The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1919-07-04

equality of rank, the American officer
always took command. Not so much
as q cabbage was taken without pay
ment. Before Yorktown the Ameri-
cans were not skilled in siege opera
lions. and Washington gratefully ac-
knowledged the service of the French
engineers. The French fleet closed the
river, and the surrender came. With
out that French help we tremble to
think what might have happened.
Fired Lafayette's Ardor
Toward the close of the year 1776,
the duke of Cumberland, who was the
brother of King George III OF England.
was travelling In France, and one day
he arrived at the town of Metz, then a
French possession. A certain count De
Broglie, a veteran of many battles,
was In command of the garrison, and,
to do honor to his distinguished visitor,
he invited some of his officers to meet
him at dinner. Now 1t happened that
the duke of Cumberland was in dis
favor with his royal brother-he was
in fact. in Punishment. He had lately
received news that certain of his
belled and declared themselves free
declining to be subject any longer TO a
tyrannfcal king. 1t would seem that
the duke of Cumberland told the story
with some gusto, as IL he were not al
together sorry that his brother was in
trouble. One officer listened with par
ticular attention. He was q youth of
nineteen, tall and thin. with a long
nose and reddish hair. His solemn ex-
preston and his somewhat awkward
manner contrasted strongly with the
frivolous ease and grace of the other
young officers present. He was mar
Quis of long descent, connected by
marriage with one of the greatest
families in France, and he had at his
own disposition a very large income.
He listened intently, he asked many
eager questions, and when he rose
from the table he had made a moment
Gus and historic resolution. He had
resolved to abandon the pleasures and
luXuries of the gayest court in the
world, even to leave his young wife
and child, and to cast in his lot with
these strange rebels in America. In
his own words. when first 1 heard OF
American independence, my heart was
enlisted !" That young man was La
fayette; and when the American army
went TO the front in France. it merely
paid a small part of the debt of graft
tude we owe that splendid young Of
ficer-that true nobleman.
Appointed a major general by Wash
ington in July, he fought at the battle
of Brandywine in September and re-
ceived an ugly wound. Soon again in
the saddle, he went through many VI
cissitudes and privations with Wash
ington at Valley Forge, his GROWING
exploit being the forcing of the retreat
Of Lord CORVALLIS. leading to his sur
render at Yorktown, in 1881 Although
Washington and other famous Ameri-
can generals had Joined him previous
to the surrender. Lafayette. with a
small force. had initiated the rout of
CORVALLIS at the battle of Albemarle.
That the highest credit was due to La
fayette is shown by the fact that
Washington warmly thanked and COM
plimented him In the presence of the
troops. after the great surrender which
practically ended the war.
lafayette's STAFF.
Lafayette's companions accompany
ing him on his voyage on La victoire.
were as follows: Baron De Kalb, Wis
comte De Mauroy. Colonies Delesser
and Valport, Lieutenant Colonies De
Fayolles and Frauvel. Majors Dubuys-
son and De Gimat. Captains De vrig-
nv, De Bedaulx and De Ia Colombo.
Lieutenant Dubois Martin and an
Anne m named Brice.-(From foot
note. fol I. o. so. If life nf General