The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-02
Rochan1beau,s s Kindly Deed

This is a piquant story. not to be found fin the popular histories, of how Robert Morris, fnancier of the Revolution. touched" his guest, General Rocham- beau, whose monument was recently dedicated in Washington, for s2O,oOO in hard" money to enable Washington to pay his troops, many of whom came from the northern colonies and were not pleased at the prospect of an expedition into the south after Cornwallis, and their pay in arrears.
 As soon as General Rochambeau heard from Admiral de Grasse. then in the West Indies, that the latter would soon sail with his fleet for the Chesapeake to cooperate with the allied armies against the British Washington arranged with Rochambeau that fortunate campaign against Cornwallis in Virginia, which was fated to decide the destinies of the New World Rochambeau joined Washington at Dobbs Ferry on the Hudson, with the apparent design of attacking the enemys stronghold at New York.
 Two days before breaking camp on the Hudson, Washington, on August r. 17S1 WIOlt d ulSDdlcn to hODerI MOTHS, Tn Philadelphia, informing him confidential ly that 1t would be necessary for the success of the expedition to give a months pay in specie to the American troops under General Lincoln in order to | reconcile them to the southern service and put them in fighting humor.
 Owing to the poverty of the country and the indifference of the war-swept states to the acquisitions of the conti- kaI IL Morris had at best but scanty funds at his disposal except those supplied through the liberality of the French King, Louis XVI; and with these. mortgaged four times over, he had to provide for the pay and supply of the army and all other war expenses besides maintaining min isters abroad, protecting the public cred 1t, resisting the depreciation of the paper currenc' reducing the rates of interest and exc ge, and in general keeping the revolution aioat.
 On August 19 the allied troops left the Hudson and made their way rapidly across New Jersey. At Chatham, in Morris county, Washington repeated his appeal to Morris for a months pay to his troops. writing in these terms: "I entreat you, if possible, to procure one months pay In specie for the de- tachment which I have under my com mand. Part of the troops have not been paid anything for a long time past, and have, upon several occasions, shown marks of great dlscontent. The service they are going on is dsagreeable to the northern regiments, but I make no doubt that "douceur' of a little hard money would put them in proper temper.
 The allies reached Philadelphia August 30, and that evening Morris, as the most opulent citizen and head of the so-called Treasury" entertained Rochambeau and Washington, with their principal officers, at dinner Rochambeau of course. re- ceiving most particular honor and atten- tion.
 Washington remained in Philadelphia until the morning of September 5, re- peatedly urging Morris verbally to pro- cure the "douceur," and Rochambeau remained until noon of that day, their troops having gone ahead.
 Morris, deeply impressed with the ur- gent necessity of furnishing the "dou- ceur." had literally moved heaven and earth to produce 1t, but In vain. He would gladly have advanced it out of his own strong box. but that was empty, and he had already exhausted all his visible re- sources in equiping this expedition hav- ing paid out $12,00O cash of his own funds and issued notes against his private for tune to the amount of $1, 100000 and be- sides it was hard money. not paper, that turn to get 1t. However, two days after the dinner at his house he bethought him In his extremity of Rochambeau, his re- cent guest.
 To him he went, and, constrained by the sheer urgency of the case and re- pressing his own sense of humiliation at his errand by invoking his patriotism, he