Marquis de Lafayette

From Conservapedia

Marie Paul Yves Roch Gilbert de Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette

The Marquis de Lafayette (Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier) (1757 - 1834) was a French nobleman and General. He emerged during the American Revolutionary War and later during the French Revolution, initially as a revolutionary and later as a more conservative force.

Lafayette was orphaned at a young age on the death of his wealthy land owner parents. He married at sixteen to a fourteen year old girl, before traveling at the age of 19 and arrived in North America to assist the colonists in the War of Independence. He gained such influence that he helped write the American Constitution, which was later to be of use in assisting to write the French version after the French Revolution overthrew the monarchy.

In the American Revolution

Lafayette learned of the then British colonies' cause through the Duke of Gloucester; finding himself sympathetic to this cause, he sailed to Charleston, North Carolina,^[1] and enlisted as a volunteer at his own expense.^[2] Congress subsequently appointed him a major-general.^[2]

Soon after Lafayette met George Washington - and a relationship that would last till Washington's death accrued. Lafayette became a member of Washington's staff. After defeating a numerically superior Hessian force on November 25, 1777, Lafayette was appointed a command position of one of Washington's divisions.^[2]

Soon after Lafayette was ordered to command an invasion of Canada - a move which Washington was against (yet despite despite protest from Lafayette, it was Washington who told him he should accept the role). Lafayette arrived in Albany, New York. The fact that the plan was poorly contrived in addition to a lack of support from New Englanders resulted in the invasion being called off.^[1] Lafayette returned to Washington's camp in April 1778.^[2]

Seeing the desire of cooperation between both the Americans and French, Lafayette felt he could best serve the revolutionary cause in France. After a fever delayed him, on February 12, 1779, Lafayette arrived in Paris. Lafayette convinced France to send their first naval and land forces to the Americas. To avoid tensions between American and French officers, Lafayette recommended that the French generals be seen as junior to the American generals of equivalent rank.^[2]

After returning to war zone, Lafayette was immediately faced with defending Richmond, Virginia from Benedict Arnold. After days of skirmishing, Arnold and Charles Cornwallis crossed paths and effected a juncture of their units. Now outnumbered, Lafayette was forced to retreat - relying on General Anthony Wayne to catch up with him and the pursuing Cornwallis. On June 4, 1781 the juncture between Lafayette's and Wayne's army was made, and the now outnumbered Cornwallis was forced to retreat, only to be cut off by Lafayette on September 7, 1781. In Yorktown, Virginia, the combined forces of what was now Washington's, Lafayette's, Wayne's and Friedrich von Steuben's armies forced Cornwallis to surrender.^[2]

In 2002, in honor for his services, Lafayette was made an honorary citizen of Virginia.^[3][4]

References