a post of honor, and which his rank indeed entitled him to. Upon this
information his countenance changed, and he appeared to be quite fallen;
and instead of thanking me, or expressing any pleasure at the
appointment, never opened his mouth. I desired him to go on to my
quarters and get something to refresh himself, and I would meet him
there soon. He did so. Upon his arrival there, he found Col. Tilghman,
whom he took a one side, and mentioning what I had told him, seemed to
express great uneasiness at it--as his leg, he said, would not permit
him to be long on horse-back; and intimated a great desire to have the
command at West Point. When I returned to my quarters, Col. Tilghman
informed me of what had passed. I made no reply to it--but his behavior
struck me as strange and unaccountable. In the course of that night,
however, I received information from New York that General Clinton had
altered his plan and was debarking his troops. This information obliged
me likewise to alter my disposition and return to my former station,
where I could better cover the country. I then determined to comply with
Arnold's desire, and accordingly gave him the command of the garrison at
West Point. Things remained in this situation about a fortnight, when I
wrote to the Count Rochambeau desiring to meet him at some intermediate
place (as we could neither of us be long enough from our respective
commands to visit the other), in order to lay the plan for the siege of
Yorktown, and proposed Hartford, where I accordingly went and met the
Count. On my return I met the Chevalier Luzerne towards evening within
about 15 miles of West Point (on his way to join the Count at Rhode
Island), which I intended to reach that night, but he insisted upon
turning back with me to the next public house; where, in politeness to
him, I could not but stay all night, determining, however, to get to
West Point to breakfast very early. I sent off my baggage, and desired
Colonel Hamilton to go forward and inform General Arnold that I would
breakfast with him. Soon after he arrived at Arnold's quarters, a letter