Lafayette_Courtier to Crown Fugitive, 1757-1777

by S. P. Grogan

  “Oh yes, you are right.” He went over and threw coals upon the brazier. He had dismissed the servant to this menial task not wishing to be interrupted in his concentration.

  Adrienne followed him back to his table, with papers scattered and...

  “Maps? Are you planning a journey?”

  “Oh, heavens no, my dear. But I am at interest to study this insurrection in North America. It will do well for me to understand such battles and tactics that might be called ‘modern’ which France may someday face. Truthfully, I see that this colonial war is to be fought in many locations and over great leagues. Quite fascinating.”

  He gently put his arm around Adrienne. It had been a little over a month since she had delivered their child and Gilbert and her whole family was treating her like a spoiled invalid, which she distained. His touch, once distant, now felt always present when they were together and she leaned into him and looked as he pointed and spoke with energy in his mannerisms.

  “This is a ‘Map of the British Empire in North America’ by the mathematician Samuel Dunn, printed last year. And here is the 1770 ‘Plan of the City of New York’ by a British Army officer named Ratzen, I believe. I have booksellers looking out for a map of the Port of Boston and environs. The British are going to have to drive back into the countryside if they are to protect their position. I can’t trust the published maps in journals are accurate.” He waved his hand distractedly to a corner of the room where a pile of newspapers and tabloid newssheets lay in a pile on the floor.

  Adrienne also saw her father’s favorite chess set pieces were placed in odd positions on the larger map, none of course in the ocean. There seemed to be more black ivory pieces set in place, than white. Which army was which, she wondered.

  “I shall not distract you further, Gilbert. But when dinner is called please attend upon us. You did not come down last evening. Does not a good officer maintain his health in the field?”

  He smiled abashedly, and let his wife give him a kiss upon the cheek. She could not ask more of him as she saw his mind distracted as he turned back to the table, picking up some papers, reading, and picking up a white chess piece, considering placement.

  Adrienne closed the door behind her, interested, but not that curious as to where that chess piece might alight. She instead went in search of her sleeping daughter to hold and to give her own self enjoyment.

  41.

  LIKE OTHER LOYAL FRENCH officers Gilbert’s sympathy lay for any enemy of his enemy. But the news coming from abroad was mixed. Again with news usually two months behind the event it was not until early Spring that Paris heard the colonists had invaded Canada hoping to turn the French-speaking Canadians against their British masters. One month, there was excitement when General Richard Montgomery captured Quebec City, and then all favoritism to the cause dashed when the Continental Army, destabilized by hunger and smallpox, was crushed in the attack on Montreal and Montgomery killed, and another American general, Benedict Arnold, wounded.

  Weather not only impacted the campaign in Canada, a snowstorm on December 31st in the Montreal defeat for the Americans but in the warm clime of South Carolina it was reported they received 15 inches of snow! No logistic movements by rebels or government troops for an entire two months.

  Gilbert looked upon all these events occurring in this far-away country as newsy tidbits, fodder for tavern conversations and allowed him to play a game of strategies upon which he could move his chess pieces. As a young officer he cared little to the inner-workings of the French government policy on foreign affairs; his focus only narrow to how he, Marquis de La Fayette might, as hero of the oppressed, lead a regiment of dragoons [against the British] if he were on such battlefields.

  The French Foreign Minister had to look at the larger landscape of world affairs. The fifty eight year old Charles Gravier, Count of Vergennes, held an impressive diplomatic resume of being posted to important capitals in Germany and Portugal and negotiating a treaty with the Ottoman Empire, and found himself appointed to this important councilor position by King Louis XVI in 1774. These days with skillful political art he worked at consolidating his power as a key advisor to His Majesty. Within his character, like the young officer La Fayette, he fomented a burning hatred of the British and would encourage with his skills any opportunity, short of war, to reek embarrassment or reduce the power of England in revenge for the Seven Years’ War, where France had lost major swathes of land from their own colonial empire, and that included Canada.

  Playing this artful game of gentleman courtesies, where diplomats in gloved hands deftly held daggers of duplicity behind their backs, Vergennes was one of the best. Among maintaining relations with many nations, his main jousting of words was with Lord Stormont, England’s Ambassador to the French Court. Stormont directed by England’s Foreign Office was there on the scene to pressure France to maintain their treaty obligations, primary of them was neutrality not to get involved in King George’s hard spanking of their troubled colony children. Stormont usually was most effective in knowing what the French court was thinking as he ran an extremely well-paid spy system. But not all the time was he so well informed.

  In this American affair, at the beginning of 1775, Vergennes had two main spies he depended upon. The playwright Baumarchais provided news from England. He would be returning shortly then to take up his role in running a shell company under the nom de plum, Roderique Hortalez. It would be this company, as Vergennes planned, to supply military aid to the rebelling colonists if he felt they were worthy. He did not care if they won. Disruption was his goal, any draw down of British military supplies and funds and troops that might better give the advantage to the French in a war on the European continent. Vergennes seemed convinced hostilities between the Great Powers would someday resume. Both sides accepted the 1763 Treaty of Paris a mere unstable interlude.

  To his goals, Vergennes moved quickly. When the spy de Bonvouloir reported back, his dispatches which were formalized into a document called ‘Considerations’ placing the rebels in a positive light but with the caveat: “the idea of independence that as yet are growing only feebly”. Again, this was of little concern to Vergennes. Distraction by the British was his initial strategy. The Foreign Ministry then in March went forward to create a secret statement of policy. This was entitled, ‘Reflexions’ which then set forth among several facts this key sentence: ‘the colonists’ determination to free themselves from all dependence on their mother country and to establish a nation, a separate republic.’ The spy de Bonvouloir in his private meetings with the Committee of Correspondence had seen indications that politics were moving towards drafting some document of declaration where the colonies might separate themselves from the mother country. To that direction, Congress would be sending the Connecticut member of their Congress, one Silas Deane, as a ‘merchant’ to buy supplies for 25,000 soldiers to be shipped to the Continental Army.

  This pushed the Foreign Minister to direct Baumarchais, who held diverse jobs listing from watchmaker to the author of the play ‘the Barber of Seville’ to begin quietly locating supplies to ship through his new alias of Roderique Hortalez & Co. to Carribean ports for American ships in turn to smuggle the goods to the desperate rebel army.

  Vergennes then went a step further, after the fact, and presented the Royal council consisting of members, Maurepas, Sartine, Saint-Germain and Turgot with the statement of policy, to wit:

  1) Persuade England the two Powers wanted continuing peace;

  2) However, prepare for an eventual war with Great Britain and quietly start rebuilding the navy and army;

  3) Keep up the courage of the American insurgents by giving secret assistance.

  Before going to the King for his blessed signature the Council argued and debated, mostly from Turgot, the Finance Minister, who said such a new incursion would be too expensive to the coffers of the Treasury. Finally, Turgot relented and the Privy Council of Ministers approved as of April 6, the secret document signed
by Royal Command on April 22nd. And after a private meeting with the King, the Government on May 2nd began the paperwork to advance its first subsidy of one million livre for secret aid.

  From Vergennes’s rushed internal negotiations, two ancillary off-shoots moved into play. The Foreign Minister swore to himself to seek a way to mute the obstinate opposition of Minister Turgot [by such intrigues the Finance Minister would be asked to resign in May]. And second, The War Minister, Comte St. Germain, with the possibility of war looming set to work, as he saw it, to tighten up the army in a major reorganization.

  42.

  “ANOTHER ONE OF THESE ridiculous retreats,” expressed Gilbert in burst of

  lathered protest to his friend Segur. “The King, on instructions by Monsieur St. Germain is disbanding the Black Musketeers! My first posting! It is a honored regiment. Not to be treated so despicable.” Bitter, Gilbert mentally demoted the Comte St. Germain to a toady.

  This discussion was held during a break between demonstrations of skill which gave the two men to chatter on recent events of the court, of the world. They were sitting in chairs at the fencing academy, the private school, of La Boëssière, located No. 45, rue Saint-Honore close by the Noailles mansion. This day they were present in the studio to watch and applaud their compatriot, the Comte Marc de Noailles, who was one of the star pupils featured as example to the school’s students. The two nobles continued their private chat, Segur trying to head off La Fayette’s rant.

  “Gilbert, I do not disagree. It is said St. Germain wants to realign our military into Prussian-type formations. Will it improve our fortunes? How can a politician know what’s best for our Army?”

  “Exactly. The world seems like it is exploding and he wishes to fiddle. Take a look at the news. Liberty is being stomped into the ground by the British lion! These patriots do stand a chance if only they were led by competent officers!” His voice rising brought from the intimate audience around him disapproving eyes and sniffed reproach.

  This outspoken trait of opinion arising from his companion Segur wondered if the Noailles Family were ready to see Gilbert’s demonstrative outbursts as favorable. But to the topic as friends they shared solace in the forced flag lowering of the Musketeer standard.

  Action resumed. Master La Boëssière and Marc Noailles moved to the center floor, saluted each other, took an en garde position and both jumped into a quick flurry of parry and lunges. This private school taught a more passive form of French fencing than the Italian style of lunge which usually led too easily to lung punctures and death or, to the contrary, the German method of slash with cutlass or short broadsword. Towards safety, suggesting more sport than maiming, this school used La Boëssière’s own invention, a wire mesh mask to protect the eyes. The program today thus offered a safe display of his pupil’s education, rather than true raw dueling, thus the rapier tips had been covered with a small mound of foil, the fleuret [‘blossom’]. The same protection used years early for the hand, ended up with protection called either the ‘foil’ or ‘épée’ where the weapon might be held in a straight or pistol grip. Within half a minute Noailles scored a touch up La Boëssière’s arm but in the next exercise La Boëssière took the point. The match ended with mutual bows of politeness and a smile from the master for an exhibition well done. The audience clapped politely while La Fayette and Segur gave out boisterous calls of “Bravo!”

  Noailles dabbing his face with a silk handkerchief took a seat with his friends. The fencing master now invited another pupil to the floor for a show of his learning. This was the boy, Antoine, the 8 year old son of the master. The boy was paired with an older youngster and the audience was amazed at the dexterity where the boy in training, apprentice and heir-apparent, in training won all his matches.

  “Marvelous,” exclaimed Noailles, still breathing heavy. “I have seen this Antoine Texier in other performances. Simply an amazing style.” Gilbert kept his silence. He had been a poor student of arms in his first days in Paris even though his Rivière Family side had arranged lessons with Grand Master Danet who was the Director of the Ecole Royale d’ Armes and had just published his magnum opus, L’Art des Armes, to the jealousy of many other instructors of the skill. He believed fighting should be accomplished with deportment. As example in the ‘Attack’, Danet considered the lunge could be made at various angles using the formalized five degrees in the height of the hand, nine different positions of using the arm and wrist while delivering the thrust [the ‘botte’]. His pupil, the young and inexperienced provincial, Marquis La Fayette, learned the basics well but did not seem to act as did the older dilettante students at the time who delivered their salute and en garde, and moves thereafter, with effeminate ‘petit maitre’ where they would battle not trying to disturb their wigs or shirt ruffles.

  Gilbert de La Fayette, a Captain in the Noailles Dragoons, and an ardent youth, believed in the rugged martial rush to cavalry fighting, employing the short saber for stab and slashing. He saw no circumstance that he would have to use a rapier. Even if challenged to a duel (the current and previous Kings had passed edicts against dueling with little enforcement result) Gilbert would opt for pistols believing him a better expert at this one-shot weapon learned from his hunting outings in the Auvergne forests. It did not matter much for the customs of gentlemen of France, in these times, for illicit dueling seldom resulted in death. Scoring first point with sword by a mere brush of the clothes or a bullet fired close but with a miss provided pretext to satisfy honor and reputation. Not so in other countries. To the lower end of the dueling customs were the Prussians who might not fight to the death but receiving facial scars were seen as badges of merit.

  In the next break between exhibitions Gilbert brought Noailles up to date on the fate of the Black Musketeers and surprised that his friend knew most of the particulars, but then Marshal Mouchy, his uncle, had more inside sources to the Army than did Gilbert’s own father-in-law, the scientist duke.

  And to that knowledge, Noailles offered his news.

  “I have heard that St. Germain intends to reform the entire Army. No division”—he emphasized—“no regiment will be safe from his budget cutting.”

  Gilbert was aghast. “But what if we are to go to war; we cannot be unprepared with such disorganization?”

  “Perhaps by economic tightening we will have funds to wage a war,” offered Segur. Gilbert dismissed that as not relevant. As he looked upon his own allowance, as he had funds as needed with such a deep purse, he accepted that when wars are to be waged governments will find the many livres in the treasury as required.

  “And to our musketeers brothers who have lost position,” said Noailles, removing the foil from his sword tip, and placing the blade back into its gold and gem scabbard. “I have heard those now unemployed, that several and you may know them, are considering finding a way to enlist in the cause of the American rebels.”

  “Patriots”. Gilbert quickly corrected. Noailles gave him a puzzled stare as the young marquis explained. “Those who fight for freedom against tyranny are not insurgents, but patriotic to their own ideals.”

  Noailles glanced to Segur. “It seems our friend has been listening to your friend Raynal.”

  “Sometimes he sounds like a prophet peddler of Freemasonry,” said Segur with a shrug. “But to this American cause, I do not see where any French soldier can go to their rescue. The king has forbidden any interference to protect our neutrality.”

  “I am guessing,” said Noailles, “for us to be involved that the King and by his command, Minister Vergennes, want England to make the first overt act of war.”

  “Or perhaps take sides if these Colonists win a great battle to our satisfaction.” Gilbert said that with a conviction based on no known premonition. All three of them held mixed opinions about the unpleasantness of the conflict, Gilbert perhaps more the enthused optimist again with no weight to such beliefs. In his estimation there still seemed to be no early victor. The failure of the Continental Arm
y to capture Canada in December was offset with better news in March of this year. The Continental fleet had captured New Providence Island in the Bahamas and two weeks later, the astounding news, the British evacuated Boston and the British Navy, its ships crammed with troops and dazed Loyalists had set sail for Halifax, Canada. Gilbert had noticed carefully by his reading that the Americans forced the evacuation by placing cannon, taken from Ft. Ticonderoga above the city heights. And the commander of that first bloodless victory for the ‘patriots’ was General Washington.

  In the drawing rooms, at court, in the coffee houses the speculation was rampant on where the British army might next descend upon the brave but amateur colonial fighting forces.

  Gilbert looked to his friends.

  “We three together,” said Gilbert, boasting in self-confidence, part pride, part soldiery arrogance, “We would be a far better corps, just we here, to go and fight the British than any regiment of Musketeers.”

  “Yes, we would,” Noailles could only smile at such a wild but sincere notion. “But to avoid disobeying our King, and desertion of the regiment, I for one will return to Metz this summer, and see if there will be a new commanding order to chase the whores out of the city.”

  All three laughed and returned their gaze to a new pair of combatants, watching them test their art, saluting then dodging, weaving and plunging to the exhilarating sound of tinning steel.

  Louis XVI

  43.

  CAREER DISASTER STRUCK for Gilbert on June 11, 1776 when War Minister St. Germain reached out with his new consolidated power and furloughed with half pay the medium grade officers who had achieved rank because of position and who held little or no field experience. Summer garrison partying in Metz did not count. A year later St. Germain would lose his post, to the French army’s point of view from trying to radically reform everything to do with the military to what was put on a soldier’s plate to a more lax form of corporal punishment for miscreants. But this was in the future and Gilbert moaned in depression, lost to what he could now do, and those choices seemed forlorn. He could not go to court seeking higher position for he had burned that bridge with the King’s brother, and besides he knew in his heart, he held no love for the backroom politics and intrigues of the court. He was not one of them.