#lord rawdon

[bantarleton]

General Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 2nd Earl of Moira (later 1st Marquess of Hastings), Governor-General of Bengal and Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in India, 1813.

[marq-de-laf]

Do you know anything about Lafayette's trip to London in '77? :)

Lafayette’s time in England is basically one big sneaky joke.

After a failed attempt to steal away to America, Lafayette was quickly confronted by the Parisian police and several in French security circles about his intentions. Only nineteen and still very uncertain about how he was going to get to the American colonies without being seized, Lafayette confessed his plans and promised (lied to) the French ministers not to pursue such plans further. 

Not entirely convinced, his family arranged for him to be sent to Adrienne’s uncle, the Marquis de Noailles, an ambassador in London to cool whatever earnestness about fleeing to America still remained. On February 16, 1777, Lafayette left for London and arrived a few days later. 

The irony of Lafayette’s time in England always amuses me. While in London (due to his station and his uncle-in-law’s connections), Lafayette met noted politician and art historian Horace Walpole. He danced at the home of Lord George Germain, minister of the American colonies, and met Lord Rawdon that night, who had just come back from his New York campaign. He met General Henry Clinton at an opera one evening and was introduced. At one point, he was even offered the opportunity to review the navy unit being prepped to sail to America, but declined to protect his uncle’s reputation once he had spirited off to the colonies. But the most ironic encounter was the day he was presented to King George III. While there, he raised a few eyebrows by sharing his approval of Washington’s successful Trenton campaign…and while that didn’t win him any favors with His Majesty, it did earn him the approval of several pro-American members of Parliament (William Petty, Richard FitzPatrick, etc).

While in England, Lafayette got the news that his intrigues had succeeded and his ship was ready to sail to America. Not wanting to seem overtly suspicious, he made up an excuse for his uncle-in-law and headed back to France. The young Marquis had, however, been expected at King George’s court, leaving the poor Marquis de Noailles to feed the English the line that Lafayette had taken sick and could not attend.

So, in essence, Lafayette spent about a month meeting everyone he was about to fight against.

[bantarleton]

The Irishman Lord Rawdon the Earl of Moira, a decorated British officer during the American Revolution and friend of Banastre Tarleton, who later became Governor-General of India. 

[minutemanworld-blog]

We Fight

"We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again. The whole country is one continuous scene of blood and slaughter."

Nathanael Greene in a letter to Chevalier de la Luzerne, April 28 1781. Just a few days before on April 25 a small force under Greene had lost the battle of Hobkirk’s Hill to Lord Rawdon