How the French saw George Washington
A local historian honored me with a book about how the French viewed George Washington.
We feature two letters from this book. One from Lafayette to Washington, and Washington's response back to Lafayette on New Years Eve 1777. But first a little bit about the local historian who handed me this book. He's Dr Carl Ekberg.
If ever you see a lecture
to be given by Dr Carl Ekberg, go to it.
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This historian tends to wear red sneakers while impeccably dressed. He is a historian of the French in Illinois and Missouri, and a passionate fan of Thomas Jefferson.
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For more about Dr Carl Ekberg, see further below.
Back to the book about how the French saw GW:
What is remarkable in this book is the first letter it displays. This letter is by Lafayette to Washington. Lafayette apologizes to Washington about being vulnerable to the Conway's charm and talk. Conway was reported to have plotted to topple Washington as head commander.
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That is not the only remarkable letter in that book, but it is the only letter and Washington's response to it that constitutes the subject of our attention here.
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The book in the picture above is George Washington as the French Knew Him, A Collection of Texts, Edited and Translated with an Introduction by Gilbert Chinard, Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ, published 1940
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Connection to Winchester VA?
In the spirit that everything is related
to our topic of George Washington and Fort Loudoun in the Winchester VA area, we use this following connection:
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Hessian Prisoner, Lt Andreas Wiederholdt:
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The two letters below were written at the end of December 1777. Just a few months before in September 1777 a Hessian Prisoner was walking freely in the streets of Winchester Virginia. He was brought to Fort Loudoun where much of the old wall were dismantled but the barracks mostly remained. A temporary stockade was put around the barracks. He was captured from the Christmas raid a year before. This was the story of the famous Washington Crossing the Delaware to attack on Christmas Eve the Hessian camp at Trenton NJ. This prisoner was an interesting one. He drew maps. By September of 1777 he was stepping off the street outlines of Winchester to draw a remarkably accurate map of Winchester VA.
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This time frame is usually outside our scope, but this timeframe does involve Fort Loudoun's Second Act as a prison or holding place for prisoners of the Revolutionary War. The Convention Army(1777–1783) was an army of British and allied troops captured after the Battles of Saratoga in the American Revolutionary War. That group of prisoners came in to Winchester VA who were held at Fort Loudoun along with Hessian prisoners who inhabited the poorly build log housing near Round Hill outside of Winchester.
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Our other goal here is to add perspective to how George Washington was viewed.
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These 2 letters are just a brief glimpse of many letters written by the French to and about George Washington that are compiled in the book:
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George Washington as the French Knew Him, A Collection of Texts, Edited and Translated with an Introduction by Gilbert Chinard, Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ, published 1940
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Scan the highlighted bold print in these letters first. Then go back for a re-read. :)
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These 2 letters references the recent
"almost successful" mutiny, the Conway Cabal:
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Notice how Lafayette admits to being influenced by the charms and talk of Conway who had plotted against GW.
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Notice the reference to GW's strategy being likened to the famous Roman General, Fabius who knew better not to meet Hannibal head on unless he, Fabius, had overwhelming odds to win.
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To George Washington from
Major General Lafayette,
30 December 1777
From Major General Lafayette [Valley Forge] 30th december 1777
. My dear General
. I went Yesterday morning to Head Quarters with an intention of Speaking to Your Excellency But You were too Busy and I shall lay down in this letter what I wished to Say.
. I don’t Need telling You How I am Sorry for all what Happens Since Some time it is a necessary dependence of my most tender and Respectful friendship for You, which affection is as true and Candid as the other Sentiments of my Heart and much Stronger than a So new acquaintance Seems to admit. But an other Reason to be Concerned in the present Circumstances is my Ardent, and perhaps enthusiastic wishes for the Happiness and liberty of this Country. I See plainly that America Can defend Herself if proper Measure are taken and Now I Begin to fear that She Could be lost By Herself and Her own Sons.
. When I was in europe I thought that Here almost every man was a lover of liberty and would Rather die free than live Slave.
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You Can Conceive my astonishment when I Saw that toryism was as oppenly profitted as wighism it self.
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However at that time I Believed that all good Americans were United together, that the Confidence of Congress in you was Unbounded. then I entertained the Certitude that America would Be independent in Case she would not loose
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You. take a way for an instant that Modest diffidence of Yourself (which, pardon my freedom, my dear general, is Sometimes too Great, and I wish You Could know as well as myself, what difference there is Betwen You and Any other man Upon the Continent,)
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You Shall See Very plainly that if You were lost for America, there is no Body who Could keep the army and the Revolution for Six months.
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there are Oppen dissentions in Congress,
parties who Hate one an other as much as the Common ennemy,
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Stupid men who without knowing
a Single word about war
undertake to judge You,
to make Ridiculous Comparisons;
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they are infatuated with Gates
without thinking of the different Circumstances,
and Believe that attaking
is the only thing Necessary to Conquer.
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whose ideas are entertained in their Minds
by Some jealous men
and perhaps Secret friends t
o the British Government
who want to push You in a moment of ill Humour
to Some Rash enterprise
Upon the lines or Against a much stronger army.
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I should not take the liberty
of mentionning these particularities
to You if I did not Receive a letter about this matter from a Young Good natured Gentleman at York whom Connway Has Ruined By His Cunning Bad advice But Who entertains the Greatest Respect for You.1
. I have been surprised at first to see the niew establishement of this board of war, to see the difference betwen northern and southern departement, to see resolved from Congress about military operations—but the promotion of canway is beyhond all my expectations
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—I should be glad to see niew major generals after me, because as I Know that you take some interest to my happiness and reputation, it is perhaps an occasion for your excellency to give me more agreable commands in some interesting instances—on the other hand gal connway Says he is entirely a man to be disposed of by me, he calls himself my soldier, And the reason of such behaviour for me is that he wishs to be well spoken of at the french court, and his protector the marquis de castries is an intimate acquaintance of mine2
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—but since the letter of Lord stirling3
I inquired in his caracter,
I found that he was an ambitious and dangerous man—
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he has done all [in h]is power
by a cunning maneuvres
to take off my confidence and affection for you—
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his desire was to engage me to leave this country—now I see all the general officers of the army revolted against Congress, such disputes if known by the ennemy, can be attended with horrid consequences4
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—I am very sorry when ever I perceive trouble raised amongs the defender of the same cause, but my concern is much greater when I find officers coming from france, officers of some character in my country to whom any fault of that Kind may be imputed—
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the reason of my fondness for connway, was [h]is being by all means a very brave and very good officer—
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however that part of maneuvres &c. which seems so extraordinary to Congress is not so very difficult for any man of common sense who applies himself to it—I must pay to gal portail and some french officers who came to speack to me the justice to say that I found them as I could wish upon this occasion—for it has made a great noise amongs many in the army—I wish indeed those matters could be soon pacified—I wish your excellency could let them Know how necessary you are to them and engage them in the same time to Keep peace and a simulate love among themselves till the moment where those little disputes schall not be attended with such inconveniences—it would be a too great pity that slavery, dishonor, ruin, and unhappiness of a whole world schould issue from trifling differents betwixt some fiew men.
. You will find perhaps this letter very useless and even very importune—but I was desirous of having a pretty long conversation with your excellency upon the present circumstances to Explain you what I think of this matter—as the proper opportunity for it is not to be found, I took the liberty of laying down some of my ideas in this letter, because it is interesting for my satisfaction to be convinced that you, my dear general, who have been indulgent enough as to permit me to look on you as upon a friend, you could Know the confession of my sentiment in a matter which I consider as a very important one—I have the warmest Love for my country and for every good frenchmen—theyr succès feels my heart with joy—but, Sir, besides connway is an irish man I want country men who deserve in every point to do honor to theyr country—
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that gentleman had engaged me by entertaining my head with ideas of glory and shining projects, and I must Confess for my shame that it is a too certain way of deceiving me.
. I wish’d to join to the fiew theories about war I can have, And the fiew dispositions nature gave perhaps to me, the experience of thirty campaigns, in hope that I schould be able to be more useful in the present circumstance—my desire of deserving your satisfaction is stronger than ever, and every where you’l employ me you can be certain of my trying every exertion in my power to succeed—I am now fixed to your fate and I shall follow it and sustain it as well by my sword as by all means in my power—I beg you will keep the letter secret—you will pardon my importunity in favor of the sentiment which dictate it—youth and friendship make perhaps myself too warm, but I feel the greatest concern of all what happens since some time. with the most tenderest and profond respect I have the honor to be dear general Your most obedient humble Servant
. The Marquis de lafayette
. ALS, PEL; ADf,
in French, Lafayette Papers, LaGrange, France. The first two pages of the ALS, consisting of the first three paragraphs of the text, are marked “Copy” and are in Lafayette’s later handwriting. Lafayette apparently recopied them after the war from an unidentified original source. These paragraphs do not differ significantly in content from the corresponding paragraphs in the draft. Lafayette also edited the remaining pages of the ALS, the text of which has been restored here to its original form as much as possible.
. On 28 Dec., Lafayette wrote a “Memorandum on Dress and Appearance,” apparently submitting it to GW for his approval before forwarding it on 2 Jan. 1778 to Henry Laurens (Lafayette Papers, 1:199–201, 209–10).
. 1. Lafayette may be referring to Thomas Mullens, aide-de-camp to Thomas Conway (see ibid., 1:206).
. 2. Charles-Eugène-Gabriel de La Croix, marquis de Castries (1727–1801), was born at Castries, Hérault, in Languedoc. He began his military career in 1742 as a cavalry officer, attaining the rank of lieutenant general in 1758. During the next two decades he occupied a series of provincial administrative positions, including appointments in Flanders in 1775, Normandy and Brittany in 1778, and Lorraine in 1779. Castries served as minister of the marine from 1780 until 1787, in which position he oversaw planning for French naval campaigns against Great Britain. Castries emigrated in 1789, and over the next decade he held several military and advisory positions for the royalists, culminating in 1797 with the direction of Louis XVIII’s cabinet.
. 3. Stirling’s letter to GW of 3 Nov. quoted Conway as writing to Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates that “Heaven has been determined to Save your Country; Or a weak General and bad Counsellors would have ruined it.” For the controversy surrounding Conway’s letter, see GW to Horatio Gates, 4 Jan. 1778, n. 3.
. 4. Nine brigadier generals, with the support of Nathanael Greene, John Sullivan, and others, were preparing a protest to Congress over the appointment of Conway to the rank of major general (see John Sullivan to GW, 2 Jan. 1778).
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Source:
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From George Washington to
Major General Lafayette,
31 December 1777
. To Major General Lafayette Head Quarters [Valley Forge] Decr 31st 1777
. My Dear Marquis,
. Your favour of Yesterday conveyed to me fresh proof of that friendship and attachment which I have happily experienced since the first of our acquaintance, and for which I entertain sentiments of the purest affection. It will ever constitute part of my happiness to know that I stand well in your opinion, because I am satisfied that you can have no views to answer by throwing out false colours, and that you possess a Mind too exalted to condescend to dirty Arts and low intrigues to acquire a reputation. Happy, thrice happy, would it have been for this Army and the cause we are embarked in, if the same generous spirit had pervaded all the Actors in it. But one Gentleman, whose name you have mentioned, had, I am confident, far different views. His ambition and great desire of being puffed off as one of the first Officers of the Age, could only be equalled by the means which he used to obtain them; but finding that I was determined not to go beyond the line of my duty to indulge him in the first, nor, to exceed the strictest rules of propriety, to gratify him in the second, he became my inveterate Enemy; and has, I am persuaded, practised every Art to do me an injury, even at the expense of reprobating a measure, which did not succeed, that he himself advised to. How far he may have accomplished his ends, I know not, and, but for considerations of a public nature, I care not: For it is well known, that neither ambitious, nor lucrative, motives led me to accept my present appointments; in the discharge of which, I have endeavoured to observe one steady and uniform conduct, which I shall invariably pursue, while I have the honour to command, regardless of the Tongue of slander or the powers of detraction.
. The fatal tendency of disunion is so obvious,
that I have, in earnest terms, exhorted such officers as have expressed their dissatisfaction at General Conway’s promotion, to be cool and dispassionate in their decision upon the matter; and I have hopes that they will not suffer any hasty determination to injure the service.
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At the same time, it must be acknowledged that Officers’ feelings upon these occasions are not to be restrained, although You may controul their actions.1
. The other observations contained in your Letter, have too much truth in them, and it is much to be lamented that things are not now as they formerly were;
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but we must not in so great a contest, expect to meet with nothing but Sun shine.
I have no doubt but that every thing happens so for the best; that we shall triumph over all our misfortunes, and shall, in the end, be ultimately happy; when, My Dear Marquis, if you will give me your Company in Virginia, we will laugh at our past difficulties and the folly of others; where I will endeavour, by every civility in my power, to shew you how much and how sincerely, I am, Your Affectionate and Obedient servant,
. G. Washington. Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
. 1. See John Sullivan to GW, 2 Jan. 1778.
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Source:
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Compiled by Jim Moyer 2/28/2021, updated 3/2/21, 3/4/21, 3/7/21
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About Dr Carl Ekberg who gave me that book:
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A local historian honored me with a book about how the French viewed George Washington.
We feature two letters from this book. One from Lafayette to Washington, and Washington's response back to Lafayette on New Years Eve 1777. But first a little bit about the local historian who handed me this book. He's Dr Carl Ekberg.
If ever you see a lecture
to be given by Dr Carl Ekberg, go to it.
.
This historian tends to wear red sneakers while impeccably dressed. He is a historian of the French in Illinois and Missouri, and a passionate fan of Thomas Jefferson.
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He is the gold standard of public speakers.
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His story about Jefferson's visit to Paris and what Jefferson saw and did while there was spellbinding. He gave a speech on that 17 March 2017 at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.
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And he gave another presentation on September 15, 2019 about Washington and his association with Winchester and the French and Indian War lecture to celebrate the city of Winchester's 250th anniversary of its founding. This was covered by Cspan. See video.
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Even if you don't like history, this historian will hold your attention.
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Back to the book about how the French saw GW:
What is remarkable in this book is the first letter it displays. This letter is by Lafayette to Washington. Lafayette apologizes to Washington about being vulnerable to the Conway's charm and talk. Conway was reported to have plotted to topple Washington as head commander.
.
That is not the only remarkable letter in that book, but it is the only letter and Washington's response to it that constitutes the subject of our attention here.
.
.
The book in the picture above is George Washington as the French Knew Him, A Collection of Texts, Edited and Translated with an Introduction by Gilbert Chinard, Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ, published 1940
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Btw, see video of Dr Carl Ekberg receiving an award from the French Ambassador for documenting the early settlement of the French in North America, particular the mid-west.
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Dr Ekberg is on the board of the
French and Indian War Foundation.
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He and the board
enjoyed this visit
to the French Embassy
in Washington DC
to see their fellow board member
and friend
receive such a high honor.
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Compiled by Jim Moyer 2/28/2021, updated 3/2/21, 3/4/21
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Sources:
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Read book online
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PDF file to read book:
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Order the book
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Beyond Pater Patriae: The Many Faces of George Washington
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Ctrl F to search for Gilbert Chinard
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A book review of Gilbert Chinard's book
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Ctrl F to search for Gilbert Chinard
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Seducing the French The Dilemma of Americanization Richard F. Kuisel UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS Berkeley · Los Angeles · Oxford © 1993 The Regents of the University of California
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NOTES for follow up
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Two days ago on 28 December 1776, "His Excellency," General George Washington interviews prisoner Lieutenant Andreas Wiederholdt.
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Andreas Wiederholdt who? . He was captured in the Battle of Trenton the day after The Christmas Eve Crossing of the Delaware. He was a "Hessian" of Hesse-Kassel Regiment von Knyphausen.
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He becomes a prisoner here in Winchester VA. .
Eventually he is marched with other prisoners from Trenton NJ to Fort Loudoun Winchester VA after September 4, 1777.
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See confirmation of this date? .
Look at bottom of page 51 for the September 4, 1777 and top of page 52 for the September 7, 1777 entry by Wiederholdt in his diary. .
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And he has freedom to walk the town. .
He isn't going to escape. .
He and the other prisoners know about the Indians in the wild nearby. .
Ctrl F for Indians to find quote by German diarist, Lieutenant Johann Ernst Prechtel who writes, “Indians and other wild people” could be found as close as fifty miles away.
2nd source: . Lewis N. Barton, The Revolutionary Prisoners of War in Winchester and Frederick County, Men and Events of the Revolution in Winchester and Frederick County Virginia, Vol. IX, 1975. p. 46. .
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