Who is Marquis de Lafayette?
Lafayette was a French nobleman who purchased a commission in the French Army. At one time he had a commission in both the Army and Navy He did offer to serve in America without pay; his main motivation was the publicity his service would bring him. Lafayette considered himself Washington’s adopted son he was Washington’s favorite officer. Letters between the two read like letters between lovers but that type of flowery writing was the norm for the time period. Lafayette was provided a command in the Southern Army and eventually caused Cornwallis to surrender. Lafayette was imprisoned during the French Revolution and America but most importantly, Washington was not able to free him. He was moved to several prisons mostly throughout Prussia. He may have also been sexually involved with Marie Antoinette. However, her untimely end may have cut short their relationship.
