You are now standing in the Place de l’Amiral-de-Grasse. You are looking at the monument of Washington, DeGrasse, and Rochambeau. Rochambeau, De Grasse, and Washington were all important because they helped in the Revolutionary War. They were all together in the last battle of Yorktown. All three of them are on the monument because they worked with each other. They were allies.
Introduction
My book is about Rochambeau. He was a french commander involved in the American Revolutionary war. In this book you are going to learn about Rochambeau and why he was one of the most important men who led the Americans to Independence.
Chapter 1: All about Rochambeau
Marshal Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur comte de Rochambeau was born in 1725. His first fight was during the war of the Austrian Succession from 1740-1748. He was nominated as colonel at the age of 22. In 1756 after the Minocan campaign he became general and fought in the 7 year war. In 1789 when the French revolution began Rochambeau was loyal to King Louis VXI. Rochambeau was arrested and put to jail during the Reign of terror. He was relieved when Napoleon came to power. He died in 1807 at the age of 81.He was a nobleman and general who played a big role in the French Army.
Rochambeau Became Commander of the French Army
In 1780 he was named commander of 5,500 French troops sent to join the continental army under George Washington during the American Revolutionary War. Washinton and Rochambeau put together their military troops and won against the British.
In the next Chapter you are going to learn exactly how Rochambeau helped the Americans.
Chapter 2 :How Rochambeau helped The Americans
Did you know that Rochambeau was America's hidden hero? Rochambeaus’ help was as valuable as diamonds. Read more to find out how.
On the first of may 1780 he was promoted general of 5,500 troops which were sent to America to help in the American Revolution because the Americans needed more army to defeat the British troops.Rochambeau and his troops arrived at Newport in 1780 and waited almost a year for the French sea support. In 1781 Rochambeau joined the forces of George Washington in New York.
The Relationship between George Washington and Rochambeau.
George Washington wasn’t so sure that the relationship between him and Rochambeau would work. But Rochambeau did a good and smart thing, he wrote a letter to George Washington to convince him that he was impressed by him . In this letter George Washington replied with thanks to Rochambeau understanding that they could work well together. In September Washington and Rochambeau meet for the first time. They liked each other directly and trusted each other as well.
The most important help was during the Yorktown battle in which he worked together with George Washington defeating the British army under the command of Charles Cornwallis.
The battle of Yorktown was for Rochambeau and George Washington so important because they put their troops together and defeated the British troops in the last battle of the American Revolutionary War. This battle gave Rochambeau and George Washington the possibility to speak to the British government and to explain the Independence of the Nation.
In the next Chapter you are going to learn what the last battle of the American Revolutionary war was like for Rochambeau.
Chapter 3: A story about Yorktown
On October 19, 1781 I arrived with my troops in Yorktown, Virginia. “It was so silent that I could hear the lights blinking”. I thought that the British were hiding to win. George Washington and I were setting up everything that we planned. We knew already that Cornwallis was marching towards Yorktown on the Chesapeake Bay. “How could we stop him?” I knew that George Washington received a letter from one of his spies that 28 French ships were sailing to Chesapeake Bay. I thought to myself that we could trap Cornwallis, I said yes! But before we could even see that the British navy were fighting the French, I saw that the French ships were covered in canons and the French flag on top of the sail and the French ship drifted away to trap the British. I saw people starving, bodies were laying everywhere on the ground. The sky was red from the shoots and all of the sudden a British officer was waving a white flag.
We succeeded in our plan to trap Cornwallis and the British couldn’t do anything because they were surrounded by French and American troops, by the French Navy. I knew that we won the war and the Revolutionary War was over.
Chapter 4: Rochambeau was important
Did you know that Rochambeau was a good leader with a strategic mind? Rochambeau was important because he got George Washington to have trust in the French army again. He was a strategic commander that helped George Washington to plan the trap against the British. He had a special relationship with George Washington.
One reason Rochambeau is important is because he got George Washington to have trust in the French army again. Before George Washington lost trust in the french army because they lost the battle in Savannah, Georgia, even though they helped with 3,000 troops. It was one of the bloodiest losses of the war. This is why George Washington had lost trust in the French. But Rochambeau sent a letter to George Washington that he was happy to work with him to make sure that George Washington feels positive to work with the French again. This shows how he got trusted again with George Washington.
Another reason Rochambeau was important is because he was a strategic commander that helped George Washington to plan the trap against the British. According to the American Battlefield Trust Website, Rochambeau was the commander-in-chief of 5,500 troops sent from King Louis XVI to help America with the war. Rochambeau helped George Washington to trap general Cornwallis and 8,000 British troops at Yorktown. Cornwallis was trapped because he was surrounded by George Washington, Rochambeau, and the French Navy. George Washington wrote a letter that says, “I cannot but acknowledge the infinite obligations I am under to his Excellency, the Comte de Rochambeau and all of the French officers for the assistance in which they afford more.” This means thank you to Rochambeau. This shows that Rochambeau is important because he helped the Americans.
The last reason Rochambeau is important is because he had a special relationship with George Washington. According to the American Revolutionary Museum website, it said that, in September 1880 Washington and Rochambeau met for the first time. They liked each other right away and they formed a special bond. On the American Battlefield website it also said that Washington wrote a goodbye letter to Rochambeau. The letter said, “of happiness I have enjoyed in our private friendship. The remembrance of which will be one of the most pleasing circumstances of my life.” Rochambeau replayed with his “most inviolable personal attachment and respect.” This means that they had a good friendship. This proves that Rochambeau liked George Washington very much and they had a good relationship.
Conclusion
In conclusion we can say that Rochambeau was important because he was a good leader with a strategic mind. He got George Washington to have trust again in the French. Rochambeau helped Washington trap Cornwallis, and lastly he had a special bond, a friendship with George Washington. If you compare all this to our days you can see it still proves the friendship both nations, America and France, have together. Another fact that you can prove this thanks still lasts today,are all the statues that you have in Paris about all the American heroes of the war.
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