Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-21

well known that IL was deemed unneccs-
sary TO give any excuse for his appoints
meut The other Frenchmen who COM
posed this party OF adventures did n"t
fare so well Those who seemed capable
and sincere were admitted TO the CONT
mental army The services OF the rest
were refused, and they returned run ~
hatred TO their own land. De kalb Was
placed in command OF the army In the
north under Lafayette.
ss
II was not until two years later, In laso,
that he gained especial prominence. al
though he fought vaiiantly In many en-
gagements. Things had been going badly
for the Americans In the southern colo
mics Army after army had been defeat
sd. attachments cut on. posts carried.
and at length two states we're rcan-
nexed to the mother country. and the
conquering army was ready To invade a
third. De kalb and his forces were sent
TO North Carolina. where they were 10 hs
joined by the army under Gen. Gates.
CORVALLIS opposed them On the 18TH ~
August the battle OF Camden was fought.
Mai. Gen. Baron DE kaih commanded the
right wing. while Gates as general-tn-
chief experimenting the whole. placed
himself on the road between the line %
battle and the reserves. The left flank.
under Stevens, was routed An the On
DE kalb and his veterans held the battle
on the right in suspense. They were COM
petely outnumbered. The conflict was as
desperate that ever fought on any bat
tleheld. So close did the enemy press
that il was hand-to-hand struggle
There was nothing but the crash Of club
bed muskets and the thrust of cold steel.
Like an ancient warrior De kalb ragged
ever in tie forefront OF the battle. Ho
was seen TO engage in a score Of hand-to-
hand combats before he fell mortailN
wounded. He was man OF great stature
and amazing strength, all his life sol
der. Ii Is no wonder. therefore. that ia
each OF these individual struggles he
came OF victor and only subdued
when a concerted charge was made upon
him by little band OF redcoats. These
bore him 10 the earth and would have
pinned him there with their bayonets had
not mis- ad-de-camp saved him from i'm
mediate death when he fell by embracing
his PROSTATE body and receiving the bay
onet thrusts that were pointed al his
friend and comrade
-.
The Americans rallied for an instant
and bore their dying general with them
as they retreated from the field. lie died
three days later and is buried he al
ways wished to be. on the battlefield that
a monument to be erected TO mark the
spot. The inscription on his monument
says that he died in the forty-eighth year
of his age IL is more probable that he
nearly seventy. But such had been
the temperance OF his life that he not
only enjoyed the most superb health To
the very last but his countenance still re-
tanned all the freshness and fullness OF
youth.
So ended the career of this great soldier
nff fort a Ia last hn N
, ued To write out I'm cipher the numerous
reports whose destination no one knew.
Undoubtedly he continued until his death
as one of the chief confidants of the
. French government in the United States.
No man was better qualified. He was So
Der. drinking water only; abstemious 10
excess; living on bread. sometimes with
i beef soup, at other times with cold beef
He was untirng i'm his industry. II was
, his constant habit TO rise at I'm the
morning, light his candle and devote him
self TO writing. Every moment thst ne
could snatch from his military duties
found him covering paper with curious
hieroglyphcs. These sheets Of paper were
} not loose. is customary in camps, but
: were bound In large folio books. These
, volumes were transmitted to the baron's
unknown correspondent whenever A safe
opportunity might offer. No one knew
whittier they were. sent.
! De Kalb betrayed an unceasing jealousy
lest his journals and mystic dictionary
3 might be perused. He seemed always to
|, be very much in dread of losing his bag
gage, which in itself was OF no value.
and never failed to direct his quarter
, master to place him as near the center
of the army as was allowable. having IN
, utter aversion 10 being in the vicinity OF
,, either flank lest an adventuring partisan
,, might carry of his precious documents:
What became of his journals Is not
known. but very probably he did not take
them into South Carolina. IL Is more
likely that he placed such as remained IN
the hands of the French minister Tor
transmission TO Paris when he was or
dered south. Doubtless today they are
in the huge national archives in France.
! covered with dust and forgotten.
Copyright 1910. by Richard spilianeJ