OUR FIRST ALLIANCE 



535 



pectations could not be equaled by reality, 

 but they were. "His exterior almost told 

 his story. Simplicity, grandeur, dignity, 

 calm, kindness, firmness shone in his 

 physiognomy as well as in his character. 

 He was of a noble and high stature, his 

 expression was gentle and kindly, his 

 smile pleasing, his manners simple with- 

 out familiarity. . . . All in him an- 

 nounced the hero of a republic." 



ABBE ROBIN'S TRIBUTE 



"I have seen Washington," says Abbe 

 Robin, "the soul and support of one of 

 the greatest revolutions that ever hap- 

 pened. ... In a country where every 

 individual has a part in supreme author- 

 ity .. . he has been able to maintain 

 his troops in absolute subordination, ren- 

 der them jealous of his praise, make them 

 fear his very silence." Closen was one 

 day sent with dispatches to the great man, 

 and, like all the others, began to worship 

 him. 



As a consequence of this mission, 

 Washington came, on the 6th of March, 

 1 781, to visit the French camp and fleet. 

 He was received with the honors due to 

 a marshal of France ; the ships were 

 dressed ; the troops, in their best uni- 

 forms, "dans la plus grande tenue," lined 

 the streets from Rochambeau's house 

 (the fine Vernon house, still in existence) 

 to the harbor ; the roar and smoke of the 

 guns rose in honor of the "hero of lib- 

 erty." Washington saw Destouches's 

 fleet sail for its Southern expedition and 

 wished it Godspeed ; and after a six days' 

 stay, enlivened by "illuminations, dinners, 

 and balls," he left on the 13th. 



"I can say," we read in Closen's jour- 

 nal, "that he carried away with him the 

 regrets, the attachment, the respect, and 

 the veneration of all our army.'' Sum- 

 ming up his impression, he adds : "All in 

 him betokens a great man with an excel- 

 lent heart. Enough good will never be 

 said of him." 



rochambeau's disappointment 



On the 8th of May, 1781, the Concorde 

 arrived at Boston, having on board Count 

 de Barras, "a commodore with the red 

 ribbon," of the same family as the future 

 member of the "directoire," and who was 



to replace Ternay. With him was Vis- 

 count Rochambeau, bringing to his father 

 the unwelcome news that no second di- 

 vision was to be expected. "My son has 

 returned very solitary" was the only re- 

 monstrance the general sent to the min- 

 ister. 



But the young colonel was able to give, 

 at the same time, news of great impor- 

 tance. A new fleet under Count de Grasse 

 had been got together, and at the time of 

 the Concorde's departure had just sailed 

 for the West Indies, so that a temporary 

 domination of the sea might become a 

 possibility. "Nothing without naval su- 

 premacy," Rochambeau had written, as 

 we know, in his note-book before starting:. 



In spite, moreover, of "hard times," 

 wrote Vergennes to La Luzerne, and of 

 the already disquieting state of our 

 finances, a new "gratuitous subsidy of 

 six million livres tournois" was granted 

 to the Americans. Some funds had al- 

 ready been sent to Rochambeau, one mil- 

 lion and a half in February, with a letter 

 of Necker, saying: "Be assured, sir, that 

 all that will be asked from the finance 

 department for your army will be made 

 ready on the instant." Seven millions 

 arrived a little later, brought by the 

 Astree, which had crossed the ocean in 

 67 days without mishap. As for troops, 

 only 600 recruits arrived at Boston, in 

 June, with the Sagittaire. 



THE QUESTION OE THE HOUR: STORM 

 NEW YORK OR RELIEVE THE SOUTH ? 



Since nothing more was to be expected, 

 the hour had come for definite decisions. 

 A great effort must now be made — the 

 great effort in view of which all the rest 

 had been done, the one which might bring 

 about peace and American liberty or end 

 in lasting failure. All felt the importance 

 and solemnity of the hour. The great 

 question was what should be attempted — 

 the storming of New York or the relief 

 of the South? 



The terms of the problem had been 

 amply discussed in letters and confer- 

 ences between the chiefs, and the discus- 

 sion still continued. The one who first: 

 made up his mind and ceased to hesitate: 

 between the respective advantages or dis- 

 advantages of the two projects, and who 



