night and following morning. The prisoners who had been taken in merchant ships were left until the wounded were all removed. Taking advantage of the confusion and of their superiority of numbers, they took possession of the ship, and got her head in for the land, towards which the wind was now blowing. A contest ensued, and, as the Englishmen had few arms, they were speedily overcome.

Jones was very anxious to keep the "Richard" afloat, and, if possible, bring her into port, doubtless from the very justifiable vanity of showing how desperately he had fought her. In order to effect this object, he kept the first lieutenant of the "Pallas" on board of her, with a party of men to work the pumps, having boats in waiting to remove them, in the event of her sinking. During the night of the 24th, the wind had freshened and still continued to freshen on the morning of the 25th, when all further efforts to save her were found unavailing. The water was running in and out of her ports and swashing up her hatchways. About nine o'clock, it became necessary to abandon her, the water then being up to the lower deck; an hour later, she rolled as if losing her balance, and, settling forward, went down bows first, her stern and mizzenmast being last seen. "A little after ten," says Jones in his report, "I saw, with inexpressible grief, the last glimpse of the 'Bon Homme Richard.'" The grief was a natural one, but far from being destitute of consolation; the closing scene of the "Poor Richard," like the death of Nelson on board the "Victory," in the moment of winning a new title to the name, was indeed a glorious one. Her shattered shell afforded an honorable receptacle for the remains of the Americans who had fallen during the action.-A. S. MACKENZIE.

THE Count of Rochambeau, as the leader of the well-disciplined, effective French force which by vigorous and harmonious co-operation with the army of Washington enabled him to bring to a triumphant close the long struggle for American Independence, deserves affectionate remembrance among the American people. Jean Baptiste Donatien De Vimeur, Count of Rochambeau, was born July 1, 1725, at Vendôme, of which his father was governor. Being the younger son, he was destined for the church, and placed under the care of Crussol, Bishop of Blois. But the death of his elder brother interrupted his studies, made him heir to the paternal estates, and turned him, with the entire approval of the bishop, to a military career.

His education was received partly at Vendôme, and partly at Paris. Rochambeau joined the army in 1742 as cornet in the regiment of St. Simon, who was preparing for the German war. He followed the Count of Saxony to Bohemia, and distinguished himself under Marshal Belleisle at the famous siege of Prague. At the commencement of 1746 he became aidede-camp to the Duke of Orleans; and his mother having been appointed governess to that prince's children, he had every prospect of advancement. Under the orders of the Count of Clermont, he was often employed in reconnoitring with the

light cavalry, and had to render a minute account of the military positions, and the nature of the country. On one occasion during the siege of Namur, Rochambeau scrambled up a height where he found only two sentinels lazily smoking their pipes. Clermont profited by this information to make an opportune diversion by which the city was captured. In 1747 Rochambeau was present at the battle of Lanfeld, and received a rather severe wound while fighting at the head of his grenadiers under the eyes of the king.

After the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, Rochambeau devoted all his thoughts to the art of war, and his regiment received universal approbation for efficiency in the new military tactics and precision of drill. A rapid succession of military honors marked his career. He was brigadier-general and knight of St. Louis after he had been fifteen years in the service, and afterwards marshal of the camp, lieutenant-general and inspector-general of cavalry. His name is honorably connected with Mæstricht, Cassel, Mahon, Minden and other well-contested battle-fields.

Rochambeau was lieutenant-general of the armies when, on the 1st of March, 1780, he was selected to take command of the French troops which Louis XVI. decided, after the urgent representations of Lafayette, to send to the support of the American patriots. The corps for this expedition was designed at first to consist of only 4,000 men; but Rochambeau maintained that such a force would be too small to render efficient aid, and impressed upon his majesty that if he had 6,000 men he could have a reserve of 2,000 to strike a decisive blow in case of success, or to cover a retreat in case of failure. The proposition was favorably received by the king and this number was granted. The departure of the expedition was greatly delayed through the want of vessels of transport, and it was not till May 2, 1780, that the Count was able to leave the harbor of Brest, with an efficient force of 6,000 soldiers, well equipped. On the 5th of June, when southwest of Bermudas, the fleet was attacked by an English frigate and five men-of-war, which mistook the French flotilla for a convoy of merchandise; but Yernay, the French commander, poured on the assailants a succession of such terrible broadsides that the

English were more eager to withdraw than they had been to commence the attack.

On the 12th of July the expedition reached Rhode Island, and Rochambeau lost no time in surveying positions for the opening of the campaign. The Marquis Lafayette eagerly hailed his arrival, and urged Washington to take the offensive without delay, forgetting that the enemy had the advantage in numbers, and was backed by a powerful naval force. The Count de Rochambeau wrote to him as a father to a son, beseeching him not to compromise the situation by impetuosity. In that admirable letter he says: "It is always well, my dear Marquis, to believe the French invincible; but I am going to tell you a great secret. In an experience of forty years, I have found none easier to conquer than those who have lost confidence in their leader; and they lose that immediately when they find themselves sacrificed to one's own particular aims and personal ambitions. If I have been so fortunate as to retain the confidence of my soldiers, it is only because I am able to say, after a most scrupulous examination of my conscience, that of 15,000 who have been killed when under my command, I cannot reproach myself with the death of a single man."

On the 22d of September Rochambeau and Washington met at Hartford, and after reviewing the situation and discussing the risk of a premature attack, developed principles of action which formed the basis of a new plan of campaign. De Grasse's arrival with men and money was eagerly awaited, for the French soldiers had several times run short of provisions; but bore their privations bravely, and with their proverbial gaiety.

At length, when the supplies arrived, Rochambeau joined with Washington in executing the concerted plans of that memorable campaign in which the seat of war was transferred to Virginia and Lord Cornwallis was quickly shut up in Yorktown, while Sir Henry Clinton remained in New York, still dreading an attack. Cornwallis soon found it impossible to make a sortie in any direction without the certainty of repulse. After a terrific fire from the American and French artillery, he was fain to call a parley, for the appointment of

a commission to decide the terms of surrender. Washington accepted the proposition; a commission was appointed, the terms settled, and the articles signed October 19, 1781. The English general and his army gave themselves up as prisoners of war to the number of nearly 8,000 men, 214 pieces of artillery and 22 flags. Cornwallis, being unwell, escaped the humiliation of marching at the head of his troops. His place was taken by General O'Hara, who offered his sword to Rochambeau. The Frenchman pointed to Washington, saying: "I am only an auxiliary of the American general." Washington in turn referred him to General Lincoln as appointed to receive the surrender.

After the surrender of Cornwallis, Rochambeau marched back to Philadelphia. The French general was much gratified by the homage paid to him by the Indian deputations, and the compliments of the Quakers, who congratulated him not only on his military talents, but on his love of order, his splendid discipline and fitness for the command of men. As a matter of fact Rochambeau's troops paid the most scrupulous respect to person and property during their stay in this country, a circumstance which Franklin emphasizes in his Autobiography by contrasting the conduct of Rochambeau's soldiers with that of Braddock's marauders.

As a souvenir of his valuable services, Rochambeau was presented by Congress with two cannon taken from the English army, upon which was engraved his coat-of-arms with a suitable inscription. The American Secretary. of Foreign Affairs was also instructed to recommend the French general and his army to the favorable notice of Louis XVI. On his return to France the king gave him a distinguished reception, made him commandant of Picardy and Artois, granted all the honors and preferments asked for his officers and soldiers, and presented him with two exquisite paintings by the famous miniature painter Van Blarenberghe, representing the siege of Yorktown, and the English garrison defiling before the French and American soldiers.

In 1793 Rochambeau had the misfortune to be imprisoned in the Conciergerie and placed on the list of condemned. He was marching behind M. de Malesherbes on his way to the