Alice Izard to Hannah Lee

The day before yesterday I had the pleasure of receiving your favour of the 4th, enclosing a letter for Mr. Izard which I shall send with my own to the care of the Marquis de la Fayette. I have at last had the honor of seeing him & was very much pleased with his visit & conversation. He saw Mr. Izard very frequently while the latter was in Virginia. They dined with Ld. Cornwallis at Gen'l Knox's soon after his Ld. Ship's surrender. Mr. Izard was so vexed at the cruelty of his conduct throughout the whole course of his command, that he could not be induced to hold any conversation with him & it was with difficulty he was prevailed on to meet him at dinner. I have not heard anything of Mr. Jefferson & am not at all in the way of getting the authentic information you imagine, as I have not had the honour of seeing Mr. Temple Franklin since my return to Paris. I am much obliged to you for transcribing the paragraph from the English newspaper respecting Mr. Izard. The Hermione Frigate is lately arrived at Rochfort with the Baron de Viomenil & other French officers. Mr. de Clonard was at that Port on business when they landed, he saw them and was so good as to make very particular enquiries about Mr. Izard. They said he was well in January & mentioned the same circumstances with regard to him that you have copied for me. I likewise saw them in the Newspapers. These gentlemen added that he had got possession of his Estates. I dare not give credit to this news as they say at the same time that Gen'l Greene & his army were at the distance of twenty-five miles from Charles Town. The most valuable parts of Mr. I's possessions are within that distance, I therefore think he cannot be upon them. The remaining part of this paper I dedicate to transcripts from a letter I have just received from him & hope the one I enclose from your manager, Mr. Valentine, will contain agreeable accounts for you. Mr. Izard says, 30th Oct'r: “I am now at Mr. W. Lee's plantation[note 11] near James River, on my way to South Carolina. We shall cross the Ferry this morning. I wrote to you from Head Quarters before York a few days ago & informed you of my mortification at finding that Mons. de Grasse with his fleet, were to return immediately to the West Indies. This is much to be lamented as it is the opinion of Mr. de Rochambeau & every other officer that if Charles Town were attacked with the whole force now in Virginia it would be taken in less than three weeks. Mr. de Grasse has entered into some engagement with the Spaniards which will oblige him to leave the Continent. A considerable reinforcement is going to Gen'l Greene which will give him a superiority over the Enemy. I think we shall be in possession of the Country & I hope the French Fleet will return soon & help us to drive the Enemy out of our Capital. I am exceedingly mortified at not being able to write you positively to come over. You will however consider the letters I have written you lately, & judge for yourself. The capture of L'd Cornwallis & his whole army is such a stroke against Great Britain that I think she must immediately make Peace; should that appear likely to be the case, would it not be better for you to wait a little longer & come over with everything you want without being afraid of an enemy? L'd Cornwallis & his plundering associates had robbed Mr. W. Lee of between 60 & 70 negroes. Half of them are recovered, but I fear the others are lost. His property here is considerable & his friends here are surprised that he does not come here & live on it. If he can reconcile himself to a Country life, he has every thing here that he can reasonably desire. The House in which I am now writing is a very large Mansion, at least as large as ours at Goose Creek & in a much more ruinous condition than that was when you saw it. I left my wagon and horses here at the desire of Mr. Richard Henry Lee when I went to Camp. Mr. Valentine, the manager, has behaved with the utmost civility & attention & seems to be a very honest, good sort of a man. I enclose a letter from him to Mr. Lee. I would write to Mr. Lee but as I have nothing political to informe him of except what I have written you, I must desire that you will communicate to him. Give my compliments to Mr. & Mrs. Lee & to Mr. Jenings. Harry in his last letter tells me he is very desirous of seeing his Mama, Brothers & Sisters. I gave him hopes that he should see you all in the Spring, for I had no doubt of it; and still think that we will see you all in the Summer.”

I have thus, Dear Madam, given you a faithful copy of Mr. Izard's letter that you & Mr. Lee may be able to form the best judgment on the situation of all affairs, both public & private. I do not think myself authorized to undertake a voyage to America either this Spring or Summer, but I shall be very happy if all circumstances will admit of my going out next Autumn.

What do you think of our making a party for that purpose? My best compliments to Mr. Lee & love to the young Ladies. I am, dear Madam, Your affec'te h'ble serv't, &c.,

A. IZARD.

The Duke de Lauzurn's legion is gone to join Gen'l Greene.