Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-24
rain long after th@ fprds we speak shall
have been forgotte4 u
Career Of fR1chambeau.

ed at Newport. HIS career had been long
and distinguished. His honors and his rank
in the army had bee1s1won in the field. not
in the antechambers of Versailles. In an
age when the greatest nobleman Of France
thought it no shame TO seek advancement
from royal mistresses by whose whirns min
listers rose and fell ands the policies Of state
were decided. Roehambeau in time of peace
turned from the court to his regiment and
his estates. He had shared in all the cam
patgns of France from the time when his
elder brothers DEATH had taken him from
the church. in which he was about to be-
come priest. and placed him In the army.
At the siege Of Namur he earned the rank
Of colonel by the surprise Of an outpost.
He was twice wounded at the head Of his
regiment at the battle Of Laufeld. He cap
tured the enemy's magazines at the siege
OF Naestrtcht. and won the cross OF st.
Of Minorca. He fought the Prince Ferdi-
nand Of Brunswick and captured the fort
ress Of Regenstein in 1851 At Crefeld he
sustained for long time the attack OF the
Prussian army. He took leading part IN
the battle Of Minden, and was again wound
ed at Klostercamp. After the peace Rocham-
beau was often consulted by ministers. but
4ever would take Office. A. last. in March.
1850. he was made lieutenant general and
Cent with the French army to America.
Opportune Arrival.
'He reached the United States at dark
hour for the American cause. The first
fervor of resistance had cooled, the active
fighting had subsidized in the north. Con-
gress had grown feeble and inert, govern
ment and finance both dragged heavily,
and it seemed as If the revolution. so sue
cessful in the field. would founder upon the
rocks of political and executive incapacity
Washington and the army in the midst OF
almost unparalleled difficulties alone kept
the cause alive. The coming Of Rocham-
beau and his army was great good for
tune, and yet its first result was to in
duce further relaxation Of effort on the
part of Congress. Washington, realizing
all the event meant. opened correspondence
at once with Rochambeau. but 1t was not
until September that he was able to meet
the French commander in person at Hart
ford. 1t was q great relief to the heavily
burdened general to meet such a man as
Rochambeau. and yet even then. as ne
turned back with lightened heart and lifted
hopes the news Of Arnold's treason Smote
him on his arrival at West Point. The
summer had gone and nothing had been
done. Then Rochambeau was unwilling
to move without further reinforcements,
and Washington was Struggling desperately
to wiring from hesitating Congress ana
from reluctant states the men. money and
supplies absolutely essential If the great
opportunity which had now come was not
to pass away unused. So the winter wore
on and spring came, and in May Washing
ton and Rochambeau were again In con-
suitation. Washington was determined to
strike fatal blow somewhere. He con-
sidered Florida and the scheme Of taking
the British under Rawdon, in the rear;
he thought of Virginia. where CORVALLIS,
forced northward by Greene's stratagem.
was established with his army; long and
earnestly he looked at New York, the chief
seat Of British power Rochambeau showed
his military intelligence by leaning strongly
to Virginia. But the one vital condition
was still lacking Washington knew that
he must command the sea If only for a
month at the point where he was to de-
| liver the decisive blow So the days slipped
by, the summer Waned, and then of a sud-
den the great condition sprang into life.
Appearance of De Grasse.
DE Grasse. to whom we owe debt as
great as to Rochambeau, appeared in the
Chesapeake with His feet. No longer was
there room for doubt CORVALLIS. in Vir-
ginia, was clearly now the quarry for the
allied forces.
thine forbids me to tell the brilliant
story of that campaign; of the manner in
which De Barras was induced to bring his
squadron from the north: of the adroitness
York; Of the skill and rapfdity with which
the French and American armies were hur
ried from New York to the Chesapeake,
and thence to Yorktown. The great. the
golden moment SO l6nged for by Wash
ington, when he could unite both land and
sea power. had at last arrived De Grasse
was master Of the bay.
'The English fleet was scattered and di-
vided. Clinton slumbered in New York and
CORVALLIS, with some 1000 men, was in
Yorktown with the united French and
American armies drawn close about him.
Fast followed the siege, nearer came the
inclosing lines. Lauzun dashed back Tarl-
tons cavalry at the very beginning and
every British sortie from that moment was
repulsed. Day by day the parallels were
pushed forward, and at last Washington
rad o1x nnpi prfti oh
practical for assault. The French, under
Viomenil, the grenadiers of Gatinois. the
regiment Of Auvergne and DeuxPonts
stormed one and here the most famous of
the French regiments received from their
king the proud motto Of 'Auvergne sans
tache.'' The other redeubt was assigned to
the Americans under Lafayette. led by AL
exander Hamilton and John Laurens. Both
assaults, brilliantly delivered were sue
cessful. and the American lines included
the ground which had been so gallantly
won. A desperate sortie under Col Ora
ham completely repulsed vain attempt to
escape by water and then all was over.
Surrender of CORVALLIS.
"On the 18th Of October CORVALLIS sur
rendered. and on the following day the
British filed out and laid down their arms,
passing between the ordered lines of the
French. drawn up under the lilies, and the
ranks of the Americans standing beneath
the thirteen stars fixed on that day in the
armament of nations. The American revo-
luton had been fought out and the new
people had won.
Through all these events, through all the
months of weary waiting, through the
weeks of rapid march and the hurrying
days of siege and battle there shine out
very brightly the fine qualities of the
French general Nothing is more difficult
than the management in war of allied
forces Here there was never a jar. Ro-
chambeau was large minded enough to un-
derstand the greatness of Washington, to
realize the height of mind and the power
of character which invested the American
leader with a dignity beyond aught that
royal birth or kingly title. could confer
No small jealousies married their inter
course. They wrought together for a com
mon cause and the long experience, the
thorough training, the keen military intelli-
gence, the wisdom and honest purpose of
Rochambeau were ali freely given to the
Americans and their commander Honor
ana gratitude then TO Rocha mbeau for what
he did for us and gratitu 1e and honor like
wise to De Grassesi anSbiDe Barras for the
sea power with which they upheld and sus