Lafayette's influence and duties took on a new character about the
middle of July, 1778, when a fleet of twenty-six French frigates and
ships of the line arrived, commanded by Admiral d'Estaing.
These ships had sailed in such secrecy that even their captains did
not know whither they were bound until they had been at sea some
days. Then, while a solemn Mass was being sung aboard the flagship,
the signal was hoisted to break the seals upon their orders. When the
full meaning of these orders dawned upon the sailors and the thousand
soldiers who accompanied the expedition shouts of joy and cries of
_"Vive le Roi!"_ spread from ship to ship. But it was an expedition
fated to ill luck. Storms and contrary winds delayed them five weeks
in the Mediterranean, and seven more in crossing the Atlantic. Food
and water were almost gone when they reached Delaware Bay, where
the disappointing news awaited their commander that the British,
fearing his blockade, had withdrawn to New York, taking the available
food-supplies of the neighborhood with them. That was the explanation
[Pg 114]of Clinton's long wagon-train. He left little behind for hungry
sailors.
D'Estaing landed Silas Deane, and the first minister sent from France
to the United States, who had come over with; him sent messages
announcing his arrival to Congress and to Washington, and proceeded up
the coast. For eleven days he remained outside the bar at Sandy Hook
in a position bad for his ships and worse for his temper; for inside
the bar he could see many masts flying the British flag. But pilots
were hard to find, most of them being in the service of his enemies;
and without pilots he could not enter. When at last they were obtained
it was only to tell him that the largest of his vessels drew too much
water to enter without removing part of their guns, and this he could
not afford to do with English ships lying inside. D'Estaing would not
believe it until he himself had made soundings. "It is terrible to be
within sight of your object and yet unable to attain it," he wrote. To
add to his unhappiness he heard that an English fleet under Admiral
Byron had sailed for American waters, and he knew that its arrival
would raise the number of British ships and guns to a figure far
exceeding his own. He put to sea again, his destination this time being
Newport, where the British had a few ships and about six thousand men.
Washington had suggested a combined attack here in case it was found
impossible to accomplish anything at New York.
Admiral d'Estaing came from Auvergne, as did Lafayette. Indeed,
their families were related by marriage, and to his first official
[Pg 115]communication Lafayette had added, at Washington's request, a
long postscript giving personal and family details that the British
could not possibly know, doing this to prove to the admiral that the
proposed plans were genuine and not an invention of the enemy. The
correspondence thus begun had continued with pleasure on both sides,
and, after the fleet reached Newport, Lafayette spent a happy day on
the flagship as the admiral's honored guest, though he was technically
still a deserter, subject to arrest and deportation.
The American part of the combined attack on Newport was to be made
by a detachment of Washington's army co-operating with state troops
and militia raised by General Sullivan, near by. The command of the
Continentals was offered to Lafayette, who wrote to D'Estaing in boyish
glee: "Never have I realized the charm of my profession, M. le Comte,
as I do now that I am to be allowed to practise it in company with
Frenchmen. I have never wished so much for the ability that I have not,
or for the experience that I shall obtain in the next twenty years if
God spares my life and allows us to have war. No doubt it is amusing
to you to see me presented as a general officer; I confess that I am
forced myself to smile sometimes at the idea, even in this country
where people do not smile so readily as we do at home."
Although scurvy had broken out with considerable violence on his ships,
the French admiral held himself ready to carry out his part of a speedy
attack. It was General Sullivan who had to ask a delay because [Pg
116]so few of the militia responded to his summons. While expressing
polite disappointment that so large a part of the American army was
"still at home," D'Estaing tried to emphasize the need of haste. He
believed in striking sudden, unexpected blows; and he had ever in mind
the approach of that fleet of Admiral Byron's. Nine precious days
passed, which the British commander at Newport utilized in preparing
for defense and in sending messengers to New York.
Meanwhile Lafayette returned to camp and started with his detachment
for Newport. On the march he received a letter from Washington which
must have caused him keen disappointment, since it took away half his
authority. General Greene was a native of Rhode Island, with special
knowledge of the region where the fighting was to take place, and
because of this it had been decided at the last moment to combine the
Continental troops with the militia and to give General Greene joint
command with Lafayette. The young man's answer was a model of cheerful
acquiescence. "Dear General: I have received your Excellency's favor
by General Greene, and have been much pleased with the arrival of a
gentleman who, not only on account of his merit and the justness of
his views, but also by his knowledge of the country and his popularity
in this state, may be very serviceable to the expedition. I willingly
part with half of my detachment, though I had a great dependence upon
them, as you find it convenient for the good of the service. Anything,
[Pg 117]my dear General, you will order, or even wish, shall always
be infinitely agreeable to me; and I will always feel happy in doing
anything which may please you or forward the public good. I am of the
same opinion as your Excellency that dividing our Continental troops
among the militia will have a better effect than if we were to keep
them together in one wing." Only a single sentence, near the end, in
which he referred to himself as being with the expedition as "a man of
war of the third class" betrayed his regret. Washington appears to have
been much pleased and relieved by this reply, for he realized that he
was drawing heavily upon Lafayette's store of patience.
As it turned out, neither Greene nor Lafayette had authority enough to
quarrel over or any glory in the enterprise, for on the 10th of August,
at the moment when the combined attack was about to begin, the relief
expedition of Admiral Howe's ships loomed suddenly out of the fog.
The French vessels had been placed only with a view to an attack upon
land, and most of the sailors had been disembarked to take part in it.
D'Estaing had to get them hurriedly back again and to prepare for a
sea-fight. Before this was over a wind-storm of great fury arose. It
separated the combatants, but left D'Estaing so crippled that he was
obliged to put into Boston for repairs.
Some of these events were of a character no human foresight could
prevent. All of them held possibilities of misunderstanding, and these
misunderstandings were increased tenfold by differences in nationality,
[Pg 118]in temper, and in language. Some of the French thought
General Sullivan deliberately and jealously tried to block success.
He reproached the French admiral for going to Boston after the storm
instead of returning to his aid. Lafayette's very eagerness subjected
him to criticism, yet he was the one man involved who understood
the temperament of both the French and the Americans. The burden of
explaining, of soothing, of trying to arrange the thousand prickly
details of the situation fell upon him. Twice he rode to Boston and
back for conferences with D'Estaing, making the journey of seventy
miles once by night in six and a half hours--unexampled speed for those
days. Such work now would be called the work of a liaison officer. He
had need of all his tact, and even his sweet temper grew acid under the
strain. He was strongly moved to fight a duel with General Sullivan;
and both Washington and Congress had to intervene before the French
admiral was completely assured of America's belief in his "zeal and
attachment," and before Lafayette could be thoroughly appeased.
Fond as he was of America, Lafayette was a Frenchman first of all. He
had assured D'Estaing that he would rather fight as a common soldier
under the French flag than as a general officer anywhere else. The
coming of the French fleet had been to all intents a declaration of
war by his country against England; and when the autumn was far enough
advanced to make it certain there would be no more military activity in
America before the next spring, he asked permission to return to France
and offer his sword to his king.
[Pg 119]Washington, who had more sympathy with the impulses of youth
than we are apt to give him credit for, saw that after the trying
experiences of the past few weeks a leave of absence would be the
best thing for Lafayette and also for his American friends. The young
man's nerves were completely on edge. He had not only wanted to fight
General Sullivan and controlled the desire; he had actually sent a
challenge, against the advice of Washington and Admiral d'Estaing, to
the Earl of Carlisle, an Englishman in America on official business,
because of some words the latter had used which Lafayette regarded as
an insult to the French. Besides these grievances, his imagination
was working overtime on a grand new scheme for the conquest of Canada
which Washington could no more indorse than he could approve the desire
to shed blood in private quarrels. The young man's friendship was too
valuable to make it politic continually to thwart him. Undoubtedly
this was a case where absence would make the heart grow fonder. Very
possibly also the wise general foresaw how much good Lafayette might
do in Paris as an advocate of American interests during the next few
months.
Lafayette did not wish to sever his relations with the Continental
army. All he asked was a leave of absence, and this Congress readily
granted in a set of complimentary resolutions, adding for good measure
a letter "To our great, faithful, and beloved friend and ally, Louis
the Sixteenth, King of France and Navarre," telling what a very wise
[Pg 120]and gallant and patient and excellent young man he was. But it
was weeks after this permission was given before Lafayette left
America. Congress arranged, as a compliment, that he should sail from
Boston on the frigate _Alliance_, one of the best of the nation's
war-vessels. Lafayette made his visits of ceremony, wrote his notes of
farewell, and set out from Philadelphia in a cold rain one day late
in October. Ordinarily he would not have minded such a storm. He had
endured the life at Valley Forge and discomforts of the winter trip
to Canada with apparent ease; but to a year of such campaigning had
been added several months of work and worry in connection with the
French fleet. The two together had told upon his strength, and the
storm added the finishing touch. He became really ill, but, suffering
with fever, rode on, unwilling to delay his journey for mere weather,
and unwilling, too, to fail in courtesy to the inhabitants of the many
towns on his way who wished to do him honor. He fortified himself for
the receptions and functions they had planned by frequent draughts of
tea and spirits, which made his condition worse instead of better.
By the time he reached Fishkill, New York, he was unable to proceed
farther. His fever raged for three weeks, and the news spread that he
would not recover. The concern manifested showed what a firm hold he
had made for himself in American affection. Civilians spoke of him
lovingly and sorrowfully as "the Marquis," while in the army, where
he was known as "the soldier's friend," grief was even more sincere.
Washington sent Surgeon-General Cochran, who had cared for him in
[Pg 121]Bethlehem, to take charge of the case, and rode himself almost
daily the eight miles from headquarters to make inquiries, never
entering the sick-room, and often turning away with tears in his eyes
at the report given him. Lafayette, racked with fever and headache, was
sure he would never live to reach France again. The idea of leaving
the world at the early age of twenty-one did not trouble him; he felt
that he would gladly compromise on three more months of life, provided
he could see his family and be assured of the happy outcome of the
American war.
After the fever left him and he slowly regained his strength he spent a
few happy days as Washington's guest before proceeding on his journey
to Boston. The elder man's farewell was "very tender, very sad," and
Lafayette rode away in company with the good Doctor Cochran, who had
orders to watch him like a hawk until he was safely on the ship. After
this parting the young man was more than ever convinced that Washington
was a great man and his own very warm personal friend. He wondered how
anybody could accuse him of being cold and unsympathetic.
[Pg 122]XIV