Transcripts For CSPAN3 March To Yorktown 20150906

Advocating preservation and providing resources to teachers and students. , we learned of that took place not far from anderson house. This was part of comte de march. Eaus return we decided that this event would be a perfect opportunity to teach others about the local ties to the revolutionary war and to celebrate the role that the american in revolution. Selig is a historical resultant who has authored a number of books and articles related to french and german participation in the revolutionary war. He is as russia list on the role of the french he is a specialist on the role of the French Forces, and serves as an advisor for the washingtonrochambeau national project. Trail he also has served as project historian for the American Battlefield protection family. He has taught at several colleges and universities, most recently hook college in holland, michigan. Earlier this year he was awarded award, and isith the recipient of an award for germanAmerican History. Dr. Selig. [applause] dr. Selig thank you very much, for this very kind and reduction. Thank you all for coming here tonight to one of the prime toces in the United States do Research Society of the cincinnati has a wealth of primary sources on the subject, but also, almost to the day to 33 years ago, there was an encampment here for most ago, there3 years was an encampment here where personnel crossed rock creek, which is today the p street bridge, and in camps almost in the backyard of where we are now. Frenchtatement such as forces almost in the backyard or in your backyard literally could be made of almost 60 different locations here in the united dates United States between boston and yorktown. It usually raises some eyebrows and a number of questions. As what were the french soldiers doing here where are they coming from . Where are they going . Is the frencher soldiers crossed the lannett to assist the american rebels and in their struggle for independence and were on their way back to the north, but that still leaves a number of why dids such as france send troops to assist the american rebels . Who are these men . On the american side, historians have spent considerable time and effort to find out who the victors were. Less is significantly effort expended on learning who americas french allies were and hardly anybody has ever looked in any detail on the march to yorktown, on the march to victory. And theirhese men equipment had to get there somehow. If nobody shows up, there is no battle. Roasted they take . How long did it take them to get to yorktown . Did they take . What were their observations . Worthid they consider recording . How do they interpret their experiences . Where did their food come from . What did they eat . Those are questions that have hardly ever been asked, and this is of course where this washingtonrobert selig rochambeau revolutionary route came in. Of 1799 inember connecticut as a private project ends eventually ended when president obama signed a House Resolution 146, creating public 11111. 111 11 designating the washingtonrochambeau National Historic trail within the National Park system and all of this happened within march 2009. So, what is the washingtonrochambeau revolutionary route . What is important . It is the story of the march of the Continental Army and the , and in news england, in the case of the andch, between july of 1780 march 1783, on water and on land. It is the story of the Human Interaction between americans and french soldiers. In other words, it is not the story of the siege of yorktown. Its not the story of the victory at yorktown. No blood flows on this whole march other than the blood of animals being eaten, and there lunatics in connecticut, three of them, who fired at 3000 troops and then make a quick getaway. It is a story of the deployment off forces of americas eastern seaboard from new england. A deployment as we will have until we get to be civil war the number of men involved is as large as anything until we get to the civil war again. These are almost 700 miles on water and on land. The goals ofnd this National Historic trail are to identify resources when i talk about this trail, people ask, what if i want to drive or ride, or heaven forbid, walk these 680 miles though it has been done what is there for me to see . What can i see . Where are the surviving road sections, campsites, etc. , identified with the goal of preservation and interpretation . Interpret the march as a crosscultural, interamerican as well as francoamerican experience, crucial for the development of a National American identity and this is where i want to spend the majority of my time tonight, as well as emphasizing the importance contributions of and itsous states citizens. Because the american war for independence did not just happen in boston, valley forge, and your town. Lots of other places along the road where thousands of americans contributed to this war. Pensione over 80,000 applications still out there that shows you the whole public, the American People as a whole got involved in winning this war. The result of crucial contributions from france and the manifestation of the global character of that war. That is something too easily forgotten, that this war is just one theater of multiple theaters. There are more soldiers at gibraltar than it yorktown, then at rochambeau. There was a soldier he came from senegal. There are many hessians in the american theater. Working with the british forces. It is a global war, which is something easily forgotten, because with respect to spain, other than the spanish and the british, no one really cares who owns gibraltar. The fact that the United States became an independent nation is so much more important and has covered everything else. If these are the goals and the w3r, the firstis question i want to touch on is, why would the king of france send troops over here . It is not because and the message that the troops would be coming i think most of you will have seen this, because it just finished the tour of the east coast. The king of france sent troops not because he suddenly believes that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, among which are [indiscernible] dr. Selig very good. This is interactive. [laughter] dr. Selig no. The king of france supports the american rebels because the war into a longstanding tradition of French Foreign policy. And the longstanding tradition is based on the balance of power. And this balance of power has been greatly upset in the seven years war when Great Britain emerges as the sole superpower. Le that formsncipa French Foreign policy of the time is that france saw, and to a degree still sees, russia as the most dangerous threat to western civilization. France has always tried to keep russia landlocked. It is a direct threat from the early 18th century through the 19th century, the crimean war of through the suez crisis. The first rolled world the first world war. This is general French Foreign policy. In order to ensure this principle of Foreign Policy will be successful, france needs not just an army. He has that. But also a navy. And the country that has the navy that will help keep russia landlocked as of course, Great Britain. France thinks as Great Britain looks westward across the atlantic while frances looking eastward, Great Britain will never play the role in french policy that france would like Great Britain to play. The idea behind supporting these american rebels is in order to turn, to make Great Britain look detached she has to be from her american colonies. American colonies want to be detached from Great Britain, too, it is here that of france and the american rebels and merge. Britain to look eastward, play a role on the european continent, playing a role in French Foreign policy, detached britain from her colonies. ,his is why we have rochambeau among other French Forces, marching down the american east coast. Troopsision to send under the comte de rochambeau was made in january 1780, 20th march. The marquee to lafayette the lafayette set sail to announce the arrival of some 5000 men under the comte de rochambeau. The 28ths in boston on of april, 1780, and then sets sail for morristown, washington, headquarters washingtons headquarters. Sail with approximately 5000 troops on board. 5000 troops that stand under the command of the comte de rochambeau. After a journey of 72 days, these men arrived in newport. , thehile the officers highranking officers find quarters within houses lillian vernons house, for example. This house the marquis im just showing you those because part of my job was to attend of our resources along. He road the highranking officers stayed in houses like this. On troops are encamped here in newport. Let me superimpose an 18thcentury map on a modern map. You can see where this is. If you know newport, you know here is washington. Washington square. Here are some images of uniforms of French Forces. And why do you know these right away . French forces, french regiments as a rule have white uniforms. This is blue, bavarian blue and it translates as two ridges. Its a germanspeaking regiment that is coming with rochambeau. The reason this regiment is chosen, rochambeau knew a number of men would die, would be discharged, and the idea was we. Ould simply recruit hessians the hessians speak german already. They know the drill. Ransfer men it did not work, by the way. [laughter] there was a recruiting station in philadelphia by the time they get to new work. By the time they get to newport, more than half of them had deserted again with the enlistment bonus. Here is the legion. A combined unit of 600 men, 300 grenadiers, 300 artillery, hundred fusiliers. They are off castle hill out here, separate from the main infantry. That happened throughout the campaign. The reason for that the reason is what . It is the only one that i know that had more men executed for murder and robbery than killed in battle. Mine and yours is a difficult concept apparently to understand. On the other hand there is a proverb in the 18th century. Men run away from them and the women run toward them. [laughter] theselig now that we know uniforms, who these men are, lets take a look at how many there are. September 1780, we have about we have the fleet of 6000. 12,000 arrivals. 12,000 men. The total population of newport is about 5000. The total population of rhode island, about 60,000. Overnight the population of rhode island increases by about 20 . How to house and feed these new arrivals is a question asked throughout the campaign, because there are really only two cities on long the american seashore along the american seashore that could possibly feed and take care of this many men. One is philadelphia. The other is new york. With philadelphia we have what problem . The british are occupying. Boston, how largest boston . 16,000. Washington is how large . It does not even exist yet. Does not even exist yet. Good. What kind of environment did these troops find when they arrived in new england . Glance, it is a very difficult environment, of course. Its a difficult environment you have three, charges against you. You are catholic, you have a historical connection with the french and indian wars, etc. Its a very difficult environment. There is a long tradition of antifrench movements and feelings in rhode island in new england that is political, cultural, historical, etc. , they celebrate the anticatholic hope night with a vengeance pope night with a vengeance. First pastor of the church of connecticut, a sermon from may 13, 1779, which is one year after the signing of the treaty of frischman friendship and amity with france in which he says, in which he reminds the legislatures the legislators, the results of our religion depends on a free government. May our allies be open on the blessings of such a government and at once renounced their superstitions. On the other hand, should we freedom, this will prepare the way to the introduction of popery. In other words, catholicism, oppressive government, etc. Is all thrown together. Historian wrote, most french remain alien objects of suspicion and potential hostility. Just confined to new england. The first of april, the french fleet is to arrive in philadelphia. [laughter] however, have very confused notions of what the french are, with very strong prejudices, the same with this group of the french that are coming. French officers, french soldiers, if they had ever met a continental, it was on the other side of a musket barrel. And french officers in particular are members of the enlightenment. They are well. When they come over here, they expect Something Like a tabula rasa, a parodies a goal environment inhabited environment inhabited by noble savages, which is not true at all. They expect American Leadership to be full of ideals, to fight for life, liberty, and all this stuff. And when they come over and say, we need 10 wagons and a couple horses tomorrow, what will the yankees tell them . It will be so much, please. Complaint that money is the. Od for americans is everywhere even rochambeau thinks this sometimes. The mercy of the use service. What happens in the first couple arrival of thee French Forces, they are getting to know each other. Ideals,ived notions, moreng reality and a coherent, a more realistic image exists. By the way, this getting to know each other is not just confined to humans. That concerns animals, too. French bring wagoners over here. They provide courses and wagons and the horses did not understand french commands. [laughter] dr. Selig there is an excellent wherein rochambeaus book they are taught to say left, american commands. I never thought of that until i read this orderlys book. Is the in rhode island beginning of a continuous and mutual learning process of getting to know each other. A process th will repeat marched down the east coast all the way to virginia. Fontaine of virginia. The french are very different. They are more formally inculcated than us, People Living on frogs and course coarse vegetables. [laughter] dr. Selig when i say this, we need to keep in mind the continentals, the United States are made up of many different racialus and ethnic and groups. The europeans in particular bring their own cultural baggage with them, which is something that the french experience continually over and over again and the french army, too, as i said. A quarter of them are germanspeaking or german. Their experiences are considerably different than those of the french sometimes. Because of nothing else, more orn half our calvinist lutheran and they enter into a very different, and very different religious environment than the catholic french, for example. In newport, hand, rochambeau places guards at the doors of churches to make sure his troops do not wonder rendering Church Services wander in during services. The French Forces, for example marched down the east coast. They encounter pockets of frenchmen. Who have comets over here. And you get the complaint over and over and over again that these huguenots do not want anything to do with these soldiers of the king of france beuse they remember why grandpa left france, for example. Right . When theyer hand,arched through philadelphia one of them said they are all french. What are you doing . Paying taxes. Re join us. We will hide you out in lancaster. Nothing is more difficult to disappear than a german in lancaster in the 18th century. The farmer said, i have a daughter, she is ugly, 400 acres, that heals the deal. That seals the deal. If you are french, of course, then you are catholic and you do english, itword of is much harder to disappear. At some point in new jersey, there is a morton in moorestown, she remembers the night when the french marched past, grandma and grandpa hid and close the door and did not want anything to do with it. They remembered having to leave the rhyme land area because of the wars of louis the 14th. You cant escape history. At some point it will catch up with you. Soldiersthe french over here. You have to ask the question, where are we in the United States . Which part of the french army do you represent . Does it all very, very local. Because it is all very, very local. Allied forces, French Forces, army forces break camp in june of 1781 and set out for the place of rendezvous at white plains and westchester county. And there they encounter army troops who do not look like that. Because and this is a drawing of a french officer because when the Continental Army forces and the French Forces meet for 1781, thetime in july french are in for a surprise. One wrote, i had a chance to see the American Army man for man, and it was really painful to see these brave men almost naked with only some trousers and little linen jackets. Most of them without stockings. But would you believe it . Very cheerful and healthy in appearance. , quarter of them were negroes mary, confident, and sturdy rdy. Y, confident, and stu byther wrote, i was struck their constitution. The men were uniformed, most of them in rags. Most of the men were barefoot. Couldwere children who not have been over 14. And he is not kidding. A wonderful memoirs by a young man named john hudson who turned on junee summer of 1781 12. I know that because it is my wifes birthday. In other words, the Continental Army that meets up with the which is aes standing army, professional soldiers with an average of six years of service. They have uniforms. They have weapons. They get fed and paid regularly. The french are in for a surprise. Remember their i great accomplishments and cannot see without a certain admiration that it was with the same men that general washington had so gloriously defended his country. Washington wants to lay siege to new york city. You just cant forget that he had somewhat ignominiously been thrown out. But the letter comes that he is sailing to the chesapeake the whole Continental Army, and French Forces, too, make a quick turnaround three days after the arrival of the letter. The first forces are on their way. And now on the 17th and 18th of august begins this epic march to yorktown. How many people do we have . The Continental Army, since washington has to leave some men behind in the highlands, the Continental Army is more or less 2600, 2700 men. Thats all there is that washington can take with them. French forces . Almost twice as much. Onene of the questions is of the topics of this trail is crucial contributions of france to this war, here is one of them. Once we get to yorktown, that crucial contribution of france becomes even more obvious, because there are more french then Continental Army forces and militia, and out on the Chesapeake Bay to leave. His admiral the Continental Navy . It does not exist. There are twice as many, more than twice as many french soldiers at yorktown then continental. If you add them up, 9000. Mericans, 9000 continental the british surrender and we get to train 5000 men. And we get to 5000 men. The largest city on the American Continent springs up overnight and disappears just as quickly. This is how important what you get when you look at numbers. But of course, there are many. Ore, not just soldiers i have yet to meet the first french officer who travels with less than two servants. If you take 500 officers, right, twothey have at least servants, then youve got another regiment marching along. And of course, they also have and cattle. The Continental Army marching from philadelphia has a minimum , abou1000ses animals. I know where i would like to be in that column, marching through philadelphia. Thehe road to wilmington, have 119 teams and 110 wagons for officers and at least 1500 crses, because if we have 500 officers 1500 horses, because of weve have 500 officers with at least two servants, then they have to ride, too. It is simple math. You have 4500 animals marching through philadelphia. Try that in 2015. [laughter] dr. Selig these columns can be easily 2, 3 miles long. Havoc oneally wreak the roads, of course. These are roads where an occasional farmer goes to market, and all of a sudden, we wagons, artillery pieces, wagons, etc. On the way, and finally, we get to this in a december, the 23rd they arrive in georgetown to cross the potomac. The wagoners are all recruited in new england because this is where they start. Enlistment. Mr. Giles could not write, but he made an x. This is important. You will see that these men come new england. Here are a couple pictures of wagons, what they look like as they go down the road. Most of these are drawn by horses. The wagons of the french army are all drawn by oxen. And so they made their way from new york. And as they crossed the hudson , peekskill into suffolk, into new jersey, what do you see . Here is bergen county. You see that they split up. From the ferry marching down to springfield, the Continental Army forces, and here are the French Forces. The washington rochambeau washingtonrochambeau revolutionary route is not one route. Network, for many reasons. Whotarily in which case, is over here . You put a number of screens up here of forces to hide and facilitate the movement of the french army, which are the largest forces, of course. The other reason is, and how of thesees can fetal men . Maybe philadelphia. To have to spread them out get access to as many resources out there as possible. These forces always get together when there is a river to cross. Thats the bottom that is the bottleneck. The next bottleneck will be trenton and then philadelphia. Crossed these bottlenecks, they will spread out again something because they cannot be fed on a march through new england. When French Forces are 20 tons of hay, tons of straw, five cords of wood, two dozen heads and if any are to be got, let four or five be procured at each post. The largest city in new jersey in 1781 is trenton, and as 500 inhabitants. Days, French Forces arch through, 10 times the size of the People Living there. Thwomen started to bake apple pies, because there were so many apples. How ma apple pies would you have to bake for a soldier to get one . Opened theirrmers cider bellows. They emptied very, very quickly. Much of what we know about this march, this 19th century folklore rather than the reality. Supplies. All of the when the Continental Army need supplies, what does it do . They either confiscate them, but thats not good, or they can identify overuse, which can be used eventually. It brings the g washington, d. C. When the federal government takesver. And this is when everybody goes up in the attic and says, i have one of those somewhere. When French Forces marched through the east coast when French Forces march through the east coast we see up here, british coins show the expse. Here are the spanish. You see, here is what . It is him is the same size and it is the same size, the same silver content whether it is a british coin, a french coin, or a spanish point. Does not matter. , they all haveee the same person in the same reverse. You do not need to write on their these are . 25 or . 50 or a dollar, because it is the silver content, it is the weigs. And its totally irrelevant whose faces on there, whether it is seeking king of france or the king of england or the king of spain. French forces spent so much money, approximately 20 million that some historians have estimated they were doubling the circulating in the United States, and this amount of money thethe french the peer, in march, ity provides some very, very welcome boost to the local economies, because, as i said, the french pay cash. Here is the ferry. The ferry in trenton. If you add them all up. And here is the ferry built for the Continental Army. To pay interest for one quarter of the Continental Army being ferried across trenton. Cash versus ious. , there areay sites for in this case, a bridge, that was used by andinental army forces French Forces as they make their way to philadelphia, and heres one of those difficult 19thcentury drawings. Thatcher thacher who was there said the streets were dirty and we raised dust like a snowstorm. There were how many thousand animals before you as they are marching through philadelphia . French forces were paid. Ell, regularly, fed well the american Continental Army forces were not. Wrote, the americans troubled themselves little with provisions. Actually they are just given a little bit of cornmeal, with which each soldier makes his own bread, and he continues to describe how the soldier makes his bread and what why could a french officer described that . Because he is never seen it. When he comes back to france, they will say, what was it like . He will say, you do not believe what they eat over there. French kernels, whether enlisted , whetherench colonels enlisted men or officers no one in virginia would fill his diary with this is how i make , for the french, this is totally new. Their journals are full of accounts of things that no american would write down, but are of great interest to french officers as they make their way through philadelphia. After philadelphia, the troops go down a march and to wilmington. Washington here is on land. And its on september 5 that is that thens Chesapeake Bay. He is all excited. Of course he does not know that the battle of the capes has just started. The kid sisterff started. There is something to be said for life without cell phones. Hadhe battle off the capes just started. Staff ride. These officers this includes like lafayettes brotherinlaw, for example [indiscernible] you need of the things to see in new jersey. This, because see these people in white bedclothes are running around. Philadelphia,ch washington takes them on a staff ride across the battlefield of germantown, and in this case, roshambo is coming down to delaware and they had just been to fort red bank, an important battle site. Had beennch volunteer in charge of the defense support. So, it is a staff ride. Its an educational process going on as well. Here and as you get into maryland, you will see at different points, at baltimore, and eventually at annapolis, all but 100 or so continental and French Forces will embark to sail to virginia, to sail to jamestown. Annapolis, after annapolis, these wagons, hundreds of wagons, and thousands of animals, the wagons make their way through to yorktown. Which, of course, has important implications for the sea. The artillery and the men get there on september 28. Collateral to pull them onto the siege line gets there in october. Because you can make a horse run, but you cannot make an officer run. They go a mile and a half an hour uphill or downhill. Here, in the neighborhood, as they moved from , alland into virginia forces french or american, are entering a brave new world. Troops,the new jersey the rhode island troops, the new york troops had been down here, and they were in for a surprise, too. The Biggest Surprises Biggest Surprise is they had , especially this fusiliers whose journal i am currently translating for publication at all times the black people run about naked. You will read this in the journals of many french officers, unless they belong to the upper nobility, in which case they really could care less. If you are looking for moral indignation in the journals or the writings of roshambo ocmbeau or r anybody, youre not going to find it. This is from massachusetts. He says, from annapolis, we put our baggage on board. We are shipping and we will march on to go to virginia to mr. Cornwallis. This is a high school or High Schoolers spelling of course. It is very poor food for man and beast. But some gentlemen have six or seven or 800. These blacks are kept as poor as a hobbs or dogs, not having any r aat ofoany month or more. This is Josiah Atkins of connecticut. This day, we passed general washingtons plantation. Alas the persons who pretend to stand for the rights of mankind, for the liberties of society, can delight in oppression. Even washington is not above reproach. These writings, observations about slavery in the writings and letters of half a dozen or more of these there,s that were up who never see this. What is important, after the siege of yorktown, they all go back to massachusetts, to rhode island, to connecticut. People will ask them, what is it like down there . And one of the things they are going to mention is slavery, what they have seen, because it has such an impact on them. And i think that the Public Opinion in these little towns in new england certainly is impacted by these observations about slavery. And as an aside, i have yet to read any letter or account by thatdy from new england has anything positive to say about virginia. I hate to do that. But jeremiah no was worth, for jeremiahs wadsworth, for example, says in a letter, the state has no energy, no civil government. They are too rich and to pour too poor. Leaveghts, i wish i could this part of the world for a better one. A worse one, im sure i could not find. And he goes on and on like this. Wagoners on men, both sides have moral problems with slavery. Officers, as a rule, do not. Having a black slave in europe is like having a mercedes in the driveway. Ocheambeau buys himself one a couple days before they set out for yorktown. That are solds are slaves who had run away from their owners in virginia, had rowed out to the ships that were flying the british flag, but turned out to be french ships to take them to rhode island and sell them up there. Because in the early 1790s, there is a big trial where all of this comes out. Now we are getting into virginia and are getting into yorktown and as i said after american, an empty wagon train winds its way through georgetown where it arrives on september 19, and on wagon train, the arrives in georgetown another have a problem and the problem is what . It is called the potomac river. The official french itinerary says at the ferry there are two large boats, each of which can carry two wagons, three that can carry one wagon, etc. , etc. Crossings across the potomac nine hours. It takes 22, 25 minutes. And this is exactly what happens. Train crossesagon and camps within three miles of alexandria. Some of you may know where four this some of you may know where Four Mile Run is. On the 1781 map it is right here. What is across from Four Mile Run today . The national airport. This is where we are. I did not take a picture because i might be dead. It there is a sign here if you go really slow and take a picture. Road. Lebe why did i circle this . Because if i said you could get the Continental Army wagon train over it, you cannot do that with the french. There is simply too many, too many wagons certainly. But you dont have a choice with the wagons, so the wagons also cross. The wagons also cross here at Four Mile Run, and we know that because we have the ferry bill. This is from the wadsworth papers, by the way, because he is the chief supplier of the French Forces and he leaves receipts. If we transcribe it, we see, ox carts, horse teams, wagons, etc. , cross, French Forces and colonel sheldons certificate. Anhanded out and iou iou. Something is wrong. Where is the rest of the oxen . The rest of the oxen marches up and crosses over the potomac near little falls, where todays cambridge crosses the potomac about three miles north of georgetown. And once it crosses the potomac, it goes into alexandria, and this is where they pick up their wagons again. We know that, because here is one of the receipts. He has provided the passage for 488 head of cattle. His house is Still Standing, by the way. Road, 4527off glebe 17th street. An md whom day had Bennett Valley forge. To school inwent alexandria later on. Here we have an example of problems that show up on the march of how they are being solved along the way. Then they move into alexandria. They move on to the intersection. Here, i want to show you some sites you may be familiar with and how i go about tracing the. Oot route you see the kind of brownish ones . This is done in 1781, a couple days before they get there. 1789, they made an out lists and atlas, and the wonderful thing, there e mile map markers on there. Every mile, there is a marker and here is a mile marker, for a mile, and down here is marker, and you run it pallel to a modern roadmap and you can trace them. Here is what it looks like. You go down here. You see how the road makes a bend. Same s bend. You can see that you can follow it on old called chester road until you get to the bridge. Here is the roadmap again and here is a house. This house is the fairfax arms tavern, which is Still Standing on old coal chester road, and this is the road from this way theg down to the on other side, here is the road again. To the development and to the new are the remnants of the century road going up and in virginia in particular, you can do this, just tracking the road system, and you will find dozens of 18thcentury undeveloped road sections. You will find more south of fredericksburg, of course. You will find them and fredericksburg. And hanover, you will find them as less development. Oldes a panel on colchester road. I had no idea you had snow in virginia. Go down to yorktown. After yorktown, they come back up. Here is an 18thcentury french roadside map. And a map for alexandria. If you know the road pattern, duke street. On asuperimpose it then i can exactlye determine where French Forces were encamped. Unfortunately, what you also find very often is that the historic markers are at the wrong site, as in the case of alexandria, as well. They keep on marching and then go to get to georgetown and cross. Go up 34th street. They used to be an historic marker there. It is gone now. It was right here. Century map. Th this is the national cemetery, of course. You cross 34th street and then you cross rock creek and to a camp somewhere here. Heres a map of the camp. The road crossing 34th street. Here is the road to the camp. You cross rock creek and here is the in camera. The encampment. 34th 1860s map, again street but here the road already has changed, right . It goes this way rather than that way. Bridge the key street crossing. Unfortunate, the campsite map for this camp at rock creek is the worst of all the campsite maps that have survived because there is not much that you can attach your map to. There are no houses on there. The road pattern has definitely changed. Now, all you have is the creek, allthe creek hasnt changed that much because of the riverbanks we have. They set up their camp there. I dont want to body too much with the camp set up. The tents, this is great in winter. I am not sure about summer. 18th century maps. Here is the ferry, heres rock creek. In 1782, the campsite is the middle of nowhere. 80 years later the road pattern has changed completely. We are right here at the society of the cincinnati. Nevertheless, what i tried to do, then, is superimpose an 18th century road map onto a modern map. It works to a certain degree, because of this, florida avenue, you know it makes this bend here. And then you get where the tiber used to be paired then you get to howard university. The road does make this kind of a bend. This does not help a lot. This does not help that much, either, but at the very least we see the 18thcentury road pattern follows. And then if we superimpose the campsite map, now following the creek, because that is all we have to go by, then heres the society of the cincinnati again where we are. Me i have to go all the way through now . Where we are. Then the encampment, im sorry about this, then the enchantment is, there we go. Heres the society of cincinnati. So its a little behind us here and here. But that is only an approximation. And i would not recommend doing any kind of archaeology here, either. With this, i think id better conclude my remarks tonight. Weve followed the washingtonrochambeau route from newport at least two alexander. To alexander. If i were to ask you what is the route, you would hopefully say it is very many different things. It is the march 2 yorktown. To yorktown. Ittalks about troops, but also talks about encounters between american and french. It talks about encounters about and germanuenots immigrants and black slaves. They talked about the educational experience that french officers have, but also the educational expenses the americans have, experiences the americans have, because we know who we are by who are what we are. This is the first time that americans in great numbers actually encountered frenchman. Frenchmen. But they are human beings and they are now our allies. In other words, it is for the process of finding ourselves. This is an important step in this process, as well. With this, id better stop. I thank you very much for wasting a privately good hour with a perfectly good hour with me. Well have some question. Thank you much. [applause] this picture show and that was back from the days and i was light infantry. Now im heavy. Ok, questions, anybody . I would like to ask you whether the legion camped in either direction over here wheer existsp street bridge beachand the p street which has been a very flat area, who knows whether they were there are not . Know from the itinerary and the rochambeau s legionat lauzauns spent the winter in the courthouse talk about the middle of nowhere and had preceded the infantry. Unfortunately, there are no eyewitness accounts of this march. Ofre are no campsite maps this march. There are also comments two or three times on the march through virginia, an officers account which says the legion camps un militarily. The military likes order. So, all we know is that they did cross here, and marched about a mile and a half to their c amp on the heights above rock creek. That is all i can tell you. That is all i have found. Though, there may be something in a journal that the society of the cincinnati acquired thats account, which im going to look at tomorrow. Thank you, sir. I would like to know, you meioned there was 500171 army, french army on land. How many at sea coming into yorktown . Dr. Selig coming into it 5171, it fluctuates constantly, etcetera. On the fleet, i think the numbers i had up there was 18,000 Something Like that. What you have to realize on our ship and degrasse has almost gunshipem, on a 74 there almost 800 men on there. On the flagship, well over 1000. The majority of them needed to work the artillery pieces, not for the sails. So, but if you take, a half a dozen frigates there. At yorktown. 250, givea crew of or take a few. There is another 1000 there. So, things are right around asses just in degre fleet. Which means, of course, at forces, at land and sea there are more people that used to live in the whole state of delaware in 1782. sere more people on degrasse flagship that lived in the town of wilmington in 1782. Yeah . This gentleman. Thank you so much for your interesting and thoughtful presentation. Why in the context of American History lafayette is getting so much credit so many places, squares, cities, towns, university, all over the country named after lafayette. You hardly ever hear about count rochambeau. The 14th street bridge was named after rochambeau. Why we dont give more credit to rochambeau who cross the atlantic, let the troops, made the march. Yorktown with the artillery and everything. Dr. Selig the shorter answer is p. R. Lafay ette has better people. The longer answer has to do with the fact that lafayette is in many ways the son whom washington does not have. Lafayette is a young, enthusiastic noblemen whos much easier to rally than around general coming from france. But also, i think what is frenchnt and another officer pointed this out, im inng to quote this, america you have to fawn over every colonel who used to be a shoemaker and general who used to sell books, and everybody think that is a republican over he. Quote it is to lafayette he has been able to make the best of this, to ingratiate himself with the americans, to do things they way they the way they are doing them, to not feel they have more respect for a lout than a noblemen. Toayette tried very hard act like an erican officer would. And to get in the contact as much as you could with the rest of era of the officer corps. Something that was very, very ind for many officers rochambeaus army, for example. And thats why this myth throughout up around him. Deep beloved frenchmen in the United States. Thats the only explanation i have. Yeah . How many french troops were lost at yorktown . Dr. Selig 200some. I want to say between 150 and 200, Something Like that. Not is really no that that unimportant event. More men lose their lives at gibraltar or in the battle of the seine. Served than get killedn battle over here. It is just that the Royal Historical consequences are so much more important. But militarily, the number of deathes are concerned is really not that big. One more question. Dr. Selig one more question . Oh, ok. Yes, you mentioned that the number of french soldiers vastly exceeded the number of american soldiers. Who was really in command in deciding what route, which troops would take, how many troops would go one way . A problem arose, how it would get resolved . Was washington really in command or was rochambeau in command of his french troops . Dr. Seli the overall Commanding Officer washington. There is no doubt about it. Even though the French Forces are much longer larger in the march to yorktown, rochambeau never questions who is in charge. But which road to take, where to bake the bread, thats thats a quartermaster job. I do not think washington and rochambeau, they were not with the troops anyway. They were sailing down the delaware river. This is what captains do and majors, make sure they turn left and right, not a general. Thanks. And Continental Army, too. One of the reasons why we know so little about continental marches through new jersey, for example, if washington had told the regimen how to get to more sound from morristown to trenton, he would of thought he lost his mind. There is, to make sure that they go on the right roads, we note, for example, that were bushels of hay tied to road signs so that they would know to turn left or right but they also have american guys who will show them the way as well. Evern,none of the colonels got involved in this level of organization, micromanagement. Ok. [applause] thank you. [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2015] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] with the sudden death of president harding, Vice President Calvin Coolidge takes office. Grace coolidge was a popular first lady and influence the taste of american women by becoming a style icon. Although she married a man named this silent cal, she never spoke to the press but used her office to bring attention to issues. Coolidge this sunday night at 8 00 p. M. Eastern on first ladys, influence and image, examining the public and private lives of the women who filled the position of first lady and her influence on the presidency from Martha Washington to michelle obama. Tonight at 8 00 p. M. Eastern o American History tv on cspan 3. All weekend, American History tv is featuring the city of Grand Junction. In 1911, president taft established the Colorado National monument after john otto built trails. Before that, many Grand Junction residents believe the canyons were inaccessible to humans. Hosted by our