Lafayette Escadrille

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

a squadron of American aviators fighting with the French in the World War. It went back long before the period of the United States' entry into the war and was of gradual growth. By the fall of 1915 there were six Americans serving as full-fledged pilots in the French army, and in the summer of 1916 the list numbered fifteen or more, with twice as many again training for their pilots' licenses in the military aviation schools. The pioneer was William Thaw of Pittsburgh, who was the first American to hold a commission in the French Flying Corps. Lieutenant Thaw had enlisted in the Foreign Legion in August, 1914. Later Sergeants Norman Prince of Boston and Elliott Cowdin of New York were the first to enter the French aviation service, coming directly from the United States. As soon as it was seen that American ambulance workers in France showed a disposition to join the combatant forces a special channel was created for the reception of applications and so the Escadrille began to assume dimension. The Americans were at first distributed, but the idea of forming an all-American unit soon began to take shape. Early in 1916 there were enough pilots already brevetted in conjunction with the élèves or pupils in the training schools to man the dozen airplanes in nes i one escadrille. In February, 1916, a 916, a captain was assigned to command an and au American escadrille, and the Americans ericans were placed under his orders. Before Before the escadrille became an established fact ed fact Cowdin brought down one German maen machine and won the first Médaille Mili- Militaire. In July, 1917, there were about 100 Americans in the Army Aviation School at the camp of Avord, near Bourges, and these continued to be augmented. By that time General Pershing and his staff were in France, and one hundred hydroplanes had been landed to strengthen the sea patrol against submarines. The Lafayette Escadrille was inder the general inspection of Lieut.- Chind Col. Girod, and Capt. Gallet was "Chief of Pilotage." Americans living in France had taken much interest in the in t formation of the escadrille, conspicuous pic among them being W. K. Vanderbilt, who was awarded the French decoration of the Red Rosette in acknowledgment. In course of time, as the aerial forces of the United States got into shape, the American aviators in the French service were absorbed by them and the experience they had gained in warfare proved of great help to aviators in the United States service. LAFAYETTE, MARIE JEAN PAUL ROCH YVES GILBERT MO- T TIER, MARQUIS DE, a famous French French military officer and statesman; born in bo the castle of Chavagnac, Auvergne, France, Sept. 6, 1757. He belonged to an ancient family; came to his estates at 13; married three years later; entered the army, and sailed, in spite of the opposition of the court, for America in 1777, to offer his sword to the colonists in their struggle for independence. He became an intimate and admiring friend of Washington, who gave him the command of a division after his conduct at the battle of Brandywine. The treaty between the insurgents and France at once led to war between France and Engreturned to his land, and Lafayette returned to his country early in 1779. Six months later ix months later he again crossed the Atlantic, was Atlantic, was charged with the defense of Virginia, of Virginia, and had his share in the battle of Yorkbattle of Yorktown, which practically closed the war. cloned the war. On a third visit to North America in o North America in 1784, after the conclusion of peace, his onclusion of peace, his tour was a continual triumph. aal triumph. Lafayette had imbibed liberal princi- Imbibed liberal principles in the freer air of America, and was ir of America, and was eager for reforms in his native country in his native country. He was called to the Assembly of Notthe Assembly of Nota sat in its successor, ables in 1787, and sat in its successor, The States General, and the Assembly of the States General, and LAFAYETTE FAYETTE in that which grew out of it, the famous wout of is the famous National Assembly of 1789. He took 789. He took a prominent part in its proceedings, and lings, and laid on its table, July 9, 1789, a Declaraa Declara tion of Independence. He was soon apsoon ap pointed to the chief command of the of the armed citizens, whereupon he formed the ormed the National Guard, and gave it the tri-color the tri-color cockade. He struggled incessantly uggled incessantly or for order and humanity, yet was mortity, yet was mortithe furious violence fied to the heart by the furious violence obins hated his modof the mob. The Jacobins hated his modcourt abhorred his eration, while the court abhorred his ng with Bailly he reforming zeal. Along with Bailly he founded the club of the Feuillants, and the Feuillants, and tion of title as well he supported the abolition of title as well as of all class privileges. ileges. After the adoption of the constitution tion of the constitution of 1790 he retired to his estate of Laed to his datate of La ceived the command of grange till he received the command of dennes, with which he the army of Ardennes, with which he won the first victories at Philippeville, ctories at Philippeville, Maubeuge, and Florennes. But the Florennes. But the hatred of the Jacobins increased, and at length Lafayette, who had gone from the army to Paris publicly to denounce the Jacobin Club, finding on his return to the camp that he could not persuade his soldiers to march to Paris to save the constitution, rode over into the neutral territory of Liège. He was seized by the Austrians and imprisoned at Olmütz till Bonaparte obtained his liberation in 1797; but he took no part in public affairs during the ascendency of Bonaparte. He sat in the Chamber of Deputies from 1818 to 1824 as one of the extreme Left, and from 1825 to 1830 he was again a leader of the opposition. In 1830 he took an active part in the revolution, and commanded the National Guards. In 1824 he revisited the United States, by invitation of Congress, which voted him a grant of $200,000 and a township of land. He died in Paris, May 20, 1834. In 1898 the public school children in the United States contributed in small sums the funds for a statue of Lafayette, which was erected in Paris.