The French Campaigns in the American Revolution, 1780-1783

The fate of the American Revolution had yet to be decided when a remarkable 21-year-old Frenchman arrived in America. Louis-Franois-Bertrand, the Count of Lauberdire, belonged to an old noble family that traced its heritage back to the Crusades. His father, Franois-Charles-Mathieu, was musketeer of the guard of King Louis XV. More important, his uncle was General Rochambeau, the commander of all French forces in America. The Count of Lauberdire kept one of the most remarkable diaries of the entire war, and it is published here for the first time as The French Campaigns in the American Revolution, 1780-1783: The Diary of Count of Lauberdire, General Rochambeaus Nephew and Aide-de-Camp, translated and edited by Norman Desmarais. Serving as aide-de-camp on General Rochambeaus staff, the young and well-educated Lauberdire enjoyed a unique perspective of the war. He rubbed shoulders with some of the Revolutions most important personalities (including George Washington and Lafayette), and was in the epicenter of many of the wars momentous events. His journal covers a host of topics in remarkable detail, including descriptions of the French armys camp in Newport, Rhode Island, the long march to Yorktown, the siege, and capture, and a fascinating examination of the people and their distinctive colonial culture. His keen eye and sharp descriptions of the Armys daily activities and movements provide a wealth of information for inquisitive readers and historiansdetails found only in this diary. For example, nearly all French diaries mention the armys arrival and landing at Newport, but only Lauberdires identifies exactly where it occurred. Anti-French prejudices were common, and the nephew recorded how Rochambeau dispelled them and won over the locals. Culture fascinated the young Count, who keenly observed how the colonials attempted to imitate European manners and styles, marveling at how Philadelphia adopted Parisian fashions in the brief time between his visits there. He even visited Washingtons home at Mount Vernon and made pointed comments about his wife, Martha. With its expertly crafted footnotes, maps, and illustrations,The French Campaigns in the American Revolution, 1780-1783: The Diary of Count of Lauberdire, General Rochambeaus Nephew and Aide-de-Camp offers a fresh and invigorating firsthand account that will satisfy even the most demanding student of the American Revolution.