The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-06-16
GALLANT R0CHAMB EAU.
Description Of Statue In Mem
ory Of His Services.
ZERO OF MANY BATTLEFIELDs.

Career Of the Celebrated French sol
dier who Enabled the Revelation
airy Forces Go Tern the Tide In
Our war Of IBdependence-How He
Trapped Lord CornwsIIis.
The Rochambeau statue has its place
In Lafayette square ln the national
capital the place Of al others most 1T
ting FOR II, says a special dispatch from
Washington 20 the Chisdgo Record
Herald. II hanks the bronze efligy Of
the young Marquis de Lafayette. who
owned the Comte de Rochambeau as
his father In war" The statue is u
heroic size. II represents the marshal
at the siege Of Yorktown ordering the
French wing Of the besieging army 20
attack the works Of the English gen
eTai, Lord CORVALLIS, on the morning
OF Oct. 10. 1851.
Against the pedestal rises a splendid
female figure Of France holding aloft
two aagstaffs with the left hand-the
flags Of France and America-and
grasping a threatening sword with the
right The war eagle with extended
wings is at her feet, so typlfyng the
defensive alliance. the only one ever
consocrated by a treaty which has been
signed on behalf OF the United States
The statue r. a replica Of one that
stands IN the town Of Vendome, close
10 the ancestral chateau of the Ro-
chambeau family. Fernand IIamar.
the sculptor. gave to Us execution long
study and much love ard when lt was
unveiled June 4, 1900. he received the
highest praise for his skill and his ar
tistic conception.
Few months had passed before n Oc-
Cured to NJ. Jules Boeufye. chancellor
OF the French embassy at Washington.
that duplicate OF the statue should De
erected In the United States Then
General Horace Porter, American en-
bassador at Paris, wrote 10 Chairman
Cannon OF the house committee on ap-
preparations recommending the project
and expressing his appreciation Of the
high artistic worth Of the monument.
II was found that replica could be
purchased for $500, and this amount
was appropriated March 3. 1901. as an
amendment to the sundry civil bill. on
March joint resolution set aside
$4,000 as a fund for entertaining the
representatives OF the French govern
ment, and invited the families OF Ro.
chambeau and Lafayette TO attend the
unyeiling ceremonies. Within the
month an additional sum OF the same
amount has been authorized.
Marshal de Rochambeau was sea
soned warrior OF fifty-fye when he
brought O,000 French troops 10 Amer
lea In 1880. He held the high grade
OF lieutenant general I'm the French
nrmy and many and great were the
debts his king and his people owed him
for his services in battle. lie was Civ
en his early education for the priest
hood, but when he was seventeen years
old, his elder brother died, and he was
summoned from the college halls TO
prepare for the active life that would
be his as his fathers successor.
The war Of the Austrian succession
was being fought, and young Rocham-
beau was soon In the field as a cornet
I'm ST. SlmOn's cavalry. regiment. He
did dashing worl, in many campaigns,
and finally at Namur, In the Low COun-
tries, came his great opportunity. lie
took Il into hls head to climb n height
considered imprC enable. and there he
found two sentlnels lazily smoking in
the sun. Not disturbing them, he
slipped away and was soon back at
the head OF strong force. He took
the height and with it the battle was
won. For this he was made a colonel
at the age OF twenty-five.
From this his story runs on with
ever increasing honor. Name the bat
ties Of Europe In which the French
army took part during the middle Of
the eighteenth century, ana you name
the scenes OF Rochambeau's exploits.
In the expedition against the island OF
Mlnorca he became brigadier general.
Al Crevcldt he held the whole Austrian
army at bay for hours. At NIlnden his
own part was glorious, despite Lis
country's defeat.
when Louis NV. determined 20 send
money ana men 10 help the American
colonies, he chose Rochambcau for the
leadership The army OF G,OOO men dis
embarked at Newport, while the sup
porting army under Admiral de Tcrnay
occupied the bay. There pcrforcc he
had to remain with his command, play
Ing his part in the game of chess TO
which the war had reduced itself
Washington hc first met in September
OF 1ISO at Hartford 10 was decided
that the two armies should join forces
Washington's troops being then along
the highlands of the Hudson.
It was not tin June, l7Sl after RO-
chambeau's son had come from France
with re-enforccments that the armies
united. After reconnoissances It was
decided that General Clinton and the