The FReeper Foxhole Profiles The Marquis de Lafayette

In the spring of 1778 Washington sent General Sullivan to command the Continental troops in Rhode Island. The British were strongly entrenched at Newport and the British fleet was also on guard. Later in the summer Washington sent Greene and Lafayette with additional troops to aid Sullivan. The Americans hoped that the french fleet and french forces would give them much needed aid to conquer the British. The french fleet had suffered considerable damage from a storm and Admiral Estaing felt his ships were unprepared to meet the British fleet. Consequently Sullivan had some unkind words for the situation which resulted in much misunderstanding. The french fleet went to Boston harbor for repairs. Sullivan urged Lafayette to make the long trip to Boston to urge the authorities to hurry the repairs so the fleet could attack the British. Lafayette agreed reluctantly and after a seven hour ride reached Boston and the authorities promised to have the repairs made at once.

Print of George Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette, Gree, Lagrange and Pulaski sitting on a riverbank with rifles, hunting dogs and a slain deer while several African-Americans load a boat with game.

Lafayette returned to Rhode Island and upon arrival found the British had attacked Sullivan's forces but were driven back with heavy losses. Then Sullivan withdrew his forces to higher ground as the result of a letter he received from Washington that Howe had left New York with troops to help the British at Newport. When Lafayette arrived upon the scene he found the Americans were retreating to higher ground, then Lafayette though fatigued from his long trip to Boston, asked Sullivan to command the rear-guard and thus he brought out safely more than a thousand men and supplies and united the forces with Sullivan's main army. Since the American army was safe, Sullivan sent his report to Congress in which he mentioned the earnest service of Lafayette.

Congress was much pleased with Lafayette's efforts and on September 9, 1778, passed the following resolve: "That the President be requested to inform the Marquis de Lafayette, that Congress have a due sense of the sacrifice he made of his personal feelings in taking a journey to Boston with a view of promoting the interest of these states, at a time when an occasion was daily expected of his acquiring glory in the field, and that his gallantry in going on Rhode Island, when the greatest part of the army had retreated, and his good conduct in bringing off the pickets and out- sentries, deserve their particular approbation." Lafayette appreciated this action of Congress and he wrote to President Laurens of the Congress in part under date 23 September 1778, as follows: "I have just received your favor of the 13th instant, acquainting me with the honor Congress have been pleased to confer on me by their most gracious resolve. Whatever pride such an approbation may justly give me, I am not less affected by the feelings of gratefulness, and the satisfaction of thinking my endeavours were looked on as useful to a cause, in which my heart is so deeply interested." Since the active campaigning was over for 1778, Lafayette expressed a desire to return to france for a time.

Consequently he applied to Congress in Philadelphia for a furlough to return home. On October 21, Congress granted him permission to return to his native land and stated: "that he shall return at such time as shall be most convenient to him." When Lafayette arrived in france he went at once to the palace at Versailles to see his wife and family. Since Lafayette had left france against the king's will, he knew he was under a cloud and could not come to the court until he was forgiven by the king. His father-in-law went to see Maurepas, the minister, who informed him that Lafayette must undergo a period of exile before he could return to court. Later Lafayette was exiled to the Hotel de Noailles for a period of eight days, and he was not permitted to go about, and no one was permitted to see him except his family. He was always honored by the queen and she made it a point to see him in the palace grounds before he went into exile. She congratulated him on his fine record in the American war.

Once it became known that Lafayette was exiled, the king soon discovered that the sentence was considered unjust and Lafayettes' praises were heard on all sides. Nevertheless, many important people did come to see him during his period of exile. When his term of exile was completed he was summoned by the King who received him very graciously, congratulated him very warmly on his service for the United States. The early situation was soon forgotten and Lafayette stood very high in court affairs. Shortly after his return home the Congress of the United States presented him with a sword which was an honor appreciated by the King and his government.

Lafayette is wounded at Brandywine

From the very beginning on his return home, Lafayette made every effort to secure additional aid from his government. In the long run his work bore fruit. On June 12, 1779, Lafayette wrote a long letter to Washington in which he expressed his hope that he would soon be with Washington to tender such aid as he could give. He knew how much the colonies needed money so he wrote: "It gave me much trouble, and I so much insisted upon it, that the director of finances looks upon me as his evil genius. france has incurred great expenses lately. The Spaniards will not easily give their dollars. However, Dr. Franklin has got some money to pay the bills of Congress, and I hope I shall determine the government to greater sacrifices. Serving American is to my heart an inexpressible happiness."

Early in the year 1780 Lafayette's hard work with the french government resulted in the success of sending french troops to aid Washington and additional needed supplies. So insistent was Lafayette for aid to the Americans that one day Count de Maurepas said in the royal council: "It is fortunate for the King, that Lafayette does not take it into his head to strip Versailles of its furniture, to send to his dear Americans; as his Majesty would be unable to refuse it." In addition to governmental supplies Lafayette purchased our of his private account a large amount of supplies for the troops he would command on his return to America.

After numerous conferences the french government decided to give the french troops to the command of Count de Rochambeau and Lafayette would be expected to command the American division according to the plans of Washington. Special instructions were given Rochambeau under date March 1, 1780, from Versailles: "His Majesty, having determined to send a considerable body of troops to American, to the assistance of his allies, the United States, has appointed Count de Rochambeau, one of his lieutenant-generals, to the chief command of the twelve battalions of infantry, which are to be commanded under his orders by four major-generals. This corps, which his Majesty has furnished with its proper complement of artillery for sieges and service in the field, is to be in readiness to start from Brest in the first days of April, under the escort of a squadron of six ships of the line, commanded by the Chevalier de Ternay." Lafayette had stressed the vital need of harmony in order to assure military success in the campaign. In the instructions given to Rochambeau there was this significant statement: "That the general, to whom his Majesty intrusts the command of his troops, should always and in all cases be under the command of General Washington."

Lafayette sailed in the french frigate Hermione on March 19 and after a passage of thirty-eight days arrived in Boston. He reported to Washington and then went to Philadelphia to give the french representatives of his government certain official papers. Rochambeau and his expedition arrived in Newport on July 10. The coming of this help brought new hope to the American cause. In the weeks which followed Washington and Rochambeau made careful plans so that their campaign would bring definite success and Washington hoped it would be the final victory for independence.

In the meantime the British invaded the south in their endeavor to crush the war in that section Washington sent such troops that he could spare and the first real movement began in the spring of 1781 when Lafayette was sent to Virginia to unite his forces with Steuben, who was also operating there in a limited way. In the early fall of 1781 Cornwallis and his troops were driven into Yorktown, Virginia, and now the forces of the Americans and french moved to force him to surrender since he was also held in from the sea by the french fleet. As a result of brilliant efforts on the part of the Americans and the french forces, Cornwallis was compelled to surrender on October 19, 1781. Rejoicing was manifested throughout the entire country as at last the victory was won. Gratitude was likewise given the french for their timely help and particularly to Lafayette for his unselfish devotion to the American cause. Every one seemed to realize that the main fighting was ended. Consequently, Lafayette went to Washington to secure a leave of absence to return home.

The visit of the Marquis de Lafayette to the U.S., in 1824-25, was in every sense a triumphal procession. The 2d Battalion, 11th New York Artillery, was one of many militia commands turned out in welcome. This unit decided to adopt the title "National Guard," in honor of Lafayette's celebrated Garde Nationale de Paris.

He went to Philadelphia to secure the permission of Congress which granted his request and gave him a fine letter of appreciation for his patriotic services. Before he sailed for home Washington wrote him a personal letter in which he said: "I owe it to your friendship and to my affectionate regard for you, my dear Marquis, not to let you leave this country without carrying with you fresh marks of my attachment to you, and new expressions of the high sense I entertain of your military conduct and other important services in the course of the last campaign, although the latter are too well known to need the testimony of my approbation." Lafayette sailed home from Boston on the United States ship "Alliance" on December 23, and before sailing he wrote a letter to Washington in which he said: "Adieu, my dear General; I know your heart so well that I am sure that no distance can alter your attachment to me. With the same candour I assure that my love, respect, my gratitude for you, are above expression; that, at the moment of leaving you, I felt more than ever the strength of those friendly ties that forever bind me to you."

Lafayette at the Champ de Mars orders his soldiers to fire on members of the Cordeliers Club, which had been gathering signatures on the Champ-de Mars for a petition to abolish the monarchy on September 3, 1791. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

When Lafayette returned home he was honored for his unusual service in America. He had done much to strengthen the ties of friendship between france and the United States. Eventually changes came to the french government and Napoleon came to be head. Lafayette stood firmly for representative government and never yielded to the full support of Napoleon. When the sad news reached france early in the year 1800 of the death of Washington, Napoleon decided to hold a memorial service for Washington at Invalides, but Lafayette was not invited and Napoleon ordered the orator not to refer to Lafayette in his oration. It was rather a glorification of Napoleon than a memorial service to Washington. However, Lafayette had his glorious memories of Washington and the friendship of the great man.

In 1784 he visited America on Washington's invitation. During the ensuing years, he aided Thomas Jefferson, U.S. Minister to france on numerous political and economic matters. He was a member of the Assembly of Notables in 1787. In 1789 he was a representative for the nobility of Auvergne in the States General. On July 26, 1789 he was named the commander of the National Guard — saving the royal family from a Paris mob in October. A year later he was promoted to Lieutenant General, but resigned on October 8th. In 1792, when war was declared with Austria, he took command of the army, but was later replaced during the rise of the Jacobin influence and he fled to Belgium. He was taken by the Austrians, who turned him over to the Prussians who held him prisoner until 1797. He was eventually freed by Napoleon, returning to france in 1800, only to find his fortune destroyed. He declined a number of social and political offers over the convening years, focusing his attention on the lands of La Grange, his home outside of Paris.

In 1825, he accepted an invitation to visit the United States and thus began a tour of the country rivaling the frenzy of audiences at music concerts today. He returned to france after his popular tour of the States, working in the political arena. He spent some $200,000 or more of his fortune in support of the colonies in the Revolution. He eventually was paid by Congress for "services rendered" during the war. He was given two checks. One for $120,000 and one for $80,000. (The larger check of the two is in the collection of the Valley Forge Historical Society). He was also given lands in 1803 (in Louisiana) which did not see an income until almost twelve years later.

To the end of his life Lafayette held firm for representative government in his country. The great general died in 1834. His fine work for American independence will never be forgotten and his name will always shine out on the pages of our history.

Additional Sources:

www.templeton-interactive.com theamericanrevolution.org
www.vahistorical.org
memory.loc.gov
www.geneastar.net
www.ngb.army.mil
www.mountvernon.org
www.zum.de/Faecher/G/BW/neuzeit/frzrev
www.williamsburgsculpture.com
www.pbs.org
ww2.lafayette.edu
www.libertyhall.org

On This Day In History

Birthdates which occurred on August 23:
1754 Louis XVI Versailles, king of France (1774-92); guillotined
1785 Oliver Hazard Perry naval hero
1869 James (Sunny Jim) Rolph SF mayor (1912-31), MUNI backer
1900 Ernst Krenek Vienna Austria, composer (Johnny Spielt Auf)
1901 John Sherman Cooper (Sen-Ky)
1903 William Primrose Glasgow Scot, violist (Method for Violin & Viola)
1905 Constant Lambert London England, composer (King Pest)
1908 Arthur Adamov Kislovodsk Russia, dramatist (Paolo Paoli)
1911 Birger Ruud Norway, 90m ski jumper (Olympic-gold-1932, 36)
1911 Elizabeth Robinson US, 100m dash (Olympic-gold-1928)
1912 Gene Kelly Pitts, dancer/actor (An American in Paris, Going My Way)
1913 Bob Crosby Spokane Wa, Bing's brother, orch leader (Bob Crosby Show)
1923 Wolfgang Sawallisch Munich Ger, conductor (Vienna Symph 1960-70)
1930 Michel Rocard Courbevoie France, Prime Minister of France
1930 Vera Miles actress (Psycho)
1932 Mark Russell Buffalo NY, political satirist/pianist (Real People)
1933 Pete Wilson (Sen-R-Calif)
1934 Barbara Eden Tucson Az, actress (Dream of Jeannie, Amazing Dobermans)
1934 Christian "Sonny" Jurgensen NFL QB (Eagles, Redskins)
1940 Richard Sanders Harrisburg Pa, actpr (Les-WKRP, Spencer, Berrengers)
1940 Tony Bill SD Cal, (Sam-What Really Happened to the Class of '65)
1942 Nancy Richey Gunther San Ant Tx, tennis player (US Doubles 1965, 66)
1942 Patricia McBride ballerina (NYC Ballet Co)
1943 Bobby Diamond LA Calif, actor (Duncan Gillis-Dobie Gillis)
1944 Antonia Novello US Surgeon General
1947 Keith Moon rocker (True Story of 200 Motels)
1947 Rex Allen Jr Chicago, country singer (Nashville on the Road)
1948 Ron Blomberg NY Yank, 1st designated hitter
1949 Rick Springfield Australia, (General Hospital, Jessie's Girl)
1949 Shelley Long Fort Wayne Indiana, actress (Diane-Cheers, Money Pit)
1951 Mark Hudson Portland Ore, comedians (Bonkers, Hudson Brothers Show)
1951 Queen Noor of Jordan
1953 Bobby Gubby rocker (Bucks Fizz-My Camera Never Lies)
1956 Gerry Cooney heavyweight boxer
1966 Laura Richmond Fort Dix NJ, playmate (Sep, 1988)
1967 Nancy Jane Cox Campbellsville Kentucky, Miss Kentucky-America-1991
1970 River Phoenix Madras Ore, actor (Little Nikta, Stand By Me)

Deaths which occurred on August 23:
408 Flavius Stilcho, Roman general, beheaded
0634 Aboe Bekr Abd Allah, [al-Siddik], friend/successor of Mohammed, dies
1305 William Wallace, Scottish patriot, hanged, disemboweled & beheaded
1819 Oliver Hazard Perry naval hero, dies on 34th birthday
1926 Rodolpho Alfonzo Rafaello Pietro Filiberto Guglieimi Di Valentina D'Antonguolla (Rudolph Valentino), silent movie idol, dies in NY at 31
1927 Nicola Sacco & Bartolomeo Vanzetti executed in Mass
1960 Oscar Hammerstein II Broadway librettist, dies at 65
1962 Hoot Gibson silent screen cowboy actor, dies at 70
1975 Hank Patterson actor (Fred Ziffel-Green Acres), dies at 87
1989 Yusef Hawkins shot by 30 whites in Bensonhurst because he's black
1995 Alfred Eisenstaedt, photojournalist

Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1967 BAKER ELMO C. KENNETT MO.
p03/14/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1967 BRASWELL DONALD R.
[08/24/67 ESCAPED]
1967 CARRIGAN LARRY E. PHOENIX AZ.
[03/14/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE IN 99]
1967 GERNDT GERALD L. OCONTO FALLS WI.
[03/14/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1967 HOLT DEWEY T.
[08/24/67 ESCAPED]
1967 LANE CHARLES YANKTON SD
1967 MIDNIGHT FRANCIS B. GARY IN
1967 NESS PATRICK L. MINNEAPOLIS MN.
[REMAINS RETURNED 04/10/86]
1967 SITTNER RONALD NICHALIS SOUTH EUCLID OH.
[REMAINS RETURNED 12/30/97]
1967 SAWHILL ROBERT R. CARNEGIE PA.
[03/14/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE IN 98]
1967 SITEK THOMAS W. NIAGARA FALLS NY.
1967 TYLER CHARLES R. GLOBE AZ.
[03/14/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1968 BERGEVIN CHARLES L. TORRINGTON CT.
[RADIO CONTACT LOST]
1968 FERGUSON WALTER JR. NEW YORK NY.
1968 SETTERQUIST FRANCIS L. CLOQUET MN.

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

On this day...
476 Odoacer elected King of Byzantine
1244 Turks expel the crusaders under Frederick II from Jerusalem.
1328 King Philip VI of France, crowned
1617 1st one-way streets established (London)
1813 Battle of Grossbeeren - Prussians under Von Bulow repulse French(SHOCKING NEWS!!)
1833 Britain abolishes slavery in colonies; 700,000 slaves freed
1838 Mt Holyoke Female Seminary (South Hadley, Mass) 1st graduating class
1864 Fall of Fort Morgan at Mobile
1866 Treaty of Prague ends Austro-Prussian war
1869 1st carload of freight (boots & shoes) arrives in SF, from Boston
1872 1st Japanese coml ship visits SF, carrying tea
1883 Phillies make 27 errors against Providence (wild pitches, walks & passballs count as errors prior to 1888)
1889 1st ship-to-shore wireless message received in US (SF)
1900 National Negro Business League organizes (Boston)
1903 6th Zionist Congress, Theodor Herzl declares Jewish state
1904 Automobile tire chain patented
1907 Pitts Howie Camnitz no-hits NY Giants, 1-0 in 5 inning game
1914 Japan declares war on Germany in World War I
1917 Race riot in Houston Texas (2 blacks & 11 whites killed)
1919 "Gasoline Alley" cartoon strip premiers in Chicago Tribune
1924 Mars' closest approach to Earth since the 10th century
1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop-pact (Soviet Union neutral/Poland divided)
1944 Romania liberated from Nazi occupation (National Day 1944-1990)
1947 Pres Truman's daughter, Margaret's 1st public singing concert
1948 World Council of Churches formed by 147 churches from 44 countries
1950 West Germany & Japan readmitted to Intl Amateur Athletic Federation
1953 Phil Grate sets record for throwing a baseball (443'3«")
1958 Marie Ashton completes playing piano a female record 133 hours
1960 World's largest frog (3.3 kg) caught (Equatorial Guinea)
1961 US lunar probe Ranger 1 reaches 190 km from Earth, falls back
1963 Beatles release "She Loves You" in the UK
1963 Ringo admits he wrote a song "Don't Pass Me By"
1964 St Louis Cards are 11 games back in NL, & win the World Series
1966 Lunar Orbiter 1 takes 1st photograph of Earth from Moon
1968 Ringo quits the Beatles over a disagreement, temporarily
1968 Yanks & Tigers play 3-3 tie in 19 due to 1 AM curfew
1969 Audrey McElmory (US) wins World Cycling Championships, Brno, Czechoslovakia (1st American to win cycling race title since 1912)
1972 Republican convention (Miami Beach, Fla) renominates VP Agnew but not unanimous-1 vote went to NBC newsman David Brinkley)
1973 Intelsat communications satellite launched
1975 Communists take over Laos
1977 1st man-powered flight of a mile (Bryan Allen in Gossamer Condor)
1977 Yanks leap frog over Red Sox « game in 1st place to stay
1979 Bolshoi Ballet dancer Alexander Godunov defects in NYC
1979 UN's Vienna office opens
1985 Said Aouita of Morroco sets the 1.5k record (3:29.46) in Berlin
1985 Paul Hornung awarded $1,160,000 by a Louisville court against NCAA who barred him as a college football analyst for betting on games
1988 Mike Tyson & Mitch Green brawl at 4 A.M. in Harlem
1989 LA Dodgers beat Montreal Expos, 1-0, in 22 innings
2001 Democratic Rep. Gary Condit of California denied any involvement in the disappearance of intern Chandra Levy; his comments came during an interview with Connie Chung on ABC.

Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"
[Ancient Rome] Volcanalia (Festival of Vulcan)
Romania : Liberation Day (1944-1990)
Swaziland : Umhlanga Day
National Aviation Week (Day 6)
Fall of Empires Month
Foot Health Month

Religious Observances
RC : Mem of St Rose of Lima, patron of Latin America (opt)
Christian] Feast of St Astrius & Claudius
[Christian] Feast of St Eugene/Eoghan of Ardstraw
[Christian] Feast of St Philip Benizi
[Christian] Feast of St Tydfil

Religious History
1572 In France, late this night, Catholic conspirators began massacring thousands of Huguenots (French Protestants), under orders of Catherine de Medici, advisor to her son, Charles IX, King of France.
1823 Karl F. A. GÀGÀtzlaff, 20, first arrived in Bangkok the first missionary ever to reach Thailand. Representing the Netherlands Missionary Society, GÀGÀtzlaff and his wife later translated the complete Bible into Siamese, and portions of it into the Lao and Cambodian languages.
1882 Death of Charles W. Fry, 45, English Salvation Army worker. It was Fry who penned the words to the lyric hymn, "I Have Found a Friend in Jesus" (a.k.a. "Lily of the Valley").
1948 During its Amsterdam Assembly (Aug 22 Sept 4), the newly-formed World Council of Churches officially ratified its Constitution.
1952 Death of Frederick George Kenyon, 89, British archaeologist and language scholar. Kenyon devoted his life to discovering biblical parallels in ancient Greek papyri, convincing critics that science does not disprove the Bible.

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

Thought for the day :
"Beware the man who can't be bothered with details."

You might be a from Boston if..
you consider Worcester and Springfield "cow pastures."

Murphys Law of the day...(Loves laws)
Sex appeal is 50% what you've got and 50% what people think you've got.

Cliff Clavin says, It's a little known fact that...
Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history: Spades - King David, Clubs - Alexander the Great, Hearts - Charlemagne, Diamonds - Julius Caesar.

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