The Indian Advocate. (Sacred Heart Mission, Okla. Terr.), Vol. 11, No. 3, Ed. 1, Saturday, July 1, 1899 Page: 1 of 32
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The Indian Advocate.
Devoted to the Interests of the Indian Missions.
Vol. XI.
JULY 1899.
No. 3.
LAFAYETTE IN AMERICA AND FRANCE
By (Jhaiuks J. O'Mam.ky. '
rn.
Lafayette's wound laid him up for
several weeks. During his enforced
absence from camp he was lodged for
the most part in the convent of the
Moravian Brothers at Bethlehem Penn-
sylvania. During these weeks of pain
he was not idle. His letters home
particularly to Madame Lafayette
were frequent and encouraging. To
his wife ho described minutely the potty
jealousies rife against the Commander
General Washington. He foresaw
that French ofiicers going home dis-
appointed on account of their services
not being accepted by the American
Congress would likely spread abroad
reports detrimental to the American
cause. These he forestalled and by
timely explanations prepared American
sympathizers in France to receive with
composure the sudden news of the fall
of Philadelphia which occurred after
the battle of Brandywine.
While Lafayette's wound was healing
an event occurred which made a wide
rent in the prevailing darkness. This
was the capture of Burgoyne at Sara-
toga. Hitherto the European nations
had regarded the American colonists as
strugglers destined to be crushed.
The brilliant movement which put the
foamy English General at the mercy of
Gates first showed Europe that the
Americans were likely to conquer. It
decided the French Ministry to declare
in our favor soon as there was a favor-
able opportunity.
It was while lying ill of his wounded
limb that Lafayette conceived a plan
against England which had it been
adopted would have equaled any of
those brilliant and sudden movements
which after rendered Napoleon so
famous. This plan was to gather such
force as he secretly could in America
land on the Isle of France augment
his armament there with such French-
men as he could gather and attack the
English power in the East Tndies.
One thing was nccessary-the permission
of the French King to land peacefully
with an American patent on the Isle of
France. Filled with the brilliant idea
from the American camp atWhitemarsh
he wrote to M. De Vergennes French
Minister of Foreign Affairs giving his
plan in detail and requesting the ap-
probation of the French King for
the undertaking. Once secure upon
the Isle of France ho believed he should
find privateers ready to assist him and a
suflicient number of men to accompany
him to enable him to capture English
ships returning from China. He
counted on the jealousy of the Indian
nabobs the hatred of the Mahrattas
"the venality of the Sepoys and the
effeminacy of the English" them-
selves. The French Minister how-
Correspondence 1777 1778.
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The Indian Advocate. (Sacred Heart Mission, Okla. Terr.), Vol. 11, No. 3, Ed. 1, Saturday, July 1, 1899, newspaper, July 1, 1899; Sacred Heart Mission, Oklahoma Territory. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc69775/m1/1/: accessed April 24, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.