Col. Hamilton and Major Edwards withdrew, and conversing awhile on the subject, still concurred fully in the opinion, that for the most urgent reasons, the affair should terminate as it was then circumstanced. This decision was communicated to the parties and agreed to by them, upon which they immediately returned to town; General Lee slightly wounded in the right side.
During the interview a conversation to the following purport passed between General Lee and Col. Laurens. On Col. Hamilton’s intimating the idea of personal enmity, as before mentioned—Gen. Lee declared he had none, and had only met Col. Laurens, to defend his own honor—that Mr. Laurens best knew whether there was any on his part. Col. Laurens replied, that General Lee was acquainted with the motives that had brought him there, which were, that he had been informed from what he thought good authority, that Gen. Lee had spoken of General Washington in the grossest and most opprobrious terms of personal abuse, which he, Col. Laurens, thought himself bound to resent, as well on account of the relation he bore to General Washington, as from motives of personal friendship and respect for his character. General Lee acknowledged that he had given his opinion against General Washington’s military character to his particular friends, and might perhaps do it again. He said every man had a right to give his sentiments freely of military characters, and that he did not think himself personally accountable to Col. Laurens for what he had done in that respect. But he said he never had spoken of General Washington in the terms mentioned, which he could not have done; as well because he had always esteemed General Washington as a man, as because such abuse would be incompatible with the character he would ever wish to sustain as a gentleman.
Upon the whole, we think it a piece of justice to the two gentlemen to declare, that after they met, their conduct was strongly marked with all the politeness, generosity, coolness and firmness, that ought to characterize a transaction of this nature.
Alexander Hamilton.
Ev. Edwards.
Philadelphia, December 24th, 1778.
DUPLESSIS TO HAMILTON.
11 Janvier, 1779.
Je n’ai point reçu, mon cher Hamilton, les papiers que vous deviez m’envoyer avec Les Signes en chiffres.
Si vous désirez ce dont nous étions convenu, lorsqueje partis du quartier Général, remettez le tout à M. De la Colombe, qui dans deux mois part pour France. Je vous promets beaucoup de vérité et jeu d’esprit dans la narration.
Dans peu de minutes, nous voguerons; présentez mon respect à son Excellence, et mes amitiés à toute votre famille. Souvenez-vous de tout ce que je vous ai dit à mon départ et soyez homme de parole.