The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-07-21
ltocHAMBEAU's CASTLE.
A Storehouse Of Interesting Relics Of
the American Revolution

On the occasion of the Inauguration
OF the statue OF Rochambeau at ven-
dome the oGner Gay "a reporter of the
Gauiois palo visit TO tie oIu cnateau
or the family on the outskirts or the
town Tne following Is his report:
Il received most CORDIAL welcome
The Marquise and her son the Count.
with charming courtesy leo me Through
all the principal apartments of the.
building, including the room in which
the Marshal died, which remains to-
day just as it was at the time of his
death. The castle, as II stands, dates
from the eighteenth century. The main
building is rectangular thanked by two
square paVliIons. According to lradi-
ton the ancient castle was built in the
twelfth century. 1t was surrounded by
strong walls and towers. Several of
those towers were built in the RIVER,
and when the sky is clear and the wa
ter transparent, the Count de Rocham-
beau tells me, one can look down and
see clearly the remains of the old
foundations. AT the close of the last
century these towers were demolished
and replaced by the pavilions that
frame the old main building.
THE Marquise de Rochambeau
guards with a pious zeal the relics of
the Marshal, which really form little
historical museum. On the ground
floor is the portrait gallery. whose pill
lars bear the arms of the families allied
to the Rochambeau and the names of
the many battles in which they distin-
guished themselves. 1 noticed particu-
larry the American colors presented to
Rochambeau at the time of his expe-
dition to the United States. Here
said the Count de Rochambeau, are
the two little culverins, which in 1917
Louis XVIII, presented to the widow
of the Marshal to replace the two cam
non taken from the English, which the
Americans had sent to the Marshal in
recognition of his glorious services.
The two cannon had been taken away
from the castle during the Revolution
I'm another room the Count showed
me a glass case, containing the baton
de Marechal of the hero of Yorktown,
covered with blue velvet. profuseiy or
namented with feurs de lis. Also the
sword which he carried with HIM to
America and numerous decorations, in
Guiding those of the order OF the Holy
Ghost, with the great green cloak, en-
| broIdered in gold, and the missal.
of Rochambeau in the old castle the
most remarkable is the life-size por-
trait of Marshal Harlspe, the grand
uncle of the present Marqulse de
tRochambeau, painted by Rixens. There
are also TWO splendid portraits of the
Marechal and Marechale de Matignon,
by Nottier, and two genuine chefs
d aeuvre, the water colors of Van
Blarenbergne, the celebrated miniat-
urist, one representing the siege OF
Yorktown and the other the surrender
of the English army. In the latter Pic
ture we see the English defling be-
tween the ranks of the French and
American soldiers under Washington
and Rochambeau. 1t is an episode
. which the Marshal did not fail to note
in his memoirs.
, Ion the 18th of October he writes,
: the garrison of Yorktown defiled at
o'clock, between the two armies. with
drums beating and the soldiers carry
: ing Their arms which they afterward
Z stacked with their twenty-five flags.
Lord CORVALLIS being i'll, it was Gen.
e O'Hara that led the garrison. Coming
= in front of me, he offered me his sword
: pointed in front of me to Gen. Wash
:. ington, at the head of the American
= army, and told him that, the Frenen
:. army being an auxiliary on the Amer
. can continent, it was for the America
n General to give him his orders
p COPIES of these two beautiful works
!. of art are in the museum of Yer
" sailles.
> Il asked the Marquise de Rocham-
[ beau where was the correspondent" be-
n tween the illustrious Marshal and Gen
s Washington. She replied: That cor
T respondence, small portion of which
n has already been published in America
is in my possession. Then we went
: UP to the bedroom of the Marshal II
: is a well-lighted room with white wooo
work and the windows looking out up
n on the river. The view is magnificent
Il taking in the valley of the Loire 20 the
J. village of villers. The green horizon IL
r fresh and beautiful. The Marshals bee
is in the middle of the room. 1t is
=, Louis XVI piete of furniture II
: whitewood surnounted by a SQUARE
canopy The carpets and draperie
which decorate the room were all mad'
by the hand of the widow of the grea
soldier. They constitute work of art
- representing flowers and leaves. In
chairs, consoles, commodes. and. II
fact. everything in the room were rher
- during the lifetime of the Marshal Wit
IS the exception of bust of Louis Phi
lippe. 1t was in this room that l say
l. the famous full-length portrait
/ Washington, the gift of the celebrates
'e American General to his illustrfou
n companion -arms. Washington is re
,e presented leaning on cannon. In hi
"a right hand he holds his military hat
20 In the middle distance we see his hors
and a standard borne by an America
=, soldier.
~ Americans have repeatedly manifest
4 ed the desire to possess this preriou
/ canvas but the Rochanbeau fanil,
II. naturally enough. hold on to tn
~ souvenir presented to their valiant an
rs cestor. Therefore there are only~copie
lg of the historical painting in the Unite
III States On the mantelpiece there is
s. clock under globe and two bras
l. chandeliers supported by two negroes
o- 1.-THE Count de Rochambeau VIII
~ kindly showed me all these things an
or gave me the explanations. finaii
.. brought me into the beautiful lihrar
NJ his father. the Marquis de Rochar