of 600 men, 2 pieces of ordnance, and 50 cavalry. He served in this capacity at the battle of Monmouth and afterward.

On the arrival of the French squadron, he was sent to meet Count d'Estaing by General Washington, and he went with him to Rhode Island, where an attack was expected.

It was by his advice that the fruitless siege of Newport was raised, and that the retreat to the north part of the island was resolved upon. The corps in which he served repulsed the enemy and covered the retreat. (Certified by General Sullivan).

When he returned to the Army of the South, Count d'Estaing kindly wrote to General Washington: "Allow me to recommend particularly to your favour M. de Fleury. General Sullivan will tell you what he did at Rhode Island; he is an excellent officer and a useful Frenchman. I should be happy, if the occasion offered, to serve again with him. He is fitted to bring about good feeling among private individuals, and to make them as friendly as our two nations are." (Letter of M. d'Estaing).

At the opening of the campaign of 1779 M. de Fleury was in command of a corps of light infantry; he was the first to mount the ramparts of Stony Point, and he took the enemy's flag with his own hand. (Certified by the General and by Congress).

On this occasion the President of Congress wrote that Congress hoped he would receive some reward from his own country, and the French minister also expressed a hope that his Court would give America, through M. de Fleury, some token of the satisfaction with which the services of a French officer to America were viewed in France. (Letter from Mr. Jay).

When M. de la Luzerne arrived, General Washington requested him to call the attention of the French Court to the conduct of M. de Fleury.

At the close of the campaign, by the advice of his general, he asked for nine months' leave. At his departure, General Washington wrote to Congress that he desired the return of an officer who had rendered such important services. (Letter of General Washington).

Though far from rich, M. de Fleury declined any pecuniary recompense on leaving America.

M. de Fleury, having thus by his services risen from the ranks to a lieutenant-colonelcy, and having been honoured by the good will of the nation and of the army, the esteem of Congress and the confidence of his general, ventures to solicit some mark of the approbation of his Prince and of the minister under whose auspices he entered the service of an ally of France.

Though convinced that he owes his success to his good fortune rather than to his talents, and that by his zeal he has alone been enabled to make up for his deficiency, he ventures to hope that his country will not overlook his services, and that his return to a beloved land—which is a source of happiness to every Frenchman—will not prove in his case a misfortune and a loss.

P.S. M. de Fleury has made some surveys and written reports which have met with the approbation of M. Girard; he begs to be allowed to present them to the Minister. (Letter of M. Girard).

Plate V. No. 5.

July 15, 1779.

Joanni Stewart cohortis præfecto Comitia Americana. ℞. Stoney-Point oppugnatum.