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nordleuchten · 3 years

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The English Sandwich or La Fayette in Prussia 1785

Sooo, here is something that I wanted to write about for so long. In Prussia, King Fredrick II (better known as Frederick the Great) had begun holding annual reviews of his troops. This reviews took place in late summer and autumn and consisted of parades and mock battles. They soon became a staple event in Europe and many foreign dignitaries and high-ranking officers travelled to Prussia just to witness these review … and in 1785 one of these officers was our dear Marquis - but I let him tell the tale. He wrote George Washington a letter on July 14, 1785:

Before I leave the borders of france, I wish once more to Remind you of your absent friend, and to let You Hear that I am well and just Begining my German travels—I Have Been lately Visiting Some french towns where I Spoke grat deal about American trade (…) Now I am on my way to the deux ponts where Resides our friend the future elector of Baviera, to Cassel where I will See Again the Hessian Regiments, to Berlin where I am told lord Cornwallis is also going—from there I will wait on the King of prussia on His Grand Maneuvres in Silesia—Visit Saxony—See the austrian Camps in Bohemia—pay my Respects to the Emperor at Vienna—Return to Berlin, where grand Maneuvres are to take place at the end of September—and after I Have on My Way examined all the fields of Battle, I will Return through Holland and Be again in paris By the Middle of October

Fancy plans if I may say so. Considering that travelling was way more difficult, dangerous, expensive and uncommon in the 18th century than it is today, that is quite a roundtrip. The more important part though is that La Fayette thinks he might meet Lord Cornwallis - the same Cornwallis that La Fayette helped to defeat fair and square at the battle of Yorktown … But we are getting ahead of ourselves - because La Fayette really enjoyed his travels and he met quite a few interesting people on the way. He wrote to Washington back in Paris on February 6, 1786:

My summer has been devoted to princes, soldiers and post Horses—and while I Have Been Rambling through Cassel, Brunswick, Berlin, Breslaw, Vienna, prague dresden, potsdam Again and Berlin, no opportunity offered that I could trust, nor even any that I could Hear of—since I am returned Home, no Packet Has Sailed, and this day for the first time, I can Safely write By a Packet Boat (…) Altho’ my former letters Have Given You an Account of My journey, I must repeat to you, my dear General, that at Cassel I saw our Hessian friends, old Knip Among them, I told them they were very fine Fellows—they Returned thanks and Compliments—Ancient foes ever meet with pleasure, which However, I should think must be greater on the side that fought a successfull cause

The aforementioned “old Knip” was the Lieutenant-General Baron Wilhelm von Knyphausen, commander of Hessian troops in America during the Revolution. He was the veteran of the infamous Battle of Trenton and the Battle of Brandywine, the Battle that La Fayette himself was wounded at, and many more battles. - Oh, and yes, I think La Fayette enjoyed their meeting far more than the Baron did.

La Fayette continues describing his stay at Brunswick and Berlin before he talks about his visit to Silesia:

(…) I went to Silesia where He [Fredrick the Great] Reviewed an army of 31 Bataillons, and 75 squadrons, Making in all thirty thousand men, seven thousand five hundred of whom were on Horse Back—for eight days I made dinners of three Hours with Him, when the Conversation was pretty much Confined at first to the duke of York the King and myself, and then to two or three more—(…) lord Cornwallis being there, He took Care to invite Him at table to a seat By me, Having the British King’s son on the other side, and to Make thousand questions on American

We have a few things to unpack here. First of all, as it was expected, Cornwallis was in attendance. So far so unspectacular. But Fredrick, the Duke of York, second son of George III of Great Britain (and definitely one of his favourite children) was also present. He had departed England for Hannover to continue his military education on the mainland. He travelled to Prussia for the Manoeuvres and was the one who introduced Lord Cornwallis to Frederick the Great.

I really have to applaud Fredrick the Great for his attitude here. Placing the Duke of York, La Fayette and Lord Cornwallis all beside each other for dinner (and a dinner in the 18th century could and would easily last a few hours) and then stir the conversation towards America? That is certainly one way of handling things. Where La Fayette remarked that Frederick the Great had been “Most peculiarly Kind” to him, Cornwallis was less enthusiastic. He wrote to Lieutenant-Colonel Ross on October 5, 1785:

My reception in Silesia was not flattering; there was a most market preference for La Fayette; whether it proceeded from the King's knowing more of France, and liking better to talk about it, I know not. (…) I shall not quit Germany with much regret.

Cornwallis was really not feeling it. In their letters, La Fayette and Cornwallis both go on and describe the Prussian army in great detail. In short La Fayette was impressed but Cornwallis less so. He even called some of the manoeuvres and tactics “ridicules” at one point. La Fayette also further writes about the continuation of his travels but that is all really less interesting. Before I close this post, there is one last thing I wanted to show you. Cornwallis assessment Duke of York and La Fayette’s assessment of Frederick the Great. Both men are definitely … opinionated.

Cornwallis writes about the Duke of York:

In the first place, the Royal Person [the Duke of York] whom I saw first does not give much hopes, further than a great deal of good nature and a very good heart. His military ideas are those of a wild boy of the Guards, the uniforms and promotions of that corps, about which He is vehement to excess. One cannot, however, help loving him. There is no maintien — no distance — any impudent blackguard may be as familiar as he pleases. There is no chance of any good coming but by his being kept abroad, and of the English being kept from him.

I have read this letter so often now, and I still can not decide whether the statement is quite harsh or actually rather adorable. Nevertheless, after all that I have read about Frederick, this statement is rather accurate. Still, as someone who is quite taken with the Duke of York, I have mixed feelings in regard to this statement. But enough about that. Let us see what La Fayette writes about Frederick the Great.

I went to Make my Bow to the King, and notwisdanding what I Had Heard of Him, could not Help Being struck By that dress and Appearance of an old, Broken, dirty Corporal, coverd all over with Spanish snuff, with His Head almost leaning on one shoulder, and fingers quite distorted By the Gout. But what surprised me much more is the fire and some times the softeness of the most Beautifull Eyes I ever saw, which give as charming an expression to His phisiognomy as He Can take a Rough and threatening one at the Head of His troops (…) which gave me the opportunity to Hear Him throughout, and to admire the Vivacity of His wit, the endearing charms of His adress and politness, so far that I did Conceive people could forget what a tyrannic, Hard Hearted, and selfish Man He is (…)

Honestly, after reading the letter for the first time, I did not saw the second part coming - but I have to admit that it sounds very much like La Fayette.

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