Two new books about LaFayette

[jon_norstog]

This is a pretty good review in the New Yorker of the two books, one f them American, the other French. It is a long read but tells a pretty good story about the man and his times. Married at 16, to a 14-year old girl! Joined the Continentals in the summer of '77 and stuck with us through the worst of it. The review is worth reading.

A couple quotes

"He was .... a flexible improviser of possibilities, picking up his sword in the most wildly different circumstances to fight for a nebulous but essential ideal of human liberty. Routinely castigated as self-centered and naive, he was right, again and again, in the essentials of his judgment; he somehow always kept himself safe from the allure of perpetual excuses for cruelty, the "despite the unfortunate excesses" style of rationalization that sooner or later lames us all. He refused, in every sense, to lose his head to the absolutists of any party."

"He didn't create a utopian state, or start a reign of terror, or conquer another country, or take power in his own country and lay down the law. But nobody did more to help secure French liberty, rather than merely imagine it, and nobody did more for the best side of the American democratic ideal. Lafayette didn't write a philosophical book or think up a system, or even win a big battle. He was just a terrific friend to all good causes. We were lucky to have known the guy."

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/08/23/why-dont-the-french-celebrate-lafayette

jn

[fguffey]

And when the Navy decided to honor John Paul Jones they had to find him and in the beginning we gave him a shop that was sinking. It was just after that the British Captain said of John Paul while engaged in a fight for their lives; "This man is going to get us all killed". At the same time John Paul is screaming at the top of his lungs, "do not kill the British Captain!". After the battle his crew wanted to know why he did not want the British Captain killed, it was obvious only to John Paul the Captain was the only person on the British ship that understood he was going to surrender or drown with everyone else if he did not surrender. It should have been obvious to all the Bonaire Richard was going to sink long before its sailors cleared the decks when they fired their 3 biggest cannons. Shortly after that John Paul sailed the Richard over to one of the most magnificent British ship and had his crew tie the Richard to the British shop.

F. Guffey

John Paul stepped off of the Bonomi Richard as it sank and onto his new ship the British gave him.
George Washington knew how to appreciate LaFayette.

And there was the man that wrote: We are no closer today to obtaining the goals set forth in the House of Burgess that we were on the day they were spoken.

The man was at Yorktown when he said that.

[Scott Wilson]

I think John Paul adopted the "Jones" when he was hiding out, being wanted on a murder warrant.

[fguffey]

I think John Paul adopted the "Jones" when he was hiding out, being wanted on a murder warrant.

The only way he could be added to the payroll was to change his name from John Paul to John Paul Jones. I do not believe he received therapy but there was evidence he stopped beating his crew. He sailed into England with three crews, they intended to steal ships and gun powder; he put the crews ashore, they went straight to pubs and bars and got drunk. The one thing we needed most was gun powder or ingredients to make powder. By the time they sobered up the raid got off to a bad start.

F. Guffey

[fguffey]

One of my favorite was Daniel Boone, he was with George Washington when he thought it was dangerous, Daniel Boone went to fight the Indians and French near Three river Stadium. Washington and Bradenton left a lot of their equipment because it was too heavy to fight with. We took a beating and got out of there with their life's.

Daniel Boone said "I am out of here, the way you guys fight is going to get me killed. Daniel Boone headed south, when he got there he still had to deal with the Indians; the up side was George Washington did not go with him and the British had not become the enemy. The battle at three rivers was George Washington's first defeat.

F. Guffey

[fguffey]

And there was Nathan Hale, I understand it is almost impossible to beat his regret but before that I was more impressed with his thoughts on education. He thought education should be equal; he thought his classes should include both men and women. He was told that was not going to happen so he started 'night school' for women. He taught both classes.

Patrick Henry said "give me liberty or give me death; I believe he would have had a lot of trouble selling that ideal had he not already sold the ideal earlier in his speech.

F. Guffey