The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-02-12
MARQUIS LAFAYETTE.
Some "reminiscences and Letters Illus
trating the Character of the Distin-
guiShed Frenchman.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: The Sons
| OF the Revolution and the men who have
carried arms in the service of America look
| with pleasure on all that is now being done
to preserve and honor the memory Of Gen.
Lafayette. The monument to be erected at
Washington will again call the attention of
! our cOuntrymen 10 his distinguished services.
The emergency that served to develop the
character and importance Of this young
hero was very great. That young man
not 20 years of age-bOTn and bred a noble
man, should be taken with a jealous fervOr
IN behalf Of the struggling Colonies, and be
willing and able to do so much for them as
| he did, was a striking coincidence, and gave
to the occasion significance that it is well
to recall often TO the attention of our young
men and citizens generally. He arrived in
America accompanied by the Baron DeKalb
and ii other French, German, and Polish
officers, IN 17.7. Landing on the shores of
South Carolina, he travelled at once 10 Phila-
| deiphia and offered his services, which were
refused. But he was determined in his pur-
/ pose, and then proposed to serve without
commission or pay, and was finally accepted.
Headley's Life Of Washington says:
! On the very day Lafayette arrived in camp
there was grand review Of the whole 100
| men, and the young Marquis never before, even
In imagination, beheld such a spectacle.
] Many were in their shirtseeves; many with
! out any shirts TO their backs, their whole uni
/ form consisting Of a pair OF pantalOOns while
| majority Of those who were clad wore simply
long hunting-shirts.
In a private letter Gen. Washington wrote
| to a friend:
At one time the soldiers ate every kind Of
| horse food but hay.
The officers Of the Jersey line addressed
| memorial to their State Legislature setting
forth that -four months pay of soldier
| would not purchase for his family a single
/ bushel of wheat" and that "the pay of a
Colonel would not purchase oats for his
horse"
Such was the condition of our military
affairs when this young hero came upon the
/ scene. How he served first in the ranks and
then on the staff of Gen. Washington, and
atterward returned to France to bring feet
of vessels, an army and other supplies to
| America, is an oft-tOld story
Two letters have been found in the records
OF the old Presbyterian church at Morristown
| that serve to show the ehiyalric soldier
and the sweet charity of all true greatness.
| The first, addressed TO Lieut.. Morris, son Of
Maj Morris, Of Daniel Morgan's picked
! company Of Tifiemen, with whom Lafayette
| first served as q volunteer, relates to Mai
| Morris's condition, he having been shot
| through the mouth in q skirmish with
| about $50 Of the enemy and afierward con-
yeyed about 60 miles in a rough wagon to
his home in MoTristOwn.
AT CAMP. Dec 10, 1777.
SIR: II is with the greatest concern that
have heard that Maj Morris went from camp
70 MOrri5towu without Surgeon TO attend him.
will be much obliged to you to lot me know
immediately If he Is well provided for at this
time, because / should send 10 him a very good
French Surgeon belonging to Count de Pulaski,
whom the Count has promised to me.
shall send at the the same time a servant
OF mine, very attentive, 10 take care Of the
Major as long as you will think him Of some
use. BE 80 good, sir. as to let me know az soon
as possible If these measures are TO be taken,
and u can serve your father in some other
ways. hope you will give me very particu-
lar account Of his present state.
1 have the honor 20 bs sir, your most OBJ,
The Marquis DE LAFAYETTE.
Ia Lieut.. JONATHAN FORD NORRIS,
The Artillery at Morristown.
The second is addressed to Col Morgan,
OF the Rife Corps:
DEAR SIR: just now received your favor
concerning our late friend, Maj. Morris, and
need not repeat TO you how much l an con-
ccrned in the interests Of his family
spoke the other dag to his Excelleney on
the subject, and I shall write to Congress a
very particular letter, where you will be men,
| toned.
intend to speak, as in your name. and that
| of all your corps, and as being myself honored
with their confidence.
IL is my opinion that decent estate might
/ be given % the family as a mark of grateful
ness from their country, aud that his son must
be promoted soon as possible.
But, my dear sir. you know how long Con-
gress valves any matter whatsoever. before a
decision, aud as Mrs. Morris may be in some
want before that time, / am going to trouble
you with a commission which beg you will
execute with the greatest secrecy If she
wanted tO borrow a sum Of money in expecting
the arrangements Of Congress, it would not be-
come a stranger unknown to her to offer him
self for that purpose.
But you could las from YOURSELF tell her that
you had friends, who, being in the army don't
know what 10 do with their money, and "a
they are not in tho mercantile or husbandry
way. would willingly let her have one or many
thousand dollars, which she might give again
IN three or four years, etc.
One other way could be, to let her believe
you have got or borrowed the money from any
town or body you will be pleased TO mention
or it would be needless to mention where il
comes from.
In a word my dear sir, if with the greatest
secrecy, and the most minute regard for that
lady's deicaey. you may find a manner of be-
ing useful to her, beg you would communi-
cate 10 me Immediately. I shall, as soon as
possible, let you know the answer of Congress
whenever an answer will be got, and in ex-
pecting the pleasure to hear from you, have
the honor TO be, very sincerely, your most obe-
dient serv't
The MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE.
The quaint form Of expression, together
with the simplicity and Kindness of heart, |
set forth in these two letters are enough to
depict without further comment the charac-
ter of the true soldier, and bring to- mind
the story of Sir Philip Sydney, wounded in |
battle, being offered water, giving it to a |
dying soldier, saying, Drink thy need is |
greater than mine"
One more incident and / must close. |
When Rev. John Caldwell and wife were |
cruelty murdered by British refugees near |
ElizabethtOwn, n. j., they left nine young |
children orphans with but little to educate |
and maintain them. John T. Caldwell was |
taken to France by Gen Iaftyette and edu-