The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-04-20
UNITED STATES DEBT
TO FRANCE RETOLD

Great Assistance in Amer
lean Revolution.
Editor, The Barre Daily Times,
Barre, VT.
The Vermont society, Sons of tn
American Revolution, would like to aid j
Many of our members are too old t
fight, but it has been suggested that W
might hold patriotic meetings for tn
better education of our people on our re
lation to the world war and for arousin!
q patriotic spirit. If our treasury per
mitted we would like to do this, but un
fortunately we lack the means witt
which to hire halls and pay the expenses
of speakers and bands. In this situation
we wish to add such help as we can tt
the national cause through this commu
nication which we will ask the press OF
our state to give to the public 1t re-
lates to our debt to France-a debt con-
tracted in the Revolution-whch we
have never paid.
Lafayette's place in the history OF
the American people is only partly un-
derstood. 1t is true that he was the
first to come to our aid in the dark days
of the war, and that it was through his
influence largely that France sent the
fleets and armies whose cooperation
with our forces resulted in the defeat of
the British army under CORVALLIS; but
it was the French nation that gave us
the victory and bound us by a debt of
gratitude which we can now discharge.
At the first news of the Revolution,
Lafayette was seized with enthusiasm
for the cause of the colonists, and evad.
ing the government officials, he set sail
with IL companions, among them Baron
DeKalb, and landed at Charleston S. c.
in April, l777. The expenses of this ex-
petition were borne wholly by Lafayette.
His arrival gave new hope to the colon
lists. He was given the rank of major
general and was attached to the staff OF
General Washington, who regarded him
with the greatest affection and esteem.
He was in the battle of Brandywine and
with General Washington at Valley
Forge in ITS. He escaped with his COM
mand from a vastly superior force of
the British at Barren Hill and fought
brilliantly with Lee at Monmouth and
commanded with Sullivan and Greene
the land forces dispatched to cooperate
with the French fleet in the attack on
On the breaking out of war between
France and England, Lafayette returned
to his native country and urged the king
to dispatch both land and naval force
to aid the Americans. The next year he
was back in service and was stationed on
the Hudson. He was member of the
court martial that condemned Major
Andre to death. He was placed in COM
mand of 1000 New England troops to
operate against Benedict Arnold in Vir
ginia and was continued in command
after the arrival there of CORVALLIS with |
5000 troops. "The boy cannot escape |
me-" said CORVALLIS as he pursued him, !!
but the boy did escape him. He effected |
a junction with 1000 Pennsylvania |
troops under Wayne, and reinforced by |
the militia from the mountains, he
fought CORVALLIS near Albemarle, after
which the English commander retreated
with Lafayette in pursuit with 1000
men. An indecisiye action occurred at
ireen Springs, after which CORVALLIS re-
.reated to Yorktown. On the day of the
surrender of CORVALLIS at the latter
,lace, Lafayette was publicly thanked
~ Washington.
The French army and navy came, not
without grave apprehensions on the part
# the people as to the wisdom of per-
hitting a foreign army to land upon
American soil, but not the slightest in
ident of an unfavorable nature occurred,
nd France, as concession in return,
lever asked for an inch of American
erritory for any purpose, nor phrase
4 capitulatory understanding beyond
he usual subjects of convention between
tates.
The presence of the French officers and
oldiers exerted an influence beyond their
mere numbers in overturning British
ule in the States, During their stay
hey made a pronounced impression upon
olite life in general and gave a French '
rend to the transition from colonial to '
ational existence The men in many Il
asses represented the best nobility of !
lood and individual culture of country
amed for etiquette and good breeding. $
hey adapted themselves affably to their !
ew surroundings and freely mingled I
18th the people. The correspondence of I
evidences this. t
The entire strength of the land and !
avail forces sent by France to us con-
sted of 30 battalions of grenadiers and /
lfantry, seven companies of artillery, /
yo companies of lancers, two companies 2
hussars, with total OF 1850 officers a
nd men; 50 ships of the line, frigates a
nd smaller vessels of war, exclusive of t
snsports, carrying 1868 guns and 3d.
~ officers and men, making the total n
nd and sea forces of France, co-operat /
e with an auxiliary to war-like opera t
ons of the States, 1929 officers and f
en-. To this should be added the SO '
conveying the auxiliary army v
Count DE Rochsmbesu, which were il
AIMED by 200 officers and crew. This n
-ings the grand total assistance fur n
shed in men TO 1889, and in vessels to p
!. Some OF the latter were among the o
ost formidable fighting craft of the day 81
loaf. These large ships had crews OF
ON 500 to LOO and carried from 60 P
100 guns.
The financing of the American Revolu-
)n by France was the most remarkable Y
stance of its kind in the history of ma
1ns. When the cash was advanced and
e costly fleets and armies were sent to
n,ariea If tho sole nj A