Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-24

FFAE AhA AuNh NNnlnuANANENs NtuNEhA 1ANAA-
smbeau and bis nid-de-osmp. Count de Fer
son. were aboard Duke Of Burgundy. the
admiral's vessel. Dsstouches commanded
Neptune: Ia Grandiers. Cormorant: LON
bard. Provence: the nth vessel-Eveille-
was commanded by De Lilly; the sixth.
Jason. under the charge Of Clochtteris:
Ardent, seventh and last. was commanded
bt the Chevalier dc Marigny. SillArt com
handed the friEate Surveillance, and La
Peyrouse. the celebrated navigator. COM
manded Amazon. The Chevalier de Maule-
Weller had charge Of a cutter. Guepe. The
heavy artillery and many passengers were
embarked on Fsntssque. an old vessel, a
store ship. intended as a hospital ship.
The English feet unGer Graves was
watching for the convoy, but their route
through the passage between the island
Of Saints and the Besk OF RHtr led from
the entrance Of the channel and resulted
In disappointment to the expectant Eng
lish. Two weeks previous to the starting
OF the squadron Lafayette, who Was re-
turning TO join the American army. sailed
on a frigate from the island Of Ak In
company with q coumissary OF war
charged to announce the coming Of the
squadron and provide for the landing and
supplies OF the French corps at Rhode
Island.
on the seventeen day from Brest, July
II. 1880, General Rochambeau and stan en-
barked on Amazon and sailed into Newport.
The arrival Of the French troops. while
inferior in numbers to what had been an
ticipated, was hailed with grateful Benti-
ments by Washington and congress.
Lafayette was impetuous and urged Wash
ington TO begin aggressive measures at
once, even II the English did have the ad-
-, ,snro a. rVv,h.ru onH 4, g4roDrcr naval
force. But Count de Rochambesu's domi-
mating observation-disclosures admirably dis
closed in a quiet, restraining letter to
Lafayette:
1T is always well, my dear marquis. TO
believe the French inviDcible. but ] am
going TO tell you a secret. In an expert
ence OF forty years / have found none
easier to conquer than those who have lost
confidence in their leader, and they lose
that Immediately when they find them
selves sacrificed TO ones own particular
aims and personal ambitions. II I have
been so fortunate as to retain the conn
dence Of my soldiers. 1t is only because
! am able 10 say. after a most scrupulous
examination Of my conscience, that OF the
Is, 900 who have been killed when under my
command ] cannot reproach myself with
the death OF a single soldier"
hNQutht wi nbTN mChs
AS a result Of q conference General Ro-
chambesu sent his son back to France to
convey and explain to the ministers the
wants of his own men and those OF Wash
ington. General R~ochambeau, In his own
account Of the independence Of the United
States. gives a graphic statement of affairs
at that time and a detailed story OF the
part his son took in the history Of the
war.
1T had been settled at the conference in
Hartford that he should proceed thither
with the particulars and the result Of an
interview. together with a memoir contain
ing the full account of the additional
troops, vessels and specie which were
needed. The latter item was the more es-
sential, as by heavy loans which had been
contracted the pay Of the troops was pro-
vided for only until January l. Ny son had
committed 70 memory the whole of my
dispatches, 90 as to be able to render full
verbal accounts to the ministers, lest he
should have the misfortune to fall into the
hands Of the enemy. the dispatches be
taken from him and he be set at liberty on
parole"
General ROchAmbeau's son put 10 sea oc-
Sober rs, with NJ. de la Peyrouse. They
passed through the midst Of the English
ships during a gale Of wind which pre-
vented the English from following.
General Rochambeau continues: IN. de
Ia Peyrouse returned In February. We
learned that my son and he had found on
their arrival at Versailles, among other
things, that the English, having declared
war on the Dutch. were taking them by
surprise in all their possessions in which
they were unprotected; that France was
making active preparations to send out
both military and naval forces 20 their as
s~istance, and, lastly, that all the circum-
stances would not allow Of further efhca-
cious attention being paid to the wants OF
America. The king, however, ordered NJ.
de la Peyrouse to return Immediately 10
America and take with him 1900, 900 francs
which had been deposited at Brest for the
last six months, TO be carried out by the
Second division. His majesty further d.
rected that Colonel Rochambeau Chis SOM
should be detained until he could deter
mine in council on the reply TO be made
to the request Of the Americans.
MY son arrived in Boston on May s on
board the frigate Concord. in company with
NJ. de Barros, who had been appointed to
the command Of the squadron, vice de
ChevaIier de Ternay. My dispatches stated
which was ut the same time declared 10
congress by his majesty's minister, that
different circumstances, among other an
English feet, superior in number. cruising
on Brest. had prevented the sailing OF the
Second division in the preceding year. buE
that in order that America should not be
/ deprived Of the assistance which had been
provided for IL and which France had no
desire to profit by. the government had
come to the determination TO send money
in lieu Of troops, and that for that pur-
pose a sum Of 5000, 900 francs had been
voted with which General Washington
might provide for the wants Of his army"
None can read q line Of the dire neees-
stiles, distress and suffering OF the men
who were standing for freedom, with bleed
Ing and torn feet, naked and starved bodies
without a lump in the throat and yet a
song IN the heart that relief did come in
timei Lafayette had provided his troops
with shirts. shoes and hats by pledging his
private fortune. while General RochAmbeau
advanced on his own account $4,000 before
the last gift Of France reached the colonies.
An Able Any.
Among all the books Of Americana none
occupy so conspicuous or 30 large a space
as those on the American revolution, and
nowhere is the thrill of interest so in
tense as the chapter where Rochambeau
enters the story and where he lends his
powerful brain 10 the eXigeneies OF the
hour He ana washington were very cloae