Washington Journal., 1942-06-05

interest. 1t is the wish of His Majesty that
you come here forthwith to receive pertinent
orders, if you are willing to seize this offered
opportunity to furnish new proofs Of your
hitherto tried zeal"
De Kalb came to Versailles and had confer
ences with Duke Vrilliere, Marquis Montey-
nard and also with Duke Aiguillon, who took
over Monteynard's foreign portfolio. Before
he would leave for Poland, however, he in
sisted on getting his promised commission
as French brigadier and payment in advance
for expenses. Evidently he did not trust the
gentlemen in Madame du Barry's encourage.
With good reason, as the sequel showed, for
they never got him his promised royal com
mission nor did they show a disposition to
advance funds. SO de Kalb would not leave
France, but remained at home to look after
his family and new baronial estate, Milon la
Chapelle.
Again in active Service
A change of fortunes for de Kalb, as for
so many others in France, came with the
death of the dissolute old king and the acces-
sion Of young Louis XVI. Among some good
military men, now restored to royal favor,
were de Kalb's frmer superior officers, the
two brothers de Broglie, and his friend, Count
Saint German, now appointed Minister of
War. That able minister promptly remem-
bered one of his predecessor provisions that
IbU1TGu OIlccfS SHOULD occasionally IpIuII W
service, so he summoned de Kalb to garrison
duty at the fortress Metz, where Count Char
les Francois de Broglie was c~ommandant.
De Kalb did so well in Metz that Count de
Broglie recommended him to Saint German
for immediate reinstatement in active service
as a brigadier.
This was late in 1775. Saint German then
had no vacant generalship at his disposal,
but in a personal interview with de Kalb en-
4-A-- Ii 49, H. - III. aa.. --M.
colonel pending developments in America,
where another French war with England was
in the making. De Kalb stayed and continued
to serve under de Broglie at Metz.
Meanwhile political affairs in North Amer
lea became more acute, so that various sol
der of fortune in Europe, among them Colo
mel de Kalb, began w~hetting their swords for
war service in America. With this in view
de Kalb was given a leave of absence in the
French West Indies for two years under full
pay. On November 6, 1776, after Silas Deane,
the American colonists' secret agent for
France, had arrived in Paris, de Kalb re-
ceived a brevet commission as brigadier for
ostensible service in the French West Indies,
but on an understanding that he was to offer
his services to Deane. In the same day
de Kalb was taken by Count de Broglie to
Deane for private conference. Deane wrote
home:
Count de Broglie, who commanded the
French forces in the field during the last
war, twice has called on me together with
an officer, who served under him as
Q~uartermaster General. That officer, a
German Baron de Kalb, now command
ing a French regiment, some years ago
Travelled in America and now wishes to
enter the service of the United States.
By no means did | want to miss so good
a chance, SO | assured myself at once of
the services Of a man of so much exper-
fence, who was recommended to me by
one of the bravest and ablest officers in
the whole kingdom.
ITO be continued