It’s said that when American soldiers arrived in France in 1917 to fight in WWI, the catchphrase from them was “Lafayette, we are here.”
Whether apocryphal or not, the phrase was used to connote a debt owed by and respect from the United States to France in general, and to the Marquis de Lafayette specifically. Lafayette came to the American colonies to help fight for their independence from Britain, which helped pave the way for France to ultimately join in the effort against the British.
Lafayette, Gen. George Washington’s aide, was wounded at what is now Sandy Hollow in Birmingham Township during the Battle of Brandywine. His efforts were remembered and honored Saturday at Thornbury Farm for Lafayette Day. Part of the 1777 battle took place on Thornbury Farm.
“This is one of his first battles and where he and Washington formed a close father/son relationship,” said Randell Spackman, owner of Thornbury Farm and the president of the Chadds Ford Historical Society. He said Washington’s respect for Lafayette grew because of the young Frenchman’s conduct during the battle.
“When the ranks were starting to fall apart the marquis…went out and tried to reform the troops, realign them and actually pursue Gen. Howe’s army. And because he heroically went out into battle, fighting for [the American’ cause], the respect for him became incredible,” Spackman said. “Washington was so impressed that he had his own personal surgeon care for the marquis to help make sure he lived through his wound here at Brandywine.”
One of the guest speakers was to have been Chester County Commissioner Michelle Kichline, but she had an auto mishap on her way to the event so author and historian Bruce Mowday read the proclamation from County Council.
The proclamation reads in part, “…Lafayette fought for American freedom on the fields of Brandywine on Sept. 11, 1777, where he was wounded in his left leg spilling his blood on Chester County soil and marking the beginning of his ascent to becoming an American hero and trusted confidant to Gen. George Washington during the American Revolution.”
The resolution also acknowledged Lafayette’s efforts to get the French government to enter the war on behalf of the Americans, which helped Washington’s forces defeat the British at Yorktown and bring an end to the war.
In 1824, Lafayette returned to America for what was supposed to be a brief visit to the states along the eastern seaboard. However, he was in such demand that he stayed for 13 months going as far west and south as St. Louis, Mo., and New Orleans, La.
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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