Program

Lafayette Trail

Subject

Event, People, Site

Location

372 US-20, Watertown, MA 02472, USA

Lat/Long

42.370056, -71.192556

Grant Recipient

The Lafayette Trail, Inc.

Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834), was a French nobleman and captain in the French Dragoons. In April 1777, Lafayette sailed on the Victoire, a ship built with his personal funds, for North America to serve as a military leader in the American Revolution, despite a royal decree prohibiting French officers from serving. Shortly after his arrival, the Continental Congress commissioned him as a major general serving under George Washington.  Wounded during the Battle of Brandywine, Lafayette managed to organize a successful Patriot retreat. Early in 1779, he returned to France to negotiate an increase in support from the French government, securing thousands of French troops to fight for the American cause. As one of three division commanders, Lafayette played a pivotal role in the 1781 Battle of Yorktown. He succeeded in containing Lord Cornwallis’s men, allowing time for additional French and American forces to arrive and lay siege to the British troops, forcing Cornwallis to surrender and ensuring American victory.

On October 15, 1784, Lafayette was travelling to Boston, MA from Hartford, CT on his celebratory tour of America following the end of the war. Hearing of his approach, a large number of officers of the American army went out to meet him in Watertown, MA. They had an elegant dinner and gave many enthusiastic toasts. A newspaper reported that “At this happy meeting of the Marquis with his brother officers, an honest, an affectionate joy was displayed, known only, perhaps, to those, who, in common danger and sufferings have experiences the most exalted feelings of which human nature is capable.” It was a joyful, celebratory occasion, and after dinner they all set out towards Boston together and were met by an artillery company, who saluted them with cannon fire.