If you ever travel to Washington, DC, you are quite familiar with Lafayette Park. Have you ever wondered who was the man that inspired our country's leaders to name a park near the White House after him? Many know that the French aided the United States when it rebelled against Great Britain, but few know the great sacrifices many made when they came over here. The Marquis de Lafayette was one of the Frenchmen who not only risked his life, but used his own money to help our troops - to feed them, clothe them, and train them into good soldiers.
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| Marquis de Lafayette |
The Marquis de Lafayette defied not only his family, but his
government when he decided to join the Americans in their battle for freedom.
Even though he knew his father-in-law would be upset, he was determined to make
his mark in the world. He had no formal
training on the battlefield, but he joined the Continental Army as an officer. “You will be astonished, my dear papa, by
what I am about to tell you, but I have given my word, and you would not have
respected me if I had gone back on it.”
On June 9, 1776, the Marquis de Lafayette signed an oath of
allegiance.
“I, the Marquis de
Lafayette, major general in the Continental Army do acknowledge the United
States of America to be Free, Independent and Sovereign States, and declare
that the people thereof owe no allegiance or obedience to George the Third,
King of Great Britain; and I renounce, refuse and abjure any allegiance or
obedience to him; and I do swear that I will, to the utmost of my power,
support, maintain and defend the said United States against the said King
George the Third, his heirs and successors, and his or their abettors,
assistants and adherents, and will serve the said United States in the office
of major general which I now hold, with fidelity, according to the best of my
skill and understanding.”
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| Lafayette's oath of allegiance to the United States |
His Early Life:
Gilbert de Lafayette
was born on September 6, 1757. His
father died during the Seven Years War before Lafayette was even two years
old. He never even knew his father and
was raised by his grandmother, aunts, and a private tutor while his mother went
to Paris to make proper connections for her young boy. He inherited his titles
and lands when he was barely two years old.
When he was eleven, he traveled to Paris to become a gentleman and learn
about court manners. When he was only
13, his mother died, then his grandfather.
He became an extremely wealthy boy.
His great-grandfather enrolled him in a military academy, little
realizing what path he was sending Lafayette.
He joined the Black Musketeers as a cadet. While in school, he studied
with the comte d’Artois who would later become the king of France. When he was only 16 he was married to
Adrienne (the duc d’Ayen’s second daughter) on April 11, 1774. His wife was only 14.
He was made a lieutenant in the Noailles Dragroons. He was promised a commission as a captain
when he turned 18 years old. He and his
wife had a daughter, Henriette. When
there were cuts in military spending, he became a man with a commission but no
experience.
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| Louis XVI |
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| Marie Antoinette |
His military career:
When he was barely 18, he had dinner with the duke of
Gloucester. While they were dining, they
men spoke about the American rebellion.
Lafayette realized he had man similarities with the men. “When I first heard of [the colonists]
quarrel, my heart was enlisted.”
When he spoke to some of his compatriots, he realized many
of them felt as he did about them. The
France longed to pay England back for taking Canada during the Seven Years War
(we called it the French and Indian War).
When he spoke to some of his friends, he realized they also wanted to
fight for American independence. France
begins to offer volunteers to enlist.
The Marquis really wanted to do it with them. He is introduced to Silas Deane is recruiting
Frenchmen to join the cause. Baron
Johann de Kalb is helping to recruit the volunteers. When Lafayette joins, he is the first soldier
who is an aristocrat to join. Lafayette
is full of ideas and he convinces the baron that because of his status, he
should be at least a general (he hopes his high rank will appease his
father-in-law and smooth the way for him to get permission to go.). The baron
speaks with Silas Deane, the Patriot who has come recruiting Frenchmen and the
man agrees. Lafayette is promised a
commission as a major general, hoping his high rank would save him or/and the
life the patriots by supplying goods. On
December 7, 1776, the contract is drawn up.
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| Lafayette charging on the battlefield |
Unfortunately, when France learns so many young men are
leaving to fight in the war, the king is furious. Some are too young (even Lafayette at the age
of 19 is considered under age and must ask permission). The king orders the ports closed to ships leaving
and that any man found leaving should be arrested. Lafayette is determined to leave so he uses
some of his great fortune to purchase a ship – La Victoire – to transport many
of the volunteers. He has the ship
refitted and prepared to depart. When he reaches the ship, they travel to San
Sebastian in Spain before a messenger from the king reaches them. He hopes to convince the king of his cause
(after all, France is supporting the patriots secretly, so why not let them go
and have a glorious victory?). The baron
does not want Lafayette to change his mind, so he sends his own messenger
stating the king will support him and that ALL of Paris thinks he is quite the
adventurer. (This is far from the
truth). On April 26, 1777, La Victoire
finally leaves for the American colonies.
It took 54 days to travel across the ocean.
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| Independence Hall |
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| East Conference Room |
When Lafayette reaches the colonies, he lands on a beach in
South Carolina, far from the town of Charleston which is being blockaded by
British ships. Lafayette is first
laughed at, but once he explains he has a ship full of supplies for the
colonists, they take him in and celebrate him and all the Frenchmen who have
arrived. His ship is unloaded and sent
back to France for more supplies (all of which he uses his own money to
purchase for the colonists). Then
Lafayette and his men travel to Philadelphia to speak to the Continental
Congress and bring their letters of intent from Silas Deane.
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| George Washington |
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| Thomas Jefferson |
When they reach Philadelphia on July 27th, they
are first turned away. An influx of
volunteers from foreign countries has arrived over the past year and they do
not need any more foreign officers.
Disappointed, Lafayette is determined (as any young teenager would be)
and he decides he will just return again to plead his case. He doesn’t need to because Congress sends for
him, deciding an officer who is titled like the marquis will be a valuable
asset in the war and perhaps France will send more help. When Lafayette speaks with Congress he
states: “I have the right to exact two
favors: one is to serve at my own expense and the other is to serve as a
volunteer.”
Congress finally agrees he can serve and they accept his
pledge, but they only let him keep his rank of major general because of his
noble status. They also will not give
him command of his own troops because he has never been in battle before. George Washington likes the young Frenchman
and decides to take him under his wing, allowing the man to work with him, but
tells Lafayette, he will not get a command until he decides the young man is
ready for it. The two men form a
comfortable companionship – like a father and son. In their letters over the years, one can read
the fondness they have for each other.
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| Room with King Louis' portrait |
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| Room with Marie Antoinette's picture |
Lafayette’s first experience with battle comes at Brandywine
in Pennsylvania. The battle is intense
and the young Frenchman tries to keep the patriots from retreating too
quickly. He realizes they cannot be
captured and leads them to safety. In
the exchange, he is wounded in the leg, but even with the wound, he continues
to keep his men safe. Washington meets
up with Lafayette in Chester, where the young man is organizing his men to
defend a bridge at Chester Creek, refusing to give it up to the British. More than 1000 men are wounded or killed in
the Battle of Brandywine, but only 500 British.
Washington orders the young man to get his leg treated. He sends Lafayette to Philadelphia to
recuperate, but when he learns the city will be attacked, he orders the
evacuation. Congress heads to York and Lafayette
is sent to Bethlehem for more recuperation.
On September 26, 1777, Philadelphia is occupied by the British.
When Lafayette returns to command, he asks to join General
Greene who will be checking to see how strong the British outposts around
Philadelphia are. Lafayette is given a
command of 400 riflemen for the task.
They attack the outpost and push the British back. Washington lauds him for his bravery in the
exchange. Now Washington feels the young
man is capable of handling his own division.
At the age of 20, Lafayette becomes the youngest general in the
Continental Army (and it’s not honorary any longer). Lafayette picks a division of Virginians in
honor of Washington’s home.
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| Lafayette |
During the upcoming winter, Washington and his troops decide
to remain at Valley Forge. The location
is ideal to watch over the British. It
is on a plateau, it is heavily wooded so the trees can be used to build log
huts, and it is easily defended against attack.
While the troops are there, Lafayette longs to travel to Canada, to
retake New France from the British (land taken during the Seven Years
War). He feels his country will be
excited if he takes this back for them.
Unfortunately, when he reaches Albany, he discovers the troops and
supplies are not enough. Instead, he
joins General Schuyler who is traveling to speak to the Six Nations (the
Iroquois). The Native Americans are
impressed by the Frenchman and call him Kayewla – after an Iroquois
warrior.
By the time he returns to Valley Forge, it is overflowing
with supplies and a German – Baron von Steuben is there. The baron is whipping the ragtag patriots
into shape, teaching them how to march and maneuvers. While at Valley Forge, Lafayette wrote home
to his family and friends to support the patriots. During this time, France finally recognized
the United States as a free country.
Silas Deane’s brother brought the news to Lafayette that the two
countries had signed a treaty.
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| Baron von Steuben |
On May 18, 1778, he was sent to see what was happening in
Philadelphia. Washington heard rumors
that Howe was being replaced by Clinton who would bring thousands of troops
with him. Lafayette took 2500 troops and
5 cannons to check out the situation. He
also brought along 47 Oneida Indians who had joined him from Albany. Lafayette camped on Barren Hill, about 2
miles from Philadelphia. While he was
there, a deserted left his camp and snuck into Philadelphia to tell Howe of the
patriots. On May 20th, the
British came up from behind and attacked the men. Howe sent 8000 men, thinking he would capture
the Frenchman and bring him back to England as a prize. Lafayette managed to escape across the
Schuykill River with his men. Word had
reached Washington who sent von Steuben to help Lafayette. Howe was forced to retreat. Lafayette returned to Barren Hill the next
day. They discovered the British
evacuated Philadelphia once they learned French troops would be arriving on
ships to blockage the city and kick the British out. Clinton wanted to leave before the French
arrive. As the British are leaving,
Lafayette is told to follow them and annoy them. As they are leaving, Lafayette’s men shoot at
them along the way and generally make their life miserable. The British make it to Monmouth Courthouse in
New Jersey. As Lafayette and his men are
getting closer, the British sneak away under cover of night.
Lafayette still wants to travel to Canada and retake New
France. He asks to travel to France to
speak with the King of France to ask for even more assistance, knowing if he
does, he will succeed. Benjamin
Franklin, who is the ambassador to France, is told to work with Lafayette to
garner more help. On February 6, 1779,
he returns to France for the first time in 2 years. He is placed under house arrest for 8 days as
punishment for defying the king’s orders when he first left France. Lafayette
writes an apology to the king and waits.
The king finally accepts his apology and even praises him for his
bravery. He has returned a hero. Unfortunately, Canada is not an option. He asks for other assistance. France agrees to send troop but they are not
given to Lafayette. Instead, the troops
are given to a more seasoned man – the comte de Rochambeau. Lafayette would merely be the liaison between
Rochambeau and Washington.
While in France, he learns his first daughter, Henriette had
died while he was in Valley Forge. His
wife gives him a son who is named George, after Lafayette’s mentor – George Washington.
On March 5, 1780, Lafayette leaves France with part of the
French fleet and a promise the rest would follow. On April 27, 1780, they land in
Massachusetts. He rejoins Washington in
Morristown, New Jersey. Rochambeau does
not bring the rest of the troops and ships right away. Washington is disappointed, but once he
listens to the older Frenchman’s ideas, he agrees. The French will break the British blockage
first and then send the rest of the troops.
While waiting, Lafayette is given command of 2000 troops. He gives them new uniforms and trains them
every day. He longed to see more battle,
but Washington warned him to be patient.
Washington felt the battles should be focused in the South, not the North.
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| Comte de Rochambeau |
He sent Lafayette to Virginia with 1200 men. He was to go against Benedict Arnold, capture
him, and if need be, hang the traitor.
He reached Richmond and fought the British attack. He managed to fool the British that he had
twice the number of men by firing off volley after volley in quick succession. General Cornwallis decides to go help Arnold
and sends troops north. Benedict Arnold
escapes north. Cornwallis exclaims “The
boy cannot escape me. I shall now
proceed to dislodge him from Richmond.”
He vows to capture Lafayette and send him to London in chains. Lafayette is outnumbered 4 to 1. He retreats to the Richmond countryside to
await reinforcements, but wreaks havoc on Cornwallis by sniping at the troops
who are trying to find him. He picks off
the troops, sabotages his advance, and tricks them at every turn.
Cornwallis did not capture him!
Instead, Cornwallis is given orders to more to the Virginia
coast to create a port for the British to reach Philadelphia. Lafayette follows Cornwallis and continues to
harass him as he goes. Because of this
move, word spreads across the countryside that Lafayette is chasing Cornwallis
who is seen as retreating instead. In
July, the reinforcements finally join Lafayette. Cornwallis is stopped in Yorktown. Lafayette surrounds Cornwallis and continues
to strike out at the general, making the British totally confused by the
attacks.
Washington learns that 29 French ships are coming. Rochambeau leaves New York and heads south to
join Lafayette and Washington at Yorktown.
He meets Washington in New Jersey first and they head for Yorktown. Over 20,000 men face Cornwallis at
Yorktown. The siege starts on October 9,
1781. Washington assigned Redoubt #9 to
the French and Redoubt #10 to be taken by Lafayette. Unfortunately, Hamilton charged #10 and took
it with little resistance. Lafayette joined
the French in capturing #9. On October
17, 1781, Cornwallis asked for a truce.
On October 19th, he surrendered. The Revolutionary War was finally over and
the Patriots had won, with assistance from Lafayette and other Frenchmen like
Rochambeau.
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| Lafayette's cannon |
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| Map of Yorktown |
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| Redoubt #9 |
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| Redoubt #10 |
In January of 1782, Lafayette returned to France a
hero. He was celebrated wherever he
went. He returned to his wife,
Adrienne. They had another daughter,
Virginie, who was named in honor of Washington’s home. In 1784, he returned to America to see his
good friend, Washington. He traveled
around the country meeting people and they all thanked him for his assistance.
He spent the rest of life working for liberty with his own
people. He was accused of treason. When noblemen were being captured by the
citizens and killed, he surrendered to France’s enemies. He was imprisoned in Prussia and
Austria. Members of his wife’s family
were killed during the French Revolution.
His wife was sent to prison but was freed with the help of Gouveurnor
Morris, one of the leading men in America’s fight for freedom, and James
Monroe, who eventually became the fourth president of the United States. She was able to join him in prison in
Austria. He became known as the prisoner
of Olmutz. In 1797, he was finally released
and went to live in Denmark for the rest of his life. Finally in 1800, he was allowed to return to
France.
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| Gouveurnor Morris |
In 1824, he was 67 years old and he was invited to return to
the United States. He toured all the
states ad spoke to those who came to see him.
One person commented he spoke very good English. His response was: “And why should I not speak English? I am an American after all – just returned
from a long visit in Europe.” He toured
the country for thirteen months.
In 1834, Lafayette died.
He was buried outside of Paris on a plot of land created from soil he
brought back during his travels ten years before. The soil was from Bunker Hill and Brandywine
Creek. He wanted to be buried on
American soil.
