Norwich bulletin., 1916-08-26

fording place, below Greeneville, en-
 parked at Norwich to finish the route by water.
 General Washington accompanied
 one of the attachments, meeting Gov ernor Trumbull by appointment at Col. Jedidiah Huntington's, where they dined together. General Washington
 that evening resumed his route to New York, going down to New London by land.
 Col. Jedidiah Huntington, host to Washington and the Marquis de La- fayette, was noted fer his liberal hos
 pitality. When, during the winter of 1780-81, the Due de Lauzuu's regiment
 of hussars was quartered on Lebanon green, ten miles above Norwich, Col onel Huntington invited the officers to visit him, preparing handsome en- teTtajnment for them.
 The gallant young Frenchmen made a superb appearance as they rode into town, being young, tall, vivacious men,
 with handsome faces and a noble air, mounted upon horses bravely capari- soned.
 The two D!Ions, brothers, one a major, the other a captain in De Lau- zun's regiment, were particularly dis tory tells. One or both of these Diuons suffered death upon the guill0tine dur. ing the French Revolution. The Due de Lauzun was one oF the most accon1plished Frenchmen of his 1 time who came to America and took a prominent part in the war, doubtless through his friendship for Lafayette. He was handsome, liberal, witty, brave but he was far from being ., type of the Sunday school youth, as his cele- brateQ MenOiTs-oDe of the oldest books on the shelves of the Otis library i in Norwich--proves.
 Much of his eyil-doing was quite in line with the gay and thOughtless lives | of the youth Of his age-and in his i book he throws sad sidelights upon the sorry influence of some of his com | panions, male and female.
 1 He was born in 1747, inherited great i wealth and high titles, and spent all l his early years in travelling and in l having 9 gay time. Having run the 1 career of pleasure, it was a surprise i when he embarked in the cause of the 1 struggling American nation with such l ardOr. He bore privatiOns during the 1 paigns with good nature, and made 1 himself popular by his sprightly wit ! and his generous expenditure. 1 After De Lauzun returned to France | he became intimate with Talleyrand, | and accompanied him on a mission to 1 England in 1792, where one of his fla | miliar associates was the Prince Of 1 Wales, afterward George ". i On the death of his uncle, the Due i de BirOn, De LauZuE succeeded to the i title. Later he quarreled with the l court becoming a partisan of the Duke 1 of Orleans. Afterwards he served i against the Vendeans, but being aC- 1 Cused of secretly faVoring them was | condemned, and was executed the last l d3V of the wear 1I93
 i Such was the stormy after career of i the celebrated nobIeman who, as men | toned in the midst of friends and sub i Ordinates enjoyed the banquet prepared i for him by Col. Jedidiah Huntington at what is the present Fitch house, at i Norwich Town. After dinner the en- ! tire party went out into the yard in i front of the house and made the air 1 ring with huZZas for Liberty. The historian states that numerous ] lOungers had gathered round the Hunt i ingtOn house to catch a glimrse of l the interesting and noble foreigners, ! who conversed with them in excellent | English, exhOrtinE them to live free, | or die for Hberty-'
 1 During 7778 body Of French troops 1 on the march from Providence to the ! south halted in Norwich for 10 or 15 i days, on account of sickness among l them. They had their tents spread upon the Plain, while the sick were ! Cuartered in the old courthouse. About l 20 died, and were buried on either side | of the lane that led into the old burial l yard. No stones were set up to these i brave men, fighting for another na- ] tiOn's freedom, and, Miss Caulkins notes. "the ground was soon snCOthed | over so as to leave no trace of the l narrow tenements below"
 i Later the Daughters of the Ameri- i can Revolution of Norwich memorial ] iZed these gallant exiles in a fitting l way.
 1 THE DICTAGRAPH.