The Mena star., 1898-10-19
WAS BOUND TO HELP ArlERIcA.
! afayette, Who Came Over to Fight
For the Colonies Freedom.


from the Chicago Record
No event of the Revolution is of such
interest as the coming of the Marquis
de Lafayette to our shores to assist us
IN ouystruggle for independence La
favette first heard of the struggle the
American colonies were making for
liberty at dinner given by the com
mandant Of the guards at Metz to the
Duke of Gloucester, brother of the
English king, in the summer of 1916
rhe young officer, then barely 10 years
old, deter mined before he left the ban
met table to assist the revolutionists
Rut he found the performance of his
nurpose more difficult than he had ex-
nected. Disaster had overtaken the
American arms just at this time, and
the probabilities of war looked dark
Tor the handful of ebels on the coast
Of the new world, but the young
Frenchman was firm in his intention
TO help the colonies. If they are
losing ground" he said. land are dis
outraged. there is all the more reason
for me TO go 70 their aid" New diff
culties arose. Lafayette's friends be-
sought the king to refuse permission
for him to leave France. He could
find DO one to go with him.
These things, however, only made
Jnfo L.
chased vessel with his own money
and began to fill it out. His purposes
were suspected by the British ambas-
sador and complaint was laid before
the French king Lafayette ordered
his half fitted ship to Passages, Spain,
and met it there, but was arrested and
taken back TO France. He escaped and
reclining his ship, with eleven COM
panions, among them Baron de Kalb,
sailed for America with two British
cruisers in pursuit. The voyage lasted
two months, and the young ADVENTURE
His arrival aroused the dropping spirits
of the con tinental army and the peo-
pie 1t was an inspiration to them
and she wed that friends had been
found in Europe who would come to
their assistance.
From Georgetown he made his way
to Philadelphia where congress was
sitting. He asked to be allowed to en-
ter the army as volunteer and to
serve without pay, but his offer was
not accepted, and he was given a com
mission as major general instead. The
battle of Brandywine was the first en-
gagement in which he took part, and
in that he was wounded in the leg
AS the men retreated in disorder he
threw himself on horse and riding
rally the fleeing soldiers. General
Washington commended his conduct
and recommended that he be given
separate command.
Strong friendship had already sprung
up between the communicative chief
and the young French volunteer, and
it lasted through life. Lafayettes
conduct of the campaign in Virginia,
while not brilliant was soldierly and
the retreat from Barren hill was a
splendid bit of military art. He played
principal part IN the capture of Corn.
wallis at Yorktown which terminated
his connection with the American
army. One of his chief services was
in smoothing the differences which
arose from time to time between the
French and American troops.
Visits were made to the new repu bile
by Lafayette in 1884 and in 1924, and
ON each occasion his progress through
the country was like the triumphal
march of hero. Every city tried to
Guido all the others in paying honors
to the early friend of the country. On
his last visit congress voted 5000, 900
and a township of land to him. The
revolution in France had impoverished
the estates of the Lafayettes and left
the greatest of the name poor.
Three Doctors i'm Consultation.