Memoirs, Correspondence and Manuscripts of General Lafayette

Respectfully to collect and scrupulously to arrange the manuscripts of which an irreparable misfortune has rendered them depositaries, have been for the Family of General Lafayette the accomplishment of a sacred duty.

To publish those manuscripts without any commentary, and place them, unaltered, in the hands of the friends of Liberty, is a pious and solemn homage which his children now offer with confidence to his memory.

GEORGE WASHINGTON LAFAYETTE.

ADVERTISEMENT

OF THE AMERICAN EDITOR.

It was the desire of the late General Lafayette, that this edition of his Memoirs and Correspondence should be considered as a legacy of the American people. His representatives have accordingly pursued a course which they conceived the best adapted to give effect to his wishes, by furnishing a separate edition for this country, without any reservation for their own advantage, beyond the transfer of the copyright as an indemnity for the expense and risk of publication.

In this edition are inserted some letters which will not appear in the editions published in Paris and London. They contain details relating to the American Revolution, and render the present edition more complete, or, at least, more interesting to Americans. Although written during the first residence of General Lafayette in America--when he was little accustomed to write in the English language--the letters in question are given exactly as they came from his pen--and as well as the others in the collection written by him in that language are distinguished from those translated from the French by having the word "Original" prefixed to them.

It was intended that these letters should have been arranged among those in the body of the work; in the order of their respective dates; but as the latter have been stereotyped before the former had been transmitted to the American editor, this design was rendered impracticable. They have therefore from necessity been added in a supplemental form with the marginal notes which seemed requisite for their explanation.

Columbia College, N. Y., July, 1837.

CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME.

AMERICAN REVOLUTION.

Notice by the Editors

FIRST VOYAGE AND FIRST CAMPAIGN IN AMERICA--1777, 1778.

Memoirs written by myself, until the year 1780

FRAGMENTS EXTRACTED FROM VARIOUS MANUSCRIPTS

A.--Departure for America in 1777

B.--First Interview between General Washington and General Lafayette

C.--On the Military commands during the Winter of 1778

D.--Retreat of Barren Hill

E.--Arrival of the French Fleet

F.--Dissensions between the French Fleet and the American Army

CORRESPONDENCE--1777, 1778:

To the Duke d'Ayen. London, March 9, 1777

To Madame de Lafayette. On board the Victory, May 30

To Madame de Lafayette. Charlestown, June 19

To Madame de Lafayette. Petersburg, July 17

To Madame de Lafayette.--July 23

To Madame de Lafayette. Philadelphia, Sept. 12

To Madame de Lafayette.--Oct. 1

To M. de Vergennes, Minister of Foreign affairs. Whitemarsh Camp, Oct. 24

To Madame de Lafayette. Whitemarsh Camp, Oct. 29, and Nov. 6

To General Washington. Haddonfeld, Nov. 26

To the Duke d'Ayen. Camp Gulph, Pennsylvania, Dec. 16

To General Washington. Camp, Dec. 30

To General Washington. Head Quarters, Dec. 31

To General Washington. Valley Forge, Dec. 31

To Madame de Lafayette. Camp, near Valley Forge, Jan. 6, 1778

To General Washington

To Madame de Lafayette. York. Feb 3

To General Washington. Hermingtown, Feb. 9

To General Washington. Albany, Feb. 19

To General Washington.--Feb. 23

From General Washington to the Marquis de Lafayette. Head Quarters, March 10

To Baron de Steuben. Albany, March 12

Fragment of a Letter to the President of Congress. Albany, March 20

To General Washington. Albany, March 25

To Madame de Lafayette. Valley Forge Camp, in Pennsylvania, April 14

To Madame de Lafayette. Germantown, April 28

To General Washington. Valley Forge Camp, May 19

From General Washington to the Marquis de Lafayette. Camp, May 17