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46 THE BALTIMORE SUN ALMANAC, 1903
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STATUE TO ROCHAMBEAU.
_______
A bronze statue to General Rochambeau,
commemorative of his services to
the American colonies during their
struggle for independence, was unveiled
May 24, 1902, at Washington, with
imposing ceremonies. It was a cordial
demonstration of the traditional friendship
between the United States and
France. Brilliant delegations of soldiers
and statesmen of France were
present, including direct descendants
and other representatives of the
Rochambeau family. The French battle
ship Gaulois, with many of these guests
of the nation on board, was escorted
up the Chesapeake Bay to the anchorage
in Annapolis Roads by a squadron
of American warships. President Roosevelt
in person welcomed the guests at
Annapolis. Rounds of courtesies were
exchanged at the Naval Academy and
in Washington, and the unveiling ceremonies
were attended by a military and
naval demonstration suitable to the
occasion.
The statue is a replica of one erected
June 4, 1900, at Vendome, the old
home of Count de Rochambeau. May
24 was selected as the date for the
dedication because it is the anniversary
of the entrance of Rochambeau into the
French Army.
Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur,
Count de Rochambeau, was the son of
a lieutenant-general of the French
Army and Governor of Vendome. Born
in 1725, he was destined for the church
and was being educated in the Jesuit
College at Blois when the death of his
elder brother left him sole heir of the
paternal estate and caused him to enter
the army. His services were brilliant
and promotion was rapid. Taking
part in the war beyond the Rhine, in
Bavaria and in Bohemia, by 1747 he
was colonel, and after the capture of
Port Mahon, in 1756, was made a
knight. Later services in Germany
brought him the rank of lieutenant
general and caused him to be selected
by Louis XVI to command the army
destined to serve against England in
America. His position as a nobleman
and his high military rank helped him
in his task, enabling him to get his
troops increased to 6,000 men and to
obtain other support needed for success,
including $20,000 in gold. General
Rochambeau, having five ships,
landed in July, 1780, in Rhode Island,
and by promptly fortifying, averted an
attack prepared by the British. He
spent the winter partly in disciplining
his troops and ordering increased supplies
from Paris and partly in concerting
plans of campaign with Washington.
On DeGrasse's arrival with 3,000
more troops the campaign in Virginia
was devised, and after defeating Clinton
on Manhattan Island, Rochambeau
so maneuvered his forces as to prevent
Clinton from sending a force to help
Cornwallis. When everything was
ready he hastened with the Americans
to Yorktown, where he led one of the
French columns that assaulted the
British works. In 1783, after several
minor enterprises, he returned to
France. His success brought him new
honors both in France and in America,
where his name will always be held in
grateful remembrance.
_________________________________________
PEGGY STEWART'S DAY.
________
October 19 is the anniversary of the
burning of the tea-laden brig Peggy
Stewart at Annapolis, Md., in 1774.
The destruction of this vessel and
cargo was one of the most memorable
events in the history of Maryland.
The general convention which assembled
at Annapolis on the 22d of July,
1774, to strengthen the resistance to
the stamp act and to all acts of
Parliament taxing the colonies, resolved
to stop all importations from and
exportations to Great Britain so long as
the acts taxing the colonies remained
unrepealed. Among the taxes imposed
by the British government was one on
tea. In Frederick county, Maryland, a
resolution was passed on July 12, 1774,
by a meeting of citizens, that they
would not drink any tea nor suffer the
same to be used in their families until
the duty was repealed. The brig Peggy
Stewart, of Annapolis, arrived at that
port on the 15th of October, 1774, having
among her cargo seventeen chests
of tea. The consignees were merchants
in Annapolis. The owner of the brig
was Mr. Alexander Stewart. Mr. Stewart
and the brothers Williams, who
were the importers, offered to take the
tea from the brig and burn it, but the
popular indignation was so great that
the citizens would not accept this
atonement. Finally Mr. Stewart proposed
to burn the vessel and her cargo,
and in the presence of a committee he
directed the brig to be run aground on
Windmill Point, where he set fire to
her with his own hands. In all this
patriotic business there was no
disguise. Everyone connected with it
was known. The burning of the vessel
was begun and consumed in open
day, and it was in this manner Maryland
vindicated her right to stand
shoulder to shoulder with her sister
colonies in resisting taxation without
representation. In commemoration of
the event, the 19th of October is now
called "Peggy Stewart's Day" in Maryland,
and deserves the distinction,
though it is not a legal holiday.
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