THE LIFE, CHARACTER, &c. of the MARQUIS DE LA ROUËRE (COL. ARMAND) Of the many French adventurers who at an early period of the Revolutionary contest sought our shores, and whose subsequent services obtained for them an American reputa-tion, La Fayette was probably the most useful, as he was cer-tainly the most conspicuous. His merits were always recog-nized, and on the occasion of his final vi…

Armand Tuffin, Marquis de la Rouërie, was a gentleman of Brittany. He was born sometime in the year 1756, at the chateau de la Rouërie, on his patrimonial estate, between Saint Malo and Rennes. Of his early life little is known be- yond the fact that the severity even of French education was insufficient to curb the ardent vivacity and headlong passions which it was his destiny to inherit. From in…

These repeated acts of insubordination and license at length drew upon him the serious displeasure of the king, and he was dismissed from the service. Sinking under the burden of his calamities, in a moment of despair he made an attempt upon his own life; and when rescued by his friends from death, hastened to the celebrated monastery of La Trappe, where he proposed to withdraw from the world and …

ful people, and with all the daring and enthusiasm which characterized the Paladins of romance, he took the earliest opportunity of reaching the shores of America. He arrived here in the spring of 1777. Concealing his title and assuming for a surname his baptismal appellation of Armand, he presented himself at once to Congress, asking for employment. On the 10th of May he received from that body t…

The marquis had for some time been solicitous for active service and actual command, and this appears to have been the first occasion upon which he was gratified with the object of his wishes. Cornwallis was about sending his troops across the river at Gloucester when General Greene placed La Fayette at the head of a detachment consisting of about three hundred militia, one hundred and fifty rifle…

"The conduct of our soldiers," to use the words of the marquis, "was above all praise." He does not specify the gallantry of the French officers who are said to have greatly exposed themselves in cheering forward the militia. In this, which was Armand's maiden essay in war, his horse was shot under him, and a slight wound which he received enabled him to carry off from the field one manifest token…

Of his privates the greater portion at this time were French or French Canadians, and the rest consisted of Brunswickers who had belonged to the convention troops of Saratoga, together with other continental Europeans picked up at different places by his recruiting agents. In the latter part of the summer of '78, the legionary force thus formed consisted of about fifty horse and one hundred infant…

Afterward he was stationed along the high grounds east of Sing-Sing and Tarrytown which commanded a view of the Hudson, for the purpose of preventing intercourse between British vessels of war and the disaffected inhabitants. In this service he displayed great activity and address, and made prisoners of several parties of marines and sailors who ven-tured on shore. He was compelled however to be c…

after daybreak when he approached the enemy. His spies had given the information that a single sentinel would be encountered on the road some distance in advance, and meas-ures were taken accordingly. When this man came in view, the whole troop were ordered to charge with loud shouts and at full speed; a proceeding which surprised and disconcerted the sentinel to such a degree that he suffered him…

His adroit movement at the commencement of his retreat induced the enemy to pursue so far in a false direction that they were unable to come up with him. Simcoe, the redoubtable com-mander of the Queen's rangers, lay at this time on the high grounds near Fordham church, and expressed great indigna-tion when he found that Armand's horse had approached his very pickets. He made immediate preparation…

This service, for several reasons, the commander of the legion was now enabled to perform with much greater success than before. His force amounted to almost two hun-dred men, a numerical strength which it probably never after- ward attained--about one third consisting of cavalry; he had become better acquainted with the country; many of his re-cruits came from the immediate vicinity; and two amuz…

Brought up in the church of England and trained in a school conducted by her clergy, he was inclined, when the revolutionary troubles commenced, to espouse the Royal cause, and accordingly, when in the autumn of 1776, the Brit-ish light-infantry first appeared on Throg's Neck, he joined them as a volunteer. His general intelligence, knowledge of the country, and intrepidity soon attracted notice, …

He set off upon this enterprise at noon with one hundred infantry and about thirty horse, being the most effective part of his corps, and arrived at Williamsbridge soon after eight o'clock. Here he placed his infantry in a position where they might cover his retreat the most advantageously, and at the head of twenty well mounted dragoons, previously selected for the purpose, pushed with all possib…

The danger of the enterprise will be manifest when it is known that Wurmb with his regiment of chasseurs, lay, at this time, on Tippett's hill, above Kingsbridge, and that Bearmore's quarters were four miles lower down than the Hessian out-guard; the Ger-man colonel consequently, by a march of little more than a mile, might have cut off the retreat of the legionary com-mander. The news of Bearmore…

The refugee command-ant accordingly, after a short detention, was released upon parole; but it appears that he was not exchanged so as to bear arms until the following summer. Meanwhile colonel James de Lancey who is said to have been jealous of the reputation acquired by Bearmore, came forward and took command of the Westchester refugees; a charge which during the war he never afterward relinquis…

During the night of the 1st of December and on the eve of a snow storm, he moved with the greater part of his legion as before to Williamsbridge, and having posted his infantry in ambush a short distance south of that pass, galloped at the head of a troop of dragoons towards Morris' house. As he approached Kingsbridge it was daylight, and he took to the fields in order to avoid patrols and escape …

With some reluctance this man consented to pilot them toward their point of attack, but advised silence as they were approaching an out-guard, and then informed them that colonel de Lancey was in New York. The cap-ture of this officer had been the main object of the enterprise, and Armand as he groped his way onward, was balancing in his mind the propriety of giving over his attempt, when an incid…

Colonel Armand then retired in safety with his prisoners. In 1780, Armand received orders to join the southern army, previously to which the legion had been incorporated with the remains of Pulaski's corps, including the independent troop of captain Bedkin. It was about the middle of July when the French colonel joined the forces under major-general, the Baron de Kalb, at the encampment at Deep ri…

and the sickness they had suffered in consequence of bad quarters and scanty and unwholesome provisions. They now exclaimed loudly against the order of march as related to themselves, attributing it to resentment and a design to sacrifice them.-- Their colonel equally displeased openly avowed the same opinion, seeming to think the positive directions respecting himself implied a doubt of his coura…

The disastrous result of the engagement which ensued immediately after daylight on the ensuing morning is well known. In a vain attempt to rally the panic stricken militia, the cavalry of the legion became disordered, and in that state were charged and put to rout by a far superior body of the enemy's dragoons. Although the greatest efforts were made to keep the legionary soldiers together, not on…

With all that remained of his legion, he then hurried after the allied forces, whom he joined before the beleaguered town, in time to participate in the honors and successes that awaited the confederates. When on the night of the 14th of October, the redoubt upon the left of the enemy's lines was attacked and carried by a detachment under lieuten-ant-colonel Hamilton, Armand, with several of his o…

Washington, who took a lively interest in his restoration to royal favor, wrote in his behalf to some of the most prominent courtiers of Versailles, among whom were count Rochambeau and his old commander the duke de Biron, expressing a high opinion of his merits, men-tioning in the most flattering terms his American military services, and commending him for promotion and employ-ment in his own cou…

This proceeding gave him great popularity, and when set at liberty, he saw at once and with joy all the signs of approaching revolution. He continued to favor most of the momentous changes proposed by the court, until the States General were convoked, when he perceived intuitively that the privileged orders and the king would alike be engulphed in the enormous preten-sions of the popular branch; a…

Upon his return, he commenced immediately with the execution of his plan. Royal committees were formed in St. Malo, Dol, Rennes, Fougères and all the principal towns. Accurate lists of such as had lost by the new order of things were made, for the purpose of exciting them to join the confederates. Throughout the whole province, emissaries devoted to the monarch found their way into the ports, cust…

At length when all things were in readiness for a general outbreak, he became suspected by the new authorities who appeared unexpectedly at his chateau, every part of which was searched by a detachment of four hundred national guards, while the confederates escaped by subter-raneous passages known only to themselves. After this occur-rence he placed himself in a position to resist any unauthorized…

Among the adventurous spirits who had joined the Breton association and who were the most devotedly attached to the daring chief that conducted it, were several officers who had served under him in the United States, together with major Chafner, an American gentleman of intrepidity and enterprise and one of his most intimate friends and admirers. Major Chafner had been deeply engaged in the conspi…

A combination so extensive as this, which comprised the whole of Brittany, and the greater part of La Vendée could not for any length of time remain concealed. Among the conspirators was Latouche-Cheftel, a young Breton physician residing in Paris who oppressed by the secrets confided to him faltered under their weight, and, after hesitating for some time, at length disclosed the whole plan to his…

Meanwhile the insurrection had been postponed until the ensuing month of March when the moment for taking up arms was to be indicated by the descent of a party of royal emigrants upon the coast. The revolutionary authorities at Paris acted upon this occasion with their accustomed energy. The Executive Council in concert with the Committee of General Safety dis-patched into Brittany Laligant-Morill…

Long continued exposure at an inclement season of the year at length impaired his health, and he found it necessary to seek some friendly mansion where he might repose in safety and prepare for the approaching struggle. He chose for these purposes the chateau de Laguyomarais, near Lamballe, but he had scarcely gained the protection of that hospitable roof, when he was overtaken by a mortal malady.…

These latter were found to implicate numerous individuals residing in the neighborhood and many of La Rouërie's nearest relatives and friends; but the great body of the conspirators remain to this day unknown, their role having fortunately been destroyed.--By Morillon's orders twenty seven persons, for the most part belonging to the noblest houses of Brittany, and among whom stood con-spicuous the…

Angelica Desilles, a young lady of great gentleness and beauty, was condemned by mistake for her sister-in-law, for MARQUIS DE LA ROUËRIE 33 whom, in consequence of similarity of name, she was taken. She refused to let the error be divulged to the Tribunal and died with serenity--a touching instance of heroic affection, which must for ever furnish a shining page for the dark annals of revolution…

After mastering the English language, he associated much among the country people with whom, in consequence of his affability and sprightliness, he became uncommonly popular. The urbanity of his manners induced many youths from the upper towns of Westchester to join his legion, and among the pilgrims of life yet left in that county, when this paper was written, one or two old associates still ling…

"I went to Boston," he used to say, "an entire stranger and destitute of means, yet, while sojourning there, I was not only received and entertained with more genuine hospitality than I ever experienced elsewhere, but the merchants of the city, from time to time, then and afterward, advanced all such moneys as I required, solely upon my promise that I would, at some future day, repay them." La Ro…

At the time of his passion for the celebrated actress he was very young, and the subsequent course of a busy life spent in seeking honorable distinction where liberty and duty led the way, fully demonstrates the problem, that the greatest capacity for active life is not inconsistent with the strongest susceptibility. Although in common with most of his country-men who had served here, he zealously…

Although among those with whom he then acted many were his equals in rank and some his superiors, yet all, recognizing his remarkable abilities, sub-mitted cheerfully to his guidance, and spoke of and considered him to the last, as a man born to command. In his writings, Washington repeatedly bears testimony to the extraordinary merits and devotedness of the French legionary commander. The fact th…

One of the last communications known to have passed between him and the great American commander, con-sisted of an introductory letter in behalf of Chateaubriand which that distinguished statesman, then in the hey-day of youth, presented at Philadelphia on the occasion of his visit to this country in 1791. The untimely departure of the marquis de la Rouërie was long and deeply lamented by his asso…