When Congress promoted Duportail to general, and each of the French engineers by an additional rank, Kosciuszko’s friends argued that he should be promoted as well. One of these was Col. Robert Troup, who was with Gates in York. Kosciuszko responded to Troup, saying: “I am far from possessing such Qualities as you mention. . . . My dear Colonel if you see that my promotion will make a great many Jealous, tell the General that I will not accept of one because I prefer peace more than the greatest Rank in the World.”15
