The French were the archenemies of the British and her American colonies, particularly after the French and Indian War which was begun by George Washington. So, why did America look to the French as their principal ally in the American Revolution and why did General George Washington choose a Frenchman as his chief engineer? This biography of Louis Duportail, founder and first Commandant of the Army Corps of Engineers, begins by exploring those questions. It then explores the life of this man, who is virtually unknown in America and less known in his native France. This is an unique biography about an overlooked, even obscure, French officer that was instrumental in the American cause for independence. As a complete biography, it covers his return to France and his service in the French army. Cementing his role in the seminal events of the era, readers will also learn of his problems under the Reign of Terror and his escape to the United States where he purchased a quite farm near Valley Forge. It concludes with his unusual death at sea and the problems of settling his estate. Duportail died in the greatest anonymity, in the greatest indifference, without earthly burial, without military honors, a dedicated monument to his glory in service to France or the United States, and without intervention of his brothers in arms to honor and recall his memory.

The fate of the American Revolution had yet to be decided when a remarkable 21-year-old Frenchman arrived in America. Louis-Francois-Bertrand, the Count of Lauberdiere, belonged to an old noble family that traced its heritage back to the Crusades. His father, Francois-Charles-Mathieu, was musketeer of the guard of King Louis XV. More important, his uncle was General Rochambeau, the commander of all French forces in America. The Count of Lauberdiere kept one of the most remarkable diaries of the entire war, and it is published here for the first time as The French Campaigns in the American Revolution, 1780-1783: The Diary of Count of Lauberdiere, General Rochambeau's Nephew and Aide-de-Camp, translated and edited by Norman Desmarais. Serving as aide-de-camp on General Rochambeau's staff, the young and well-educated Lauberdiere enjoyed a unique perspective of the war. He rubbed shoulders with some of the Revolution's most important personalities (including George Washington and Lafayette), and was in the epicenter of many of the war's momentous events. His journal covers a host of topics in remarkable detail, including descriptions of the French army's camp in Newport, Rhode Island, the long march to Yorktown, the siege, and capture, and a fascinating examination of the people and their distinctive colonial culture. His keen eye and sharp descriptions of the Army's daily activities and movements provide a wealth of information for inquisitive readers and historians-details found only in this diary. For example, nearly all French diaries mention the army's arrival and landing at Newport, but only Lauberdiere's identifies exactly where it occurred. Anti-French prejudices were common, and the nephew recorded how Rochambeau dispelled them and won over the locals. Culture fascinated the young Count, who keenly observed how the colonials attempted to imitate European manners and styles, marveling at how Philadelphia adopted Parisian fashions in the brief time between his visits there. He even visited Washington's home at Mount Vernon and made pointed comments about his wife, Martha. With its expertly crafted footnotes, maps, and illustrations,The French Campaigns in the American Revolution, 1780-1783: The Diary of Count of Lauberdiere, General Rochambeau's Nephew and Aide-de-Camp offers a fresh and invigorating firsthand account that will satisfy even the most demanding student of the American Revolution.