1894.] 'J50 [Rosengarten. 



Prince sent his soldiers, in tlie pay of Great Britain, to help prevent the 

 colonies from establishing their indepeodence. Rochambeau was a 

 soldier, and he had no poliiical aims and ambitions either here or at home. 

 After his brilliant career in the French wars on the Continent, he gained 

 fresh honor by his successful reorganization of the Frencli Army in its 

 short experience of peace, and as Governor of the Department of Nor- 

 mandy and Brittany, and as Inspector-General, showed great capacity. 

 In 1778 he organized the force intended for a descent on the English 

 coast, and after twenty years of hard service was made Lieutenant-General. 

 He was appointed to the command of the corps intended to be sent to 

 America, consisting of 4000 men, seven ships, and money and supplies 

 for the struggling colonies — De Ternay was put in command of the naval 

 force. Arrived at Newport, K. I., after a voyage of seventy days, lie dis- 

 embarked with his contingent, fortified his position, and later on met 

 Washington at Hartford, and arranged the plan of the campaign that was 

 to end with such signal honor. He sent his son and Aid-de-camp bacli to 

 France, to procure additional men, and farther needed help, and through 

 tlie younger Rochambeau's vigorous presentation of the case, France was 

 led to send more ships and more men and more money. Col. de Rochambeau 

 returned in May with the satisfactory news of another fleet under De Grasse 

 and six hundred more soldiers and a million and a half francs in coin. 

 Colonial bills were then selling at forty per cent, discount, and much benefit 

 was derived from a further sum of six million francs, which was put at Wash- 

 ington's disposition. The French War Office advised a movement north- 

 ward to the Penobscot, Nova Scotia and Halifax, but fortunately and 

 wisely left Rochambeau free to join and act with Washington, and it was 

 he who suggested the movement to and operations in Virginia, and at the 

 same lime asked for more ships and men and money from the French 

 forces serving in the West Indies. 



The Continental currency was practically repudiated by Congress. On 

 June 18, the French corps started to join Washington's Army on the 

 Hudson, making in all a force of 9000 men, enough to keep Clinton in 

 New York and bring Cornwallis to the coast. De Grasse brought from 

 tSan Domingo Saint Simon's corps of 3000 men and 1,200,000 francs. 



Rochambeau divided the 100,000 Louis d'or in his army chest with 

 Washington. The united army crossed the Hudson at King's Ferrj', 

 Washington leaving 3000 men on the left bank to cover West Point, the 

 French taking position on the lower Hudson, as if for an attack on New 

 York, but soon moving to the Delaware, passing it at Trenton, going 

 through Philadelphia, wliere Congress reviewed it. 



The library of the Historical Society has a copy of a rare book, an 

 abridged translation of the Memoirs of the Marshal Count de Rochambeau, 

 by M. \V. E. Wright, published in Paris in 1838. giving that part of the 

 French original dealing with his American campaigns. The English of 

 this translation and the queer mistakes in names of men and places make 

 this a very curious performance ; it does not seem to have invited anj' 



