#washingtons aides

[pub-lius]

RAAHHH AMERICA (lafayette pt.3)

welcome back to this i guess. i can guarantee you the whole revolution will take several posts because this is by far the longest part of my notes (obviously) soooo there will still be quite a few more of these posts for @thereallvrb0y because i still have Hamilton to do after this! that will be fun im excited. so anyway, if you missed pt. 2, here you go, and lets get right into it

Arrival in America and Becoming a Major General

Lafayette and his posse landed on the shore of North Island off the coast of South Carolina, and they were... lost! They couldn't find anyone, so they rowed further inland to try to find any sign of civilization, and they found enslaved black men fishing for oysters, and they brought them back to the plantation house.

From there, they traveled to Philadelphia. There's a common theme throughout the Frenchmen's accounts: everyone fucking loved Lafayette. Like literally everyone was so happy to see him, but literally hated the other French guys with him, so everyone else was really uncomfortable but Lafayette saw nothing wrong with what was going on.

The reason why the Americans were so hostile to the other Frenchmen was because of Silas Deane. I mentioned in pt. 2 that Deane did not do any research into whether or not Lafayette had qualifications, and he did that with every other French officer he sent over. and he sent. a lot. There was one particular incident where he sent some French engineers that ended up being completely incompetent, and when the public (and Washington's staff) heard about that, they were like "okay, we're done with the French"

But Lafayette was different because, again, he was so fucking rich. Everyone saw him as a symbol of French alliance, and a sign of hope that maybe, with foreign assistance, they could win the war. Of course, they didn't know Lafayette was there illegally, but yk. it was something.

By the way, literally everything went wrong on every journey this group went on. From North Island to Charleston saw several of the party getting sick, losing horses, risk of being mugged, and having to walk BAREFOOT through the woods at one point.

Then, on the 650 mile trip from Charleston to Philadelphia, it got. worse. They started out with 12 officers and servants in open carriages. The carriages broke after four days, they had to leave behind their luggage, and continue on horseback. Over the next 10 days, their horses collapsed, they got sick again, and everything continued to go horribly wrong.

“I started out brilliantly by carriage… we are all on horseback, after having broken the carriage, in my usual laudable fashion, and I hope to write to you in a few days that we have arrived on foot.” -Lafayette to Adrienne

The trip began on June 26, 1777, and they arrived in Philadelphia on July 27. The principal driving force for them to not give up and turn back was how enthusiastic, optimistic, and determined Lafayette was. The entire time they were literally passing out from exhaustion and exposure, Lafayette was having a grand ole time. He wasn't immune to all the horrible shit they were experiencing, he just acted like he was. He was just. so happy to be there.

So, they arrived in Philadelphia, the current seat of the Continental Congress. And they thought "oh, okay, we'll just go to the president, show him our papers, and we'll be given a command! right?"

Wrong.

They arrived at John Hancock's house, but he was like "what the fuck are these homeless french dudes doing at my house dressed in rags, get them out and take them to Robert Morris" (bc they had to get rid of their luggage and it was the summer they were kinda wearing the least amount as possible and were covered in filth)

Also btw the reason Hancock referred them to Morris was bc Morris was a member of the Committee of Congress for Secret Correspondence, and so he handled Deane's illegal bullshit, one of which was Lafayette being there

So, the French Gang (tm) went to Independence Hall to meet Morris, but didn't even get inside (James Lovell was also there because he spoke French). Lovell explained what happened with the engineers, basically telling them "yeah sooo we don't really trust French people anymore whoops"

The French Gang was like "what ze fuck" and they were like "okay goodnight!" so they went back to their accommodations, but the next day Lovell and WILLIAM FUCKING DUER showed up and were like "uhhhh hey guys so we actually made a mistake, but if you're willing to negotiate, Mr. Marquis de Lafayette, you could be a major general!" And Lafayette didn't question the sudden change, and went into negotiations.

By the way, the reason they changed their minds overnight was PROBABLY because Benjamin Franklin's letter of recommendation had arrived telling them "that Lafayette guy is RICH. AS. FUCK. do whatever he wants that you realistically can because he is literally so rich, you want this guy to like you." They literally just wanted an in with Versailles.

Alsooo this really only benefitted Lafayette, like Congress didn't make any offers to Lafayette's comrades, so most of them went back to France. so. that kinda sucks.

George Washington and His Staff

General George Washington was um. in a rough spot. Stationed in Chester, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia, he had a lot on his hand, namely worrying about whether or not the British were going to try to attack the seat of Congress. This is the pre-Laurens era for the aides de camp, so we got Alexander Hamilton, Tench Tilghman, Richard Kidder Meade, Robert Hanson Harrison, John Fitzgerald, Joseph Reed, Caleb Gibbs, and another guy that was so sick I can't even remember his name, for Washington's staff.

One big issue being faced by Washington's staff was the issue of French officers.

"We are already greatly embarrassed with the Frenchmen among us... It were to be wished that our agents in France, instead of courting them to come out, were instructed to give no encouragement but where they could not help it... Be assured, Sir, we shall never be able to satisfy them [The French]; and they can be of no use to us, at least for sometime. Their ignorance of our language, of the disposition of the people, the resources and difficiencies (sic) of the country, their own habits and tempers—all these are disqualifications that put it out of their power to be of any real use or service to us." -Alexander Hamilton to William Duer, May 6, 1777

These sentiments were shared by General Washington. I mean, Washington's staff had dealt with the French engineers problem, and so they definitely were under the impression that all the French guys being sent over from Deane's office were just underqualified noblemen who thought they were better than everyone else. They definitely thought this about Lafayette at first.

On the complete other extreme, Lafayette was amazed by Washington the first time they met at City Tavern in Philadelphia on July 31. He thought he was absolutely incredible and an amazing leader. Pretty soon, Lafayette integrated himself in Washington's office, which was actually on par with orders from Franklin who basically told Washington "this guy CANNOT die because he will be FINANCIALLY FUCKED if he does", so they put him in the safest possible place in the army.

And that lasted about a month, until the Battle of Brandywine in September 1777.

Active Military Service

Prior to Brandywine, British General Howe had somehow disappeared, until he arrived at the Head of Elk, Maryland in late July with 17,000 British and Hessian troops under his belt, making their way northeast towards Philadelphia.

Blocking the British troops from reaching Philadelphia, 10,500 Americans were positioned along Brandywine Creek, knowing the British would likely cross at Chadds Ford. For his protection, Lafayette was positioned at the rear with General Sullivan's division, which, they thought, would see the least amount of action.

The battle began by late morning, and it was very foggy out, which was always a recipe for disaster. Contrary to their expectations, they ended up facing only half the British troops at Chadds Ford, while Howe lead a second column further north, attacking the Americans at the rear, where Sullivan was stationed.

Everything quickly devolved into chaos as the Americans were taken by surprise, and couldn't really see clearly because of the fog. Lafayette was trying to rally the confused troops before he was shot in the left calf with a musketball. He attempted to continue fighting, but an unidentified aide forced him off the field.

This was literally the best possible thing for Lafayette's PR. Everyone was so pleasantly surprised by the fact that a French nobleman had taken a bullet for the American cause, and it would be key to Lafayette getting his own command (finally).

Lafayette was put in a small Philadelphia town called Bethlehem to recover from his wounds. He spent a lot of his time learning about the local religious sect, the Moravians. This is the first instance I can find of Lafayette's interest in anthropology. (btw they almost convinced him to join this religion and im like. not convinced that this isn't a cult. keep that in mind, lafayette almost joined a possible cult).

He also spent his time writing letters to French relatives and officials, advocating for the American cause. While he wasn't successful necessarily in the specific endeavors he was attempting, but this established himself as an intermediary between France and America! which is super cool!

Lafayette would rejoin Washington's troops on October 9, and would soon be named the commander of his own division on December 1, right before the Continental Army would go into winter encampment at Valley Forge *epic clifffhanger sound effect*

[livelaughlovelams]

PLEase HELPPPPP

Okay are there any hardcore Meade fans who can tell me who he was?! Ik he was an aide, Ik he was nice, Ik he was in the gang, but I can't find any info on him, or any of the other aides tbh- ANYONE WHO IS A HARDCORE FAN OF ANY AIDE PLS RANT TO ME ABOUT HIM!!!. Where do I look? Any media recommendations? Seriously yall I feel so left out 😭😭

[tieflingcxre]

seattle miku. shes on her way home from her morning shift at the bigfoot java drive thru

[a-loose-collection-of-ants]

I'm sure he'll be fine

[icarusbetide]

yes we can have historical accuracy or we can have the scene in george washington (1984) where washington shakes his soldiers' hands and embraces them- but gets to hamilton and ignores the offered hand to pull him into a tight hug with tears in his eyes.

so i don't know what you want from me.

btw the curly haired dude before hamilton is tench tilghman. my aides de camp.

[gillianthecat]

Call to Folks In Or Near Tacoma, WA.

Stand Against Genocide:

🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸

Block the Boat

🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸

At Tacoma Port

Expected Tomorrow (Sunday 11/5) at 3:30 pm.

Update: Monday 11/6 5:00 AM

But arrival time may change, follow links in the instagram post below for updates.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Samidoun Seattle (@samidounseattle)

A US military ship in Oakland will be docking in the Tacoma port next week to pick up and deliver weapons intended for the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.

URGENT UPDATE: We have received information that the boat in Oakland is currently on its way to Tacoma. We are going to show up and block the boat!

Where: 1123 Port of Tacoma Rd, Tacoma, WA 98421

When: Sunday, 11/5, 3:30 PM

Update: Monday, 11/6, 5:00 AM

Parking is extremely limited near the area, please plan to arrive on time, carpool as much as possible and prepare for the possibility of having to walk some distance.

[nebulaikas]

i call this one "hey assholes put the benches back"

[on-partiality]

Some Aide boys <3

( I start high school in 3 days btw so if anyone has any advice that'd be great, fyi: Australian high school starts at year 7. Americans do not give me advice for year 10)

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

George W. Bush, the infamously anti-gay and neoconservative former U.S. president who invaded Iraq on a lie, has criticized congressional Republicans for threatening to defund the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a largely successful African HIV-prevention program that he launched back in 2003. “There is no program more pro-life” than PEPFAR, he wrote.

Though PEPFAR is estimated to have saved over 25 million lives, its funding is set to expire on September 30. Congressional Republicans are falsely claiming that the program promotes abortion and using its re-funding as a bargaining chip in budget negotiations. Republicans have threatened to defund the entire federal government at the end of the month unless they’re allowed to slash military diversity programs and military aid to Ukraine and to increase anti-immigration measures at the U.S.-Mexico border.

“We are on the verge of ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic. To abandon our commitment now would forfeit two decades of unimaginable progress and raise further questions about the worth of America’s word,” Bush wrote in a Wednesday opinion article in The Washington Post.

Bush said that his Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, his White House chief of staff Joshua Bolton, and his senior policy advisor Michael Gerson had advised him to begin PEPFAR. Gerson reportedly told Bush that it would be “a source of national shame” if the U.S. didn’t try to help end the worldwide HIV epidemic.

Bush’s opinion article cited words that Gerson himself had written in defense of PEPFAR in November 2017: “Are Republicans in Congress prepared to squander a legacy of GOP leadership that has won the United States considerable goodwill around the world? Among evangelical Christians, what definition of being ‘pro-life’ does not include saving millions of lives from preventable disease and death?”

Adding his own thoughts, Bush wrote, “There is no program more pro-life than one which has saved more than 25 million lives. I urge Congress to reauthorize PEPFAR for another five years without delay.”

During his presidency, Bush backed a constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage, and used bans on same-sex marriage to help him win re-election in 2004. While he served, 27 states banned same-sex marriage.

Despite Bush’s anti-gay record, PEPFAR was “a sound investment in U.S. security,” Ben Plumley, the former CEO of the now-defunct international HIV organization Pangea, said in a now-deleted interview with Hornet.com. Plumley said the program “generated very significant goodwill towards the United States” and countered “the spread of radical Islam or radical anti-Western attitudes in sub-Saharan Africa.”

Plumley also noted that most HIV transmissions in sub-Saharan Africa are heterosexual, meaning that conservative Republicans could support PEPFAR without worrying about seeming too overtly supportive of the LGBTQ+ community.

[aidede-camp]

Soldier, Poet, King~

Already posted this on Insta! I don’t always post my art here but always will on Insta! If you want to see more, that’s the best place!

[pub-lius]

bro i literally just saved a picture of mchenry where did it go

found it

[livelaughlovelams]

Washington: you see, these are my oldest children, THE MAJOR GENERALS!!! I love em.

Major generals: hiii!!!

Washington: these are the middle children, the AIDES-DE-CAMP!!! YAY!!! They slay, I guess.

Aides: HENLOOOO

Washington: and those…uh…

*Chanting in the distance*

Washington: *sigh* that's the navy.

JPJ: TELL ME WHYYYYY

Navy himbos: AINTTTT NOTHIN BUT A HEARTACHEEEE

JPJ: SWEEEET CAROLINE

Navy Himbos: BA BA BA

Washington: *whispers* Look, I only know them during work hours and major battles.

[screechingsandwichhologram]

hmmmm. i think my amrev ocs could use some friends. does anyone have any redcoats or bluecoat ocs that might want to be friends / acquaintances / somewhat rivals but not really with william or jean?

[a-loose-collection-of-ants]

I'm finally free from exams so uhhhhhhhhhhhh here's another sketch dump

We have fun here

[icarusbetide]

i know washingdad jokes are more of a fanon, musical thing but really. i genuinely believe in my soul that historical washington was the type of guy to hear his aides chant "we want mcdonalds we want mcdonalds" and silently enter the drive-through just to order one black coffee, no cream no sugar and leave.

[an-onyx-void]

Far-right Israeli settlers step up attacks on aid trucks bound for Gaza - The Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/05/26/west-bank-aid-trucks-gaza-settlers/