Evening Star Newspaper, December 22, 1929, Page 88

i‘*" W e l‘r Vi) N e r; | N A . ALIET THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, DECEMBER 22, 1929. City Was Nation's Host to Lafavette - Great Frenchman, Who Returned to America Many Years After Revolution, Was Greeted Here With Enthusiasm Seldom City of Washington. BY JOHN CLAGETT PROCTOR. % S the writer has said upon several occa- / sions, and is likely to say upon many more occasions, he knows of no other place in this country that breathes a greater variety of really interesting, patriotic, national history than does the city of Washington. Indeed, it seems that every streel and avenue and every nook and corner contains a good story of some national event or of some national or international character who lived here, who made this city his temporary home or perhaps who just made it a visit, as have ever so many foreign dignitaries during the 129 years this city has been the seat of government. Omly in the last decade have our allies in the great World War sent to our shores and our city their most noted statesmen and soldiers. France, its Marshal Foch, the supreme commander of the allied armies; Marshal Joffre and, just seven years ago—on December 4—that wonder- ful man-of-the-hour and statesman, Georges Clemenceau, who died only recently, but who will live in the hearts of his countrymen for generations to come. Of the visits made here by these distinguished foreigners you are no doubt quite familiar, but how insignificant we find them to have been when compared with the visit made here in 1824-25 by that most beloved of all Frenchmen, Gen. Lafayette—Marie Jean Paul Roch Yres Gil- bert Motier, Marquis de Lafayette—to give him bhis full name and title. Indeed, no visitor to these United States of ours has ever been re- ceived and entertained so fully, completely, affectionately and sincerely as was upon that occasion this great patriot and soldier, who left behind him a young and devoted wife—whom he had married when he was but-16—a baby son, and even the comforts of royalty, to cast his lJot with the struggling Colonies in their war for independence and Ameérican liberty. WHEN Lafayette first came to this country > he was but 20 years of age and when he returned the second time, in 1824, he was an old man with but 10 more years to live." His career in France was every bit as notable as it proved to be in our country—ever fighting for the rights of the people; ever ready to par- take of the bitter with the sweet for the sake of humanity. No wonder Lafayette was ac- corded a welcome here such as has never been given any person since. Eighteen hundred and twenty-four was the Jast year of the administration of President James Monroe, for he was to retire on the fol- lowing March 4. He was very desirous of having ' Lafayette visit this country before his term expired and had written the general several letters upon the subject, the last invitation being of such a cordial and pressing character that it could not easily be declined. Here is the President’s letter: ‘Washington City, February 24th, 1824. My Dear General: I wrote you a letter about 15 days since, by Mr. Brown, in which I expressed the wish to send to any port in France . you should point out a frigate to convey . you hither, in case you should be able to visit the United States. Since then Con- gress has passed a resolution on this sub- ject, in which the sincere attachment of the whole Nation to you is expressed, whose ardent desire is once more to see you amongst them. The period at which you may yleld to this invitation is left . entirely at your option, but believe me, whatever may be your decision, it will be sufficient that you: should have the - goodness to inform me of it, and imme- diate orders will be given for a Govern- . ment vessel to proceed to any port you will indicate and convey you thence to . the adopted country of your early youth, which has always preserved the most grateful recollection of your important services. I send you herewith the resolu- tion of Congress, and add thereto the . assurance of my high consideration and . of my sentiments of affection. JAMES MONROE. “Though accepting the invitation, yet Lafay- ette declined the offer of Congress to send a frigate to convey him across the Atlantic; pre- ferring to come here at his own expense. N July 13, 1824, he embarked at Havre for this country in the American merchant ship Cadmus. Capt. Francis Allyn command- ing, accompanied by his only son, George Washington Lafayette, and his private sei:re(ary. Col. A. Levasseur. The Cadmus reached New York on August 15 and on the following day he was officially received. From that time on until he left our shores for France he was lavishly entertained everywhere he went—and he went everywhere. . At Baltimore Lafayette went first ashore at Fort McHenry, where he was soon taken to the tent used by Gen. Washington during the War of the American Revolution. Here he was pre- sented by Gov. Stevens to the venerable Col. Howard, president of the Cincinnati of Mary- Jand, who addressed him with great emotion, saying: - General: The few of your brother sol- diers of Maryland who remain after a lapse of 40 years and the sons of some of Aroused in Marquis de Lafayette (Marie-Paul-Joseph-Yves-Gilbert-Mottier), as he appeared when he visited Washington in 1824 prior to his appointment as commander- in-chief of the Gardes Nationales de France. those who are now no more are assembled in the tent of Washington to greet you on your visit to the United States and to assure you of their affectionate and sin- cere regard.- This tent will call to your recollection many interesting incidents which occurred when you were associated in arms with Washington, the patriot or soldier, the savior of his country, the friend of your youth. * * * In his reply Gen. Lafayette said: ‘The pleasure to recognize my beloved companions in arms; the sound of names whose memory is dear to me; this meet- ing under the consecrated tent where we so often have pressed around our paternal commander - in - chief, excite emotions which your sympathizing hearts will better feel than I can express. On one side of the tent was mounted a French cannon and on the other side an American cannon, both of which were used in the siege of Yorktown. This same tent was used a few days later in the exercises in this city outside the Capitol, under which Lafayette walked upon leaving the rotunda of that building, and as it has been in the National Museum since 1883, having been transferred there from the Patent Office. It might be interesting to say that it was taken to many places south of Baltimore visited by Lafayette during his extended visit. A WASHINGTON news item at the, time tells us: “The venerable tent of Washington will be embarked from this District to form a part of the military equipage of Gen. Lafayette on his expedition to Yorktown, where it will be pitched during the festival, and within its ancient walls and impressed with its great and heroic recoi- lections, the last of the generals of the Army of Independence will hold military levee. After the fete the pretorium will be consigned to the Cincinnati of Virginia to be used by them at the Capitol of the State. In the Spring it will be forwarded to the Hon. Charles Cotesworth Pinckney of South Carolina, the immediate suc- cussor of Washington as president general of the Cincinnati of the United States. “We are informed that Mr. Custis, the owner of this venerable relic, will accompany Gen. Lafayette to Yorktown as a part of his family suite.” George Washington Parke Custis tells us: “The marquees were made on Third street, Philadelphia, under the direction of Capt. Moulder of the Artillery, and were first pitched on the Heights of Dorchester in August, 1775.” Regarding the tents generally, Mr. Custis also says: “The headquarters were under canvas during the siege and after the surrender of Yorktown. The marquees of the commander-in-chief were pitched in the rear of the grand battery, just - out of the range of the enemy’s shells. There were two marquees attached to the headquar- ters during all the campaigns. The larger, or banqueting tent, would contain from 40 to 50 persons; the smaller, or sleeping tent, had an inner chamber, where, on a hard cot-bed, the chief reposed. There is a most interesting reminiscence attached to the sleeping tent. The headquarters, even during the Summer season, were located, in a great majority of instances, in private dwellings, the sleeping tent being pitched in the yard or very near at hand. Within its venerable folds Washington was in the habit of seeking privacy and seclusion, where he could commune with himself and where he wrote the most memorable of his dis- patches in the Revolutionary War. He would remain in the retirement of the sleeping tent sometimes for hours, giving orders to the officers of his guard that he should on no account be disturbed save on the arrival of an important express. The objects of his seclusion being ac- complished, the chief would appear at the can- vas door of the marquee with dispatches in his hand, giving which to his secretary to copy and transmit, he would either mount his charger for a tour of inspection or return to the head- quarters and enjoy social converse with his officers.” THE visit of Lafayette to the District of Co- lumbia was looked forward to with keen in- terest and pleasure, as may be judged from what the Intelligencer tells us in its issue of October 12, the day he was escorted into the city. “Let this day,” it says, “on which we are to receive in the Capitol the guest of the American people, be secured to harmony, gratitude and universal pleasure. Never was there on any occasion & more emphatically spontaneous popular movement than that which the visit of Gen. Lafayette has produced. There is nothing in history which can compare with it. Al hearts are moved by the same impulse; there is but one mind among a people of 10,000,000. “It is needless for us to offer to the welcome guest the expression of our feelings on this occasion. They are in full accord with those of the whole country.” The country had its poets then just as it has today, except that since the country is now, about 12 times as large it almost necessarily follows that we have now fully 12 times as many . poets as we had in 1824, when Grenville Mellon - wrote a 10-verse poem dedicated to the visitor, the first verse of which ran: “Chief of the mighty heart! all hail! How are thou wafted on? Loud Freedom thundering on the gale 4 Nation's choral song! Oh! 1t is well to such as thee, Our world should bend its iron knee, To whom its thanks belong: What nobler homage hath it known Than when it bows to worth alone.” Continuing the Intelligencer says: “The arrangements for the reception of Gen. Lafayette remain unchanged. He arrived at Rossburg last night from Baltimore and passed the night there. He will pass thé District line’ about 10 o'clock and will reach the Capitol, we presume, between 11 and 12 o'clock. After be- ing there received with due honor by the city authorities he will be conducted by them to the residence of the President, from whom his re- ception will be as cordial as that which he has received from any ef his fellow citizons.” RBGAR.DLNG his arrival in this city we ara told: “Gen. Lafayette arrived in the city of Wash- ington, according to previous arrangements, #bout 1 o'clock on Tuesday. He left Baltimore on the afternoon of Monday, with his son and secretary, accompanied by a part of the Balti- more committee of arrangements, Col. Dicker- son and Col. Lloyd, the aides of the Governur of Maryland, and escorted by Capt. Hollingsworth’s handsome cavalry company of grays from Elk Ridge. Fourteen or fifteen miles from Balti- more, at 8 o'clock in the evening, they were met by the first Bladensburg troop of cav- alry, commanded by Capt. Sprigg (late governor of the State of Maryland), and the general and suite were escorted by this fine company (the Elk Ridge troop having taken leave) to Ross- burg, which place they reached about 10 o'clock at night, having been joined at Vansville by Capt. Snowdon’s company of riflemen mounted. The general lodged at Rossburg Hotel, where preparations had been made for his comfortable accommodation. “About 9 o'clock on Tuesday morning the general and suite left Rossburg, escorted as be- fore, with the addition of Capt. Clark's company of Prince Georges riflemen, also mounted, and proceeded to the District of Columbia, at the line of which he was met by the committee of arrangements from the city of Washington and a number of Revolutionary officers, escorted by Capt. Andrews’ handsome troop of city cavalry and Capt. Dunlop’s company of Montgomery cavalry. Here the committee of arrangements from Baltimore took leave and returned home- ward. The meeting of the general with Ris