George Washington signs a letter of introduction for Prussian officer Baron de Woedtke, one of the earliest European officers to lend his services in support of American independence

"Sir this will be handed to you by the Barron (sic) of Woedtke, who was by distress of weather drove on shore at Cape Cod, he was bound from St. Domingo to Philadelphia to offer his Service & deliver some Letters he has for different Members of Congress--as he is a gentleman & a stranger I recommend him to your hospitality & politeness--your attention must be very acceptable & advantagious (sic) to him, giving him the shortest & best rout (sic), & taking care that he will not be imposed upon, will confer an obligation on him & be vastly pleasing to Sir Your Most Obt. H. St. G: Washington"

Cambridge, February 23, 1776. One sheet folded to make four pages, 9 1/4 x 7 3/8 in. (235 x 187 mm). Manuscript letter in a secretarial hand (likely Stephen Moylan), signed by George Washington, as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, to Rhode Island Governor, Nicholas Cooke, being a letter of introduction for Prussian officer Frederick William, Baron de Woedtke. Integral address leaf signed in a secretarial hand, docketing in a different hand to same. Creasing from original folds, other old creasing; mat burn along edges, touching a few letters, including the "n" in Washington's signature; two excised portions on address leaf from a now removed wax seal when first opened, tape repairs along top and bottom edges of same; toned.

Frederick William, Baron de Woedtke (1740-76) was en route to Philadelphia to report to the Continental Congress, offer his services and present his credentials in support of American independence--one of the first foreign officers to do so, and almost two years before his fellow Prussian Baron von Steuben--when his ship ran ashore at Cape Cod due to bad weather. Forced to travel overland, George Washington signed this letter of accommodation and passage for de Woedtke after meeting him in Cambridge at army headquarters, before he made his way south through Rhode Island. The letter is addressed to Rhode Island Governor Nicholas Cooke.

In the early years of the American Revolution Congress was in desperate need of experienced officers to help reinforce and train the ranks of the fledgling American army, and were prone to give out commissions to any European officer seeking a major rank--whether deserved or not. Volunteers and adventurers (mercenaries) from all over Europe, but primarily France, came to America. Some were genuinely wanting to fight for the cause of liberty, but many were seeking to make a name for themselves and attain a higher rank than they had at home, and some were lured by the potential accompanying wealth. Woedtke was likely of the latter group, and came to America with a letter of recommendation from French physician and translator, Jacques Barbeu-Duborg--friend of Benjamin Franklin--that seemingly exaggerated his experience in the Prussian army, stating that he was a one-time aide-de-camp to King Frederick the Great and a Major General of the Calvary. Barbeu-Duborg, it turns out, had never actually met de Woedtke, and relied upon a friend who apparently knew him, and who vouched for his experience and good character. What was presumably not known at that time by Barbeu-Duborg or Congress was that Woedtke had run afoul of King Frederick in 1771 and was shortly imprisoned by him. He then fled to Switzerland and then to France, where he joined the French Army. Down on his luck and fairly destitute, joining the American cause was a good way, he likely thought, to turn his life around. On the basis of these credentials, de Woedtke was nominated for the rank of Brigadier General by John Adams, and Congress unanimously voted in favor of his commission on March 16, 1776.

After receiving his commission, de Woedtke was sent north to serve under General Philip Schuyler in Albany, and to provide assistance during the campaign in Canada. He accompanied a secret congressional delegation en route for Montreal, that included Benjamin Franklin, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Carroll's cousin and Jesuit priest, John Carroll, and Samuel Chase (they were tasked by Congress to persuade the Canadian people to join the American cause and unite as a 14th colony), and likely disembarked when they reached Albany. Along the journey de Woedtke made a lasting and negative impression on Charles Carroll, who wrote that he was "not the best bred up by his Prussian Majesty," with his cousin adding that he had never before, "held a more laughable object in my life," and that he "appears to me as a man who knows little of polite life..."

While serving on the Canadian front, de Woedtke soon proved to be a lackluster and inconsequential leader, impressing few of his American allies. His heavy drinking and poor English stymied whatever knowledge he could have contributed, and his command as General lasted less than a month. By July 1776 he was severely ill and died soon after, with many speculating it was the result of his severe alcoholism. Commenting on the news of Woedtke's death, John Adams--probably regretting his earlier nomination--wrote in an August 16, 1776 letter to Francis Dana, "The Baron is dead. Has not left a very good Character."

This letter was written from Cambridge, Massachusetts--then the military headquarters of the Continental Army--during the Siege of Boston. A few days later the Continental Army fortified Dorchester Heights, overlooking Boston Harbor, and successfully drove away British General Howe's occupying army.

Foreign Volunteers in the American Revolution

At the onset of hostilities with Great Britain, Congress recognized the need for seasoned and specialized officers to lead and train the American troops. When the Continental Army was created on June 14, 1775, it was largely a disorganized collection of militia units and untrained volunteers. If they were to stand a chance against the most well trained and supplied army in the world, military and Congressional leaders would need to make significant improvements. The lack of experienced domestic officers to meet this demand forced the army to accept foreign soldiers into their ranks.

In 1776, Connecticut politician Silas Deane, and later Benjamin Franklin, were appointed by Congress to serve in France with the purpose of securing financial aid for the American cause. Once in Paris they were bombarded with a never-ending stream of European applicants offering to lend their services to the Revolution. They hailed from all over Europe, including Bavaria, Prussia, and Poland, although the vast majority came from France. Their reasons for wanting to support the American cause were as varied as their backgrounds, and although Deane and Franklin claimed to refuse applications, the number of recommendations they wrote continued to increase in number, to the mounting frustration of Congress. "We are hourly fatigu’d with their Applications and Offers which we are obliged to refuse; and with hundreds of Letters which we cannot possibly answer to Satisfaction," they wrote to Congress in 1777. George Washington was especially incensed by these new recruits, as he wrote in a scathing letter to John Hancock, in February 1777, “You cannot conceive what a weight these kind of people are upon the Service, and upon me in particular, few of them have any knowledge of the Branches they profess to understand, and those that have are entirely useless as Officers from their ignorance of the English Language…” (The Papers of George Washington).

Men, such as Thomas Conway, Phillip Hubert de Borre, and Matthias de Formay, sowed discord among the ranks, and contributed to major defeats, despite their supposed accolades. Conversely, the most famous and beloved foreign officers such as the Marquis de Lafayette, Casimir Pulaski, and Baron von Steuben, joined the American army out of a genuine devotion to the ideals of the Revolution, and had a substantial impact on the course of the war.

Provenance

Thomas F. Madigan, New York, 1934

Frank S. Schwarz & Son, Philadelphia, 1981

Private Collection