Washington's Engineer by Norman Desmarais (speed reading book TXT) 📕

American engineers knew a great deal about civil construction and could erect simple fieldworks, but their skills were not on par with those of formally trained European military engineers. American engineers created earthworks that the Crown forces sometimes chose not to attack, but they could not conduct a formal siege of a town. Their lack of skill turned operations into a mere blockade.

Types of artillery shots. Photo courtesy of the author.

Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais (1732–1799), the son of King Louis XVI’s watchmaker and better known as playwright of The Barber of Seville and The Marriage of Figaro, wrote a lengthy memo to King Louis XVI on February 29, 1776, outlining why France should help America. He concluded, “[T]he saving of a few millions [livres or francs] to-day would surely result in the loss of more than 300 within two years.”1 He also emphasized the Americans’ need of arms, powder, and especially engineers, stressing that without engineers, the Americans could not even defend themselves, let alone win.2

The Congressional Committee of Secret Correspondence appointed Silas Deane to the Secret Committee of Congress (which also included Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Harrison, John Dickinson, John Hay, and Robert Morris). Deane was commissioned on March 2, 1776, “to go to France, there to transact such business, commercial and political as we have committed to his care, in behalf and by authority of the Congress of the thirteen united Colonies.”3

PHILIPPE CHARLES JEAN BAPTISTE TRONSON DU COUDRAY

Silas Deane and Benjamin Franklin were instructed to hire skilled professional soldiers in addition to soliciting material assistance as part of their diplomatic mission to France in the summer of 1776. Beaumarchais and Jean-Baptiste Vaquette de Gribeauval (1715–1789), the leading artillery expert of the century, advised Deane to contract Philippe Charles Jean Baptiste Tronson du Coudray (1738–1777), one of Gribeauval’s protégés, to organize and lead a group of volunteers to America. Despite his extravagant claims, du Coudray was actually a military theorist whose rank was equivalent to that of an artillery major. Deane granted him a generous contract promising him essentially a free hand in artillery and engineer operations and the title of general of artillery and ordnance.

Meanwhile, Beaumarchais, operating under the corporate name of Roderigue Hortalez et Cie., wrote to the Committee of Secret Correspondence on August 18, 1776, to tell them that the company was founded for the sole purpose of serving them in Europe to meet all their needs there and to see that all the goods, cloth, canvas, powder, munitions, guns, cannons, and even some gold to pay the troops could be obtained rapidly and under concession. Whenever possible, Beaumarchais would remove any obstacle that European politics might present. He also told Deane and Franklin that he had procured about 200 bronze four-pounders, which he would send at the earliest opportunity, along with 200,000 pounds of cannon powder; 20,000 excellent guns; some bronze mortars, bombs, cannonballs, and bayonets; plates, cloth, linen, and so on to clothe the troops; and some lead to make musket balls. He also found an artillery and engineer officer who would leave for Philadelphia before the arrival of the first shipment, accompanied by lieutenants and officers, artillerymen, gunners, and so on.4

Franklin conveyed du Coudray’s request to the Comte de Saint-Germain, the French minister of war, in December 1776. Saint-Germain allowed four French engineers to volunteer for service in America: Louis le Bègue de Presle Duportail; Louis-Guillaume-Servais des Hayes de La Radière; Jean-Baptiste de Gouvion; and Jean Baptiste Joseph, Comte de Laumoy.

Du Coudray embarked for America with twenty-nine officers and twelve sergeants of artillery, with assurances from the commissioners that he would be commissioned a major general and given command of the artillery. The group arrived in Philadelphia in May 1777, but some American generals resisted du Coudray’s appointment. They were reluctant to appoint a Frenchman as commander of artillery above American general officers. Generals John Sullivan, Nathanael Greene, and Henry Knox wrote to Congress on July 1, expressing their reservations. Sullivan threatened to resign his commission if du Coudray were promoted over Knox. Congress reacted on July 3 by resolving that the

president inform General Sullivan that Congress have not been accustomed to be controlled by their officers in the measures which they are about to take in discharge of the important trust committed to them by the United States; that they mean not to be controlled by his letter in their proceedings respecting Monsr. du Coudray; for that whatever those proceedings may be, General Sullivan’s resignation will be accepted by Congress whenever he shall think it proper to transmit it to them.5

Congress also directed General Washington

to let those officers know that Congress consider the said letters as an attempt to influence their decisions, and an invasion of the liberties of the people, and indicating a want of confidence in the justice of Congress; that it is expected by Congress the said officers will make proper acknowledgments for an interference of so dangerous a tendency; but if any of those officers are unwilling to serve their country under the authority of Congress they shall be at liberty to resign their commissions and retire.6

Congress appointed a committee on July 15 to meet with du Coudray to inform him that the agreement offered by Silas Deane could not be carried out, but Congress would “cheerfully give him such rank and appointments as shall not be inconsistent with the honour and safety of these States, or interfere with the great duties they owe to their constituents.”7 The committee delivered its report to Congress on July 21, requesting that du Coudray

be appointed a Major General with the Powers, Emoluments and Privileges, annexed to that Rank, and that a Train of Artillery be allotted for his Command separate from that under the Command of Brigadier General Knox. That the officers accompanying Mons Du Coudray should have the Ranks proposed for them in France together with the Pay and Emoluments annexed to those Ranks in the service of the United States.8

Congress postponed consideration of the