Lafayette's odyssey: the Marquis de Lafayette's dogged determination to fight for the cause of liberty enabled him to surmount many difficulties in leaving France and coming to America.

The hooded figure kept his face turned away from the rest of the inn's inhabitants, standing off to one side. But the postmaster's daughter, on one of her trips to the kitchen, passed close by the inconspicuous man. To her amazement, she recognized him as a teenage nobleman. She was just about to exclaim aloud when the man caught her eye and gave an almost indiscernible shake of his head. She paused, confused. Well, he'd always been kind to her on his past visits to the inn, and she supposed he knew what he was about. If he wanted to be unknown, then she wouldn't spoil his plans. Not long after he left, still posing as a servant to another man, other noblemen came by, asking for him. The postmaster's daughter remembered that shake of the head, the look of pleading desperation in his eyes, and blithely sent the searching gentlemen off in the opposite direction of that he had taken.

This cloak-and-dagger vignette is just one chapter from the life of Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, better known as the Marquis de Lafayette, or simply General Lafayette.

Lafayette's contribution to the American cause during the American War for Independence is well known. But less well known is how difficult it was for Lafayette to leave France and reach America. He didn't just hop on a boat and sail away amid a cheering send-off. On the contrary, he experienced reluctance and even outright resistance at every turn. How did Lafayette come to be so interested in what was going on in America that he was willing to risk alienating his own government, then risk his life in battle, all for a bunch of foreigners?

Stirred Resolve

It all started when Lafayette was 19 and attended a dinner given for the Duke of Gloucester (brother of King George III). The Duke waxed eloquent during the dinner on the latest developments in England's disagreement with her colonies, and Lafayette took great interest in the discussion. "When I first learnt the subject of the quarrel, my heart espoused warmly the cause of liberty, and I thought of nothing but of adding also the aid of my banner," wrote Lafayette in his memoirs.

Lafayette acted immediately upon his resolve and he was soon introduced to the Baron de Kalb, who not only counseled Lafayette as he prepared for departure, but also acted as interpreter for Lafayette's negotiations with the American agents in Paris. Originally intending to voyage to America on an American ship, Lafayette was forced to buy his own ship, the Victory, when France closed its ports to American vessels after hearing of the American defeats at Brooklyn, Long Island, White Plains, and Fort Washington. The purchase and outfitting of the ship, moored at Bordeaux, had to be done in utmost secrecy. "The secrecy with which ... my preparations were made appears almost a miracle," wrote Lafayette; "family, friends, ministers; French spies and English spies, all were kept completely in the dark as to my intentions."

Lafayette chose as the motto on his arms the curious phrase, "Cur non?" ("Why not?"). Lafayette explained the choice by saying that this quizzical question "might equally serve as an encouragement to myself, and as a reply to others." With his ship, supplies, letters from an American agent, and now his banner complete, Lafayette was anxious to set sail--but before he could leave, he had to make a trip to England with his uncle. It had been planned long before, and canceling it would attract too much attention to his activities. Although he fretted at the delay, it served well to cover his true departure, for upon returning from England, he went quickly to de Kalb's house, and aside from seeing a few close friends, no one knew he had returned from England--or at least, he thought no one did.

Foiling Fellow Frenchmen

But upon arriving in Bordeaux, he learned that somehow his intended departure had become known at the French court, and orders had been issued to stop him. Prudently, Lafayette moved his ship from Bordeaux to the Spanish port of Passage; he then returned to Bordeaux to try to win approval from the ministers of the king at Versailles. He also wrote his family, telling them of his intention to sail to America and fight on her behalf.

The response to these letters wasn't satisfactory. According to Lafayette, "The letters from my own family were extremely violent, and those from the government were peremptory. I was forbidden to proceed to the American continent under the penalty of disobedience; I was enjoined to repair instantly to Marseilles, and await there further orders." Ignoring these, Lafayette proceeded to carry out a clever evasive maneuver. He set out as if to go to Marseilles as ordered, but soon doubled back so as to reach Bayonne, and thence to his ship. As described by Lafayette, writing of himself in the third person, "[D]isguised as a courier, he had almost escaped all danger, when, at Saint Jean de Luz, a young girl recognised him; but a sign from him silenced her, and her adroit fidelity turned away all suspicion. It was thus that M. de Lafayette rejoined his ship, the 26th of April 1777; and on that same day, after six months anxiety and labour, he set sail for the American continent."

A Journey Taken

Does the story of difficulty and determination end there? Did Lafayette have an uneventful voyage to American shores? Far from it. First of all, Lafayette hated sailing and was violently sea sick. Then, instead of sailing for the West Indies, then to America, as was the custom at that time, Lafayette had to take a chance on sailing straight for America--for waiting for him in the West Indies were French government officials, charged with the task of collaring him and dragging him back to France for disciplinary action.

The straight course for America was fraught with danger--English ships-of-war were more than glad to take lone ships prisoner. Also, the captain of Lafayette's ship had assumed they would be going to the West Indies, so had purchased a cargo to trade there. He was, then, none too happy when Lafayette insisted on bypassing the islands. Luckily for Lafayette, he had made friends with the crew. After Lafayette threatened to give command over to the ship's mate, and offered to buy the captain's cargo, the captain relented and steered a course for the Carolinas.

During the seven-week voyage, Lafayette turned his attention to learning English and studying military topics. No doubt de Kalb, who sailed with Lafayette, was a useful instructor in both courses of study. Lafayette also wrote long letters to his wife, left behind in France, pregnant with their second child. Making matters worse, Lafayette's first-born child, Henrietta, died while he was making the trip. Although Lafayette was committed to helping America win her freedom and establish a rule of law, he also felt a quite natural grief and anxiety about being away from his young spouse:

   How many fears and anxieties enhance
   the keen anguish I feel at
   being separated from all that I love
   most fondly in the world! How have
   you borne my second departure?
   have you loved me less? have you
   pardoned me? ... [I experienced] the
   most bitter grief when the moment
   arrived for quitting my native shore.
   Your sorrow, that of my friends, Henrietta,
   all rushed upon my thoughts,
   and my heart was torn by a thousand
   painful feelings.

It was providential that they saw no other ships during the long voyage, because the Victory was not only slow, but was also inadequately armed. Lafayette described it as "[a] heavy ship, two bad cannons, and some guns, [that] could not have escaped from the smallest privateer." It was only when they neared the Carolina shore that they saw a ship, and not knowing her intentions, prepared to fight as best they could. Fortune smiled on Lafayette, however--it turned out to be an American privateer. The intention was to remain in the company of this ship for protection, but the heavy-sailing Victory could not keep up. And just as well, because not long alter losing sight of the Victory, the American ship was overtaken by an English frigate and captured, while Lafayette's plodding ship was spared this fate.

Disembarking to Destiny

When they landed it was past sunset, and they headed for a distant light. But on their approach, dogs began to bark furiously, and the inhabitants of the household mistook the approaching company of men for a band of marauders landing from a British privateer. It was the house of Major Benjamin Huger, who demanded from behind bolted doors to know who they were and what they wanted. Knowing they were in danger of being fired upon, Baron de Kalb (who was the only one of the party who could speak English well at that time) hastened to announce his presence and explain their purpose. Recognizing de Kalb, who had been in America before, Huger threw his doors open and gave Lafayette and his party a cordial welcome.

It had taken nine months for Lafayette to reach America--nine months of dodging obstacles and adversity, and not a little heartache at leaving wife, family, friends, and homeland. But from the minute his heart burst aflame at the words of the Duke of Gloucester, Lafayette knew his destiny lay in the battle for liberty.

   I have always loved liberty with the
   enthusiasm which actuates the religious
   man with the passion of a lover,
   and with the conviction of a geometrician
   .... The attraction of the American
   revolution transported me suddenly to
   my place. I felt myself tranquil only
   when sailing between the continent
   whose powers I had braved, and that
   where, although our arrival and our
   ultimate success were problematical,
   I could, at the age of nineteen, take
   refuge in the alternative of conquering
   or perishing in the cause to which
   I had devoted myself.

   Lafayette also knew that the destiny of freedom
   lay in the hands of America. In another
   of his letters written aboard the Victory, he
   wrote: "The happiness of America is intimately
   connected with the happiness of
   all mankind. She will become the safe and
   respected asylum of virtue, integrity, toleration,
   equality, and tranquil happiness."

RELATED ARTICLE: Lafayette: teenage role model.

At the age of 16, Lafayette was already a captain in the French cavalry. A mere three years later, Lafayette was commissioned a major general in the American Continental Army, July 31, 1777. The resolution of the Continental Congress bestowed on him the highest rank known in the American army and read as follows:

   Seeing that the marquis de Lafayette. on account of his great
   zeal in the cause of liberty in which the United States are engaged,
   has quitted his family and country, and has come to offer
   his services to the United States, without demanding either pay
   or private indemnity, and that he desires to expose his life in
   our cause--Resolved. That his services be accepted, and that.
   on account of his zeal, his illustrious family and connections,
   he shall have the rank and commission of major-general in the
   army of the United States.

Accepted by Washington as his aide-de-camp, Lafayette soon proved his mettle by fighting with dash and courage in the Battle of Brandywine (Sept. 11, 1777--five days after his 20th birthday). In this engagement, Lafayette received his first combat wound, being shot through the leg by a musket ball while helping General John Sullivan rally his men against a determined onslaught of British and Hessian soldiers. He ignored his wound and fought on until he was forced to stop and bandage it when his boot filled to the top with blood--an action which almost caused his capture. Despite his wound, Lafayette helped organize a retreat, and his wound was not properly dressed until late that evening.

Before the year was out, Lafayette had partially recovered from his leg wound--he was not yet able to wear a boot on his injured leg--and was again in the thick of things, this time under command of General Nathanael Greene. Encountering a Hessian force during a reconnaissance mission near Gloucester, New Jersey, Lafayette was able to rout the enemy, despite being seriously outnumbered.

During that desperate winter, spent at Valley Forge, Lafayette suffered the cold, the wet, and the hunger, along with his commander, General Washington, and the rag-tag American army. In May 1778, Lafayette was again sent on a reconnaissance mission, this time to Barren Hill (now called Lafayette Hill), Pennsylvania. With only 2,200 men, Lafayette found himself surrounded by 16,000 elite British and Hessian troops, under the command of five of the most formidable British and Hessian generals: Grant, Grey, Howe, Clinton, and von Knyphausen. With a courageous feint to his rear, Lafayette was able to slip out of the British iron fist and return safely to Valley Forge--leaving behind five very disgruntled British generals. A month later, Lafayette again displayed his ability to fight with distinction, at the Battle of Monmouth, New Jersey.

He spent the year of 1779 in France, arguing for support of the American cause; successful in his venture, he returned to New Jersey in March 1780, able to tell Washington that a French Expeditionary Force, complete with supplies, was on its way. That force, critical to Washington's defeat of the British, arrived at Newport, Rhode Island, in July 1780. In 1781, Lafayette was chosen by Washington to command the American forces that pinned down Cornwallis at Yorktown, in preparation for his defeat that October.

Lafayette did not just endanger his life and limb in his defense of liberty, he also served without pay in the Continental Army and spent upwards of $200,000 of his own money buying clothing and weapons for his troops. His generosity, both of spirit and temporal goods, was great. He loved his homeland, France, but he also loved America and the rule of law and liberty that she stood for. In 1825, after a yearlong tour of the United States, Lafayette returned to France--with several barrels of earth taken from Bunker Hill. When he died nine years later, his son, named George Washington Lafayette, scattered that earth over Lafayette's casket--granting his wish that he be buried in American soil.

Lafayette's physical and financial sacrifice for a just cause, and his determination to pursue a course of action--not due to self-interest, but because it was the right thing to do--provide an excellent role model for young Americans today.