York, 1st December, 1777. Gentlemen, As we wish the subject of this letter to be well attended to and understood, we shall confine ourselves entirely to the business of such French gentlemen as have returned without getting employment in North America, and particularly those of Mons. Du Coudray's corps. Whatever may be the clamor excited by discontent, we think that a candid consideration of our circumstances, and what Congress have really done, will fully justify them in the eyes of reasonable men. We will observe, in the first place, that of all those who have returned, not one came here at the request of Congress; that they have cost the States a very large sum of money, and that the circumstances of affairs would not permit any benefit to be drawn from them here. It was necessary, previous to the opening of the campaign, that the affairs of the army should be arranged, officers appointed, and every thing systematically made ready for the serious business that was approaching. At this time, it was not known by Congress or the Commander in Chief, that such a character as Mons. Coudray (under such agreements as he brought over with him) was to visit us. The best that could be done was therefore undertaken, and General Knox, the father of the American artillery, was appointed to that command, and all the other divisions of the army were filled with Major Generals. In this state of things arrived General Du Coudray, with an agreement by which he was to command the artillery, and the greatest part of the Major Generals of the army, by being of older commission. A plentiful crop of resignations began presently to sprout up, and the whole army must have been deranged and thrown into confusion, just in the opening of a campaign, or this agreement not accorded to in the whole. But Mons. Du Coudray would have every thing or nothing. An inflexible ambition, that paid no regard to the situation and circumstances of the army, would be gratified. This produced a scene of contention, which was not ended when the unfortunate General was drowned in the Schuylkill, going to join the army. Immediately on his death, the rest of his corps would return to France, and in this disposition Congress endeavored to render things as agreeable to them as possible, having some regard to the interest of the public which they serve. It is very true, that a concurrence of causes, such as the removal from Philadelphia, the time that elapsed before business was gone regularly into again, and the multiplicity of public affairs, did occasion some delay in settling with these gentlemen; but this was a loss to the community more than to them, because their pay was continued to the last. And you will see by the papers enclosed, that ample allowances have been made for their expenses to the shipping port, for passage to France, and travel to Paris.