Papers of John Adams, volume 5
1777-11-10
Nothing has given me more uneasiness than to find General Conway is about Leaving our Army on Account of Some French Gentlemen who were inferiour in Rank to him while they Remained in their own Country being promoted over him. This he Says was the only Thing he guarded against in his agreement with Mr. Dean and with Congress, but is now So unhappy as to find not only persons who held Inferiour Rank to him in France promoted over his head but Some who had no Rank at all in the French Army.1
I have been in Two Actions with General Conway and am Confident no man could behave better in Action. His Regula-326tions in his brigade are much better than any in the Army and his knowledge of Military matters in General far Exceeds any officer we have and I must beg Leave to observe that it is worth the Consideration of Congress to Retain him in the Army. Dr. Sir I am with Real friendship and Esteem your most obedt. Servt.,
P.S. If the office of Inspector General with the Rank of Major General were given him2 I think our Army would Soon cut a Different figure from what they now do. Yrs. &c.
Du Coudray was given the rank of major general on 11 Aug. Lafayette, who had a brief career as a captain in a French regiment, was named a major general without a command on 31 July (
JCC
, 8:630, 592–593; Nathanael Greene to JA, 28 May, note 4, above;
DAB
).
Conway achieved this status on 13 Dec. (
JCC
, 9:1026).