Washington Journal., 1942-06-05

S600O1 O
all his travel money-mOre than 100
Louisd 'ors-his Distinguished Service Cross
and, worst of all, his latest secret notes and
cypher code. Very embarrassing in his under
cover work as a secret agent was an item in
the New York Gazette Of February 8, 1768,
telling of the shipwreck of a distinguished
foreigner, ga German colonel among the
ice foes in the Kill van Kull.
This unwelcome publicity, together with
the loss of his cypher, spelled the speedy
wind-up of his secret military mission. He
determined to leave New York so soon as
possible, to make his way back to Europe via
Boston and Halifax. Before he could do so,
he was arrested and detained several days as
a suspected spy. No ~telltale documents nor
sketch maps being found on his person, no
confession was got from him, so he was re
leased with misgivings.
On His Own Resources
Left stranded in New York, de Kalb had
to use his ingenuity to find money for his
upkeep and expenses, as well as to reconstruct
from memory another code corresponding to
that he had lost, so it would fit the cypher key
in the French premier's possession. He must
have succeeded in both, for on February 25th,
after a three weeks stay in New York, he
dispatched another cyphered report to his
wife for transmission to de Choiseul in Yer
sailles.
In this report he wrote at length about the
American discomfort because of the British
tea tax to be imposed on the c~olonists Since
they had helped largely to pay for England's
last war, he declared, they had a right as
loyal British subjects to insist on no taxation
without having parliamentary representation.
Should they succeed in establishing cooper
alton between the various crown colonies in
North America, he added, it would not be
long before they would unite in a demand for
political independence.
Unable as yet to arrive at a detailed esti-
mate Of the numbers Of available militia, he
reported the strength Of General Cages regu-
lar troops in North America as 16 regiments
Of 10 companies of 70 men each, besides sew
eral batteries of field artillery and a COM
pany Of engineers. It was significant, he
added, that no Americans were enlisted in
these troops.
One week later de Kalb was in Boston.
Travelling through Connecticut, Rhode Island,
New Hampshire and Massachusetts he re-
ported himself struck by the New Englanders'
spirit Of independence and a selfrighteons-
ness even exceeding that of the Puritans in
England. In his dispatch he included a sheaf
Of pertinent clippings from local g~azettes and
newspapers recently arrived from England.
He was astonished at the number of such
newspapers reaching the colonies with almost
every ship and also at the volume Of shipping
in American harbors and on the n~avigable
rivers.
His last dispatch from Boston on March 2,
1853, ended with this ominous sentence: "On
my return to France you shall hear more
minute details Of my observations here. A
second letter | just received from my wife
tells me that my last letters to her from
Holland and from England reached her with
broEop coo1o Tbic pool1oc "a annrabo,,1 4bo4
the letters / sent her from this country met
with the same fate, or, worse still, never
reached her. Thus | run danger on my part
not to receive any communications from you,
giving me all the more reason soon to return
home. Meanwhile | shall find trustworthy
correspondents here, with whom to keep up
communications, while safeguarding their
secrecy, until the time that you may see fit
to order me to resume my mission here. / do
not fear for my personal safety, but | am
afraid that your purpose may be thwarted.
Two hours from now | shall embark on a
ship bound for Halifax, whence | hope to be
able to communicate with you.'
De Kalb reached Halifax after a remark
ably short voyage Of 5 days. In a report
from there, dated March 9th, he gave a de-
tailed description Of its military defences and
the facilities in the harbor. He announced
his intention to travel overland to Maine,
Lake Champlain and down the Hudson. This
came to nothing because of impossible roads.
Having returned by sea to Philadelphia he
forwarded a long dispatch telling of the luke
warm sentiments of French Canadians to-
ward both France and England. Their one
desire, he wrote, was to be left alone, clear
ing their forests, tilling their soil and paying
next to no taxes. France need expect no help
from them against England, nor would Bri-
tain get more than lip service from them
against France.
Leaving Philadelphia for New York