Very little is known of the hero of the following memoir previous to
his leaving his native country. He was educated as an engineer, and
brought with him to this country testimonials of the highest order.
His family were of the French noblesse; his ancestor, Hercule André de
Fleury, was canon of Montpelier, and appointed by Louis XIV. preceptor
to his grandson. At the age of seventy years he was made cardinal and
prime minister, and by his active and sagacious measures the kingdom of
France prospered greatly under his administration.
De Fleury, the subject of this brief sketch, was pursuing his
profession when the news of the American revolution reached the shores
of France. Endowed by nature with a spirit of independence, vigorous
intellect, undaunted courage, and a spirit of enterprise, he seemed
peculiarly fitted to encounter perils and hardships, which his daring,
prompt and skillful maneuvers, in some of the sharpest battles of the
revolution, proved most true. He read with excited anxiety, again and
again, of the oppression and tyranny exercised by the mother country
against the colonies.
Next came the news that at once decided our young hero on embarking
for America; the colonies had actually revolted, had thrown off
the yoke of tyranny and usurpation, declaring themselves a free
and independent people. This was a struggle, but it must be
conquered. De Fleury reached the shores of America, was received by
the Commander-in-chief, received a commission, and commenced his
revolutionary campaign, to which he adhered with that unflinching
constancy which leaves no doubt of the purity and disinterestedness
of his motives. Soon after the battle of Brandywine our hero was
dispatched to Fort Mifflin in the capacity of engineer, described in
the following letter from General Washington to Lieutenant-Colonel
Samuel Smith, in which he says:--“Enclosed is a letter to Major Fleury,
whom I ordered to Fort Mifflin to serve in quality of engineer. As
he is a young man of talents, and has made this branch of military
service his particular study, I place confidence in him. You will,
therefore, make the best arrangement for enabling him to carry such
plans into execution as come within his department. His authority,
at the same time that it is subordinate to yours, must be sufficient
for putting into practice what his knowledge of fortification points
out as necessary for defending the post; and his department, though
inferior, being of a distinct and separate nature, requires that his
orders should be in a great degree discretionary, and that he should
be suffered to exercise his judgment. Persuaded that you will concur
with him in every measure, which the good of the service may require, I
remain,” &c.
For six days previous to the evacuation of Fort Mifflin, the fire
from the enemy’s batteries and shipping had been incessant. Major
Fleury kept a journal of events, which were daily forwarded to General
Washington, from which the following are extracts.
“November 10th, _at noon_.--I am interrupted by the bombs and balls,
which fall thickly. The firing increases, but not the effect; our
barracks alone suffer. _Two o’clock_:--the direction of the fire is
changed; our palisades suffer; a dozen of them are broken down; one of
our cannon is damaged; I am afraid it will not fire straight. _Eleven
o’clock at night_:--the enemy keep up a firing every half hour. Our
garrison diminishes; our soldiers are overwhelmed with fatigue.
“11th. The enemy keep up a heavy fire; they have changed the direction
of their embrasures, and instead of battering our palisades in front,
they take them obliquely and do great injury to our north side. _At
night_:--the enemy fire and interrupt our works. Three vessels have
passed up between us and Province Island, without any molestation from
the galleys. Colonel Smith, Captain George, and myself wounded. These
two gentlemen passed immediately to Red Bank.
“12th. Heavy firing; our two eighteen pounders at the northern battery
dismounted. _At night_:--the enemy throw shells, and we are alarmed by
thirty boats.
“13th. The enemy have opened a battery on the old Ferry Wharf; the walk
of our rounds is destroyed, the block-houses ruined. Our garrison is
exhausted with fatigue and ill-health.
“14th. The enemy have kept up a firing upon us part of the night.
Day-light discovers to us a floating battery, placed a little above
their grand battery and near the shore. _Seven o’clock_:--the enemy
keep up a great fire from their floating battery and the shore; our
block-houses are in a pitiful condition. _At noon_:--we have silenced
the floating battery. A boat, which this day deserted from the fleet,
will have given the enemy sufficient intimation of our weakness; they
will probably attempt a lodgment on the Island, which we cannot prevent
with our whole strength.
“15th--_at six in the afternoon_.--The fire is universal from the
shipping and batteries. We have lost a great many men to-day; a great
many officers are killed or wounded. My fine company of artillery is
almost destroyed. We shall be obliged to evacuate Fort Mifflin this
night. Major Talbut is badly wounded.
“16th. We were obliged to evacuate the fort last evening. Major Thayer
returned from thence a little after two this morning. Everything was
got off that possibly could be. The cannon could not be removed without
making too great a sacrifice of men, as the Vigilant lay within one
hundred yards of the southern part of the works, and with her incessant
fire, hand grenades and musketry, from the round-top, killed every man
that appeared upon the platforms.”
After this devastating conflict, Fleury was promoted to the rank of
lieutenant-colonel in the army. He had already received from Congress
the gift of a horse, as a testimonial of their sense of his merit at
the battle of Brandywine, where a horse was shot under him.
“To the President of Congress--
“_Head Quarters, West Point, 25th July, 1779._
“SIR:--Lieutenant-Colonel Fleury having communicated to me his
intention to return to France at the present juncture, I have
thought proper to give him this letter to testify to Congress
the favorable opinion I entertain of his conduct. The marks of
their approbation, which he received on a former occasion, have
been amply justified by all his subsequent behavior. He has
signalized himself in more than one instance since; and in the
late assault of Stony Point, he commanded one of the attacks,
was the first that entered the enemy’s works, and struck the
British flag with his own hands, as reported by General Wayne.
It is but justice to him to declare, that, in the different
services he has been of real utility, and has acquitted himself
in every respect as an officer of distinguished merit, one
whose talents, zeal, activity, and bravery, alike entitle him
to particular notice. I doubt not Congress will be disposed to
grant him every indulgence. I have the honor to be, &c. &c.