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Show Kis Nairn Linked With Washington's Lafayette Will Ever Ee Re-membered Re-membered as Defender of Liberty. The memory of Jlarquis de Lafayette, Lafay-ette, French patriot, international hero and America's friend during the stirring days of the Revolutionary war, will endure while the nation lives. Lafayette was born September 6, 1757, in Auvergne, France. He was left an orphan at thirteen years, inheriting in-heriting a vast fortune. He spurned tho life of a courtier, despite his wealth, and chose to be a soldier, subjecting sub-jecting himself to the severest training. train-ing. When scarcely eighteen years old, the struggles of the thirteen American colonies came to his notice, lie was then a captain at tiie French garrison of Met?.. Arriving in America, Amer-ica, he is quoted as having said: "As the defender of that liberty which I adore, free myself beyond all others, coining as a friend to offer my services to this most interesting republic, repub-lic, I bring with me nothing but my own free heart, no ambition to fulfill and no selfish interest to serve. The happiness of America is intimately connected with the happiness of all mankind ; it is destined to become the safe and venerable asylum of virtue, of honesty, of tolerance, of equality and of peaceful liberty." Every American boy and girl who has studied history knows how Lafayette Lafay-ette bought and secretly equipped a vessel named the Victory, his long voyage voy-age across the Atlantic, his landing and his tedious journey of 900 miles to Philadelphia, the seat of American government at that time. His services were accepted by congress and, on General Washington's recommendation, recommenda-tion, he was appointed to command a division. In the winter of 1777 and 177S he shared with Washington the hardships of Valley Forge. Lafayette returned . to France in 1779 and persuaded per-suaded the French government to send ships and troops. More than 5,000 soldiers sol-diers and a fleet of seven ships came to the aid of the colonies. The fleet was commanded by the Comte de Po-chnmbeau. Po-chnmbeau. Under the leadership of Washington, Lafayette and Pochambeau marshaled all troops to Torktown, where the siege culminated on October 19, 17S1, in the surrender of Cornwallis with S.000 men, SCO sailors, 21-1 guns and 24 flags. Thus the war was won. It was Lafayette wdio refused to advance and crush Cornwallis until Washington Washing-ton was present to command the final victory. |