A few years ago, I discovered a website that showcased the building of a gorgeous French ship that once sailed Lafayette to America.
Enthralled, I returned often to see the progress.
As I watched each video, I imagined myself walking aboard this ship, stepping over piles of ropes, and walking under riggings, masts, and rolled-up sails as the wind blew through my hair all the while imagining the view from Lafayette’s point of view.
As he looked forward to what American independence would hold, I often look back to how he and Washington and countless others sacrificed for America.
LAFAYETTE’S PASSION FOR LIBERTY
Raising Lafayette to care for the serfs on their property, his mother and grandmother endeavored to teach him to treat all people with kindness and respect.
Orphaned at a young age, Lafayette inherited great wealth and a family title, then married well as a teenager.
Then one day he heard the story of liberty which impassioned him.
Although he had everything he could ever want as a French aristocrat…he was fervent about helping others gain their freedoms.
The American Revolution compelled him to flee his country in secrecy, because the king of France did not support Lafayette’s desire to fight their age-old enemy, Britain.
1777 – LAFAYETTE SAILS ON LA VICTOIRE
Purchasing a ship that he named La Victoire, Lafayette set sail on April 20, 1777 for America.
Arriving on the shores of South Carolina, he traveled to Philadelphia where he was appointed major general of the Continental Army, after he offered to pay his own way.
Serving faithfully under Washington’s command, Lafayette looked to his commanding general as a father.
Meanwhile, the generally stoic Washington began to regard the exuberant youth as his own son.
1779 – LAFAYETTE SAILS ON THE ALLIANCE
In January 1779, Lafayette boarded another ship, fitting called The Alliance.
Hoping to convince the king and the French government to fully support America in her quest for independence from Britain, Lafayette requested both money troops.
Since Lafayette had proved himself faithful to the great General Washington, the king softened.
Although the Continental Army was struggling, they had achieved a major victory in Saratoga.
While Lafayette was in France, he and his wife have a boy whom they affectionately named George Washington Lafayette.
1780 – LAFAYETTE SAILS ON L’HERMIONE
On March 17, 1780, Lafayette again boarded ship, this time with the blessing of the king.
With his blessing came one of the finest ships in the newly rebuilt French navy, l’Hermione, a sleek sailing vessel that cut through the ocean with great efficiency and speed.
After all, an important message must be delivered to General Washington.
Time is of the essence.
France has fully and openly entered the war against Britain!
French troops and ships are on the way!
On April 28, 1780, l’Hermione arrived in Boston to great fanfare!
Lafayette then continued his journey by land, to meet with General Washington and his troops in New Jersey.
1781 – FRENCH AMERICAN ALLIANCE DEFEAT BRITISH AT YORKTOWN
After delivering Lafayette to Boston, l’Hermione continued to help America by battling the British Navy blockade and participating in the Battle of the Capes under Admiral De Grasse, contributing to the French-American victory at Yorktown.
“From that time, that first Hermione has been known in France as the Hermione-Lafayette, the Ship of Liberty; the Ship of the Enlightenment—with all the symbolism that brought to a lasting French pride in their contribution to the American experiment with independence—and liberty.” –Castine Historical Society
1793 – L’HERMION’S FATE
Meanwhile, l’Hermione, which was originally built in 1779, continued with many adventures after speedily delivering Lafayette to America.
With 26 guns (cannons) and great speed and agility, many battles lay in her future since escape was always an option.
However, l’Hermione was grounded and wrecked in 1793.
BRITISH DOCUMENT SIMILAR SHIP
One day the British caught a French ship called the Concorde, that was a sister ship to l’Hermione with similar build.
Knowing they had a prize, the British analyzed every detail of the Concorde, jotting every little note into their books, so they could build a prize of their own.
1980 – DREAMING OF A SHIP
Time passed.
Many wars in France led to rebuilding, especially after WWII.
By the 1980’s…in Rochefort, France…shipyards came to life as they were rebuilt.
Since France desired to recreate one of their tall ships from history, a special ship with a special history was chosen.
1997 – REBUILDING L’HERMIONE
In July 1997, the rebuilding of l’Hermione in Rochefort, where it had first been built, began a new page in history.
The English books that detailed the schematics of the sister ship, Concorde, proved invaluable:
- 210′ long
- 16,000 square feet of sail
- 3 masts
- 32 guns (cannons) (or 26…different official websites say different things)
2015 – AMERICAN EAST COAST TOUR OF L’HERMIONE
Then I discovered that l’Hermione was scheduled to dock at several spots along the Eastern seaboard of America.
As much as I wanted to plan a vacation to follow the ship from port to port, that wasn’t possible.
However, I was able to see l’Hermione at two locations: Yorktown and Mount Vernon.
L’HERMIONE DOCKS AT YORKTOWN
On a sunny day that caused the York River to sparkle like diamonds, we saw the grand frigate at dock.
The brown ship is the Godspeed, which is based in nearby Jamestown.
With a hull of stunning azure blue, while the hugest of flags flew from the tallest of masts, l’Hermione represented the French-American Alliance that won victory at the nearby battlefield.
L’HERMIONE DOCKS AT MOUNT VERNON
This morning, two days after Yorktown, l’Hermione dropped anchor on the Potomac River within view of General Washington’s famed estate, Mount Vernon, so my daughter and I drove over to see the ship again.
After showing our passes at the gate, we stopped first at Cafe Lafayette to honor the occasion, which we enjoyed outdoors in the lovely cool summery breeze!
Then we walked to the mansion and down the hill…where we beheld the beautiful French frigate at anchor in the Potomac River.
While the current French flag is required by modern maritime law, the American flag is the Serapis that John Paul Jones designed after reading the orders from the Congress, before the infamous “Betsy Ross” flag was created.
L’Hermione did not dock at the Mount Vernon pier because the water there is too shallow.
We spent a long time enjoying the view from below the mansion…
The prime significance of Mount Vernon is that it was the home of Lafayette’s adopted father, George Washington.
1781 – LAFAYETTE’S FIRST VISIT TO MOUNT VERNON
During a reconnaissance mission to Virginia in the spring of 1781, Lafayette detoured to see the home of the great man under whom he served in the Continental Army…the man who was like a father to him.
1784 – LAFAYETTE’S SECOND VISIT TO MOUNT VERNON
In 1784, Lafayette received an invitation from Washington to visit him at his home, Mount Vernon, which was Lafayette’s only visit to the grand estate with the man who had adopted him as a son.
1824 – LAFAYETTE’S THIRD VISIT TO MOUNT VERNON
Lafayette’s third visit to Mount Vernon was in 1824, while on his Grand Tour of America at the invitation of President Monroe.
This visit to Mount Vernon entailed sadness, since General Washington and his wife had long passed away.
In great somberness, Lafayette paid his respects at the Old Tomb which overlooks the river.
This was quite an emotional moment for Lafayette.
He and his adopted father planned to visit one another across the sea, more than the few visits they had had.
Joined by his son, George Washington Lafayette, they took the steps down to the Old Tomb which overlooks the Potomac.
Lafayette descended into the vault first.
Time passed. Tears were shed.
Lafayette returned to bring his son into the vault with him.
Many years before, while Lafayette was imprisoned during the French Revolution, his son had lived in safety with the Washingtons.
1825 – LAFAYETTE SAILS ON USS BRANDYWINE
Even Lafayette on his Grand Tour, as he left Washington on a steamboat named Mount Vernon, gazed somberly upon the home and the nearby tomb of his adopted father as he sailed by to meet the USS Brandywine.
The first order of business for the newly commissioned USS Brandywine was to return Lafayette to France in 1825.
Lafayette’s first battle in America was the Battle of Brandywine in 1777, where he was shot in the leg.
Washington had his personal surgeon attend to Lafayette, telling him: Treat him as if he were my son.
We sat and viewed the beautiful French ship for a long time as a delightfully cool summer breeze wafted about us…
We listened to the waves lap at the dock while we imagined the exuberant Lafayette of his youth on board the colorfully vibrant and speedy ship en route from France to America.
Reluctantly we pulled ourselves away from the serene setting.
FLEUR – DE – LIS BOXWOOD PARTERRE
We walked past the mansion into the pleasure garden where Washington had a boxwood paterre planted after the American Revolution, it is said, in a fleur-de-lis to honor his adopted son from France.
For the first time again since I left Germany, I saw here a parterre, clipped and trimmed with infinite care into the form of a richly flourished Fleur de Lis. – Journal of Benjamin Latrobe
