Library of Congress Travels in North-America, in the years 1780–81–82 / By the Marquis de Chastellux; Tr. from the French, by an English gentleman, who resided in America at the period, with notes by the translator; Also, a biographical sketch of the author, letters from Gen. Washington to the Marquis de Chastellux, and notes and corrections by the American editor. TRAVELS IN NORTH AMERICA, IN THE YEARS 1780–81–82. BY THE MARQUIS DE CHASTELLUX, ONE OF THE FORTY MEMBERS OF THE FRENCH ACADEMY AND MAJOR-GENERAL IN THE FRENCH ARMY, SERVING UNDER THE COUNT DE ROCHAMBEAU. TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH, BY AN ENGLISH GENTLEMAN, WHO RESIDED IN AMERICA AT THAT PERIOD. WITH NOTES BY THE TRANSLATOR. ALSO, A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE AUTHOR: LETTERS FROM GEN. WASHINGTON TO THE MARQUIS DE CHASTELLUX: AND NOTES AND CORRECTIONS, BY THE AMERICAN EDITOR. NEW-YORK: 1828. 769 3452 E163 c59 copy 2 21 1986 21 1915 IN EXCHANGE Cincinnati Pub. Lit. MAY 2-1917 Travels in North-America, in the years 1780–81–82 / By the Marquis de Chastellux; Tr. from the French, by an English gentleman, who resided in America at the period, with notes by the translator; Also, a biographical sketch of the author, letters from Gen. Washington to the Marquis de Chastellux, and notes and corrections by the American editor. http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbtn.06665 Library of Congress PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. J. N. 5 - 24 As a memorial of the conflict which made the United States one of the nations of the earth, and a sketch of the features of the country, with some of the principal arbiters of its destiny in that momentous period, the Travels Of The Marquis De Chastellux will ever hold an honourable place in the interest and feelings, either of the American patriot or mere speculative reader. In following his narrative, however, it will readily be perceived, that the Author, a man of science, reflection, and literary habits, wrote more for private and individual gratification, than for critical scrutiny or the public eye. Hence the numerous little incidents and circumstances, the trivial anecdote and immaterial remark, designed only for a confidential and friendly ear; blended with the serious observations and profound reflections on the state of society, the origin and progress of events, and the probable future condition of our embryo republic. In preparing this work for an extensive impression, to an English mind it would appear, that much of his tea-table chit-chat and travelling memoranda might as well have been omitted; while on the graver and more weighty subjects of his inquiries, he will be perused with fixed regard and the deepest attention. A proficient in all the accomplishments of the most polished court in Europe, already distinguished by his literary attainments and productions, 4 accustomed to modes of conduct and habits of thinking so dissimilar to what might be expected from the retired manners, the contracted sentiments, and the entire new scenes, furnished by our home- bred rustics, it is not extraordinary that some of his remarks seem rather deficient in that frankness and courtesy, which generally prevail throughout his work. ln solitary hamlets and unpeopled forests, he could not look for the balls, the theatres, and the levees of Paris. But he found a sturdy, honest, and intelligent yeomanry, rough as the soil they cultivate, resolved to defend their independence against a host of mercenaries, and successful in their object. Travels in North-America, in the years 1780–81–82 / By the Marquis de Chastellux; Tr. from the French, by an English gentleman, who resided in America at the period, with notes by the translator; Also, a biographical sketch of the author, letters from Gen. Washington to the Marquis de Chastellux, and notes and corrections by the American editor. http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbtn.06665 Library of Congress The uncommon merit of the French officers and soldiery, in their strict and exemplary demeanour throughout the conflict, well deserves the encomium it has received. In no instance was it known, that so much injury had been sustained by the inhabitants, from a regiment or brigade of the disciplined allies, as from a single company of the native militia. The picture of our country, drawn by the hand of a master, in traits undoubtedly correct as far as they go, after a progress of nearly half a century, cannot but be reviewed with pleasure and gratulation by the American citizen, delighted with the present condition of the land of his nativity, and animated with its future prospects. In our improved method of travelling, the Marquis would have reached West Point from Providence, the long and tedious distance he so minutely describes, from town to town and house to house, on the same roads, very comfortably in fifty hours. We have not admired the taste of the Translator, in some of his notes; and occasionally an observation of the Author is omitted, in a case where he would not, on the same occasion, have offered it to a Protestant neighbour. Yet when we keep in view his character as a stranger, a Frenchman, and a Roman Catholic, we must admit that he displays no common 5 degree of discernment, of frankness, of good sense and liberality, in his discussion of the various topics before him; many of which have proved the soundness of his abstract reasoning, while others, from local or incidental causes, have exhibited effects widely different from the Author's anticipations. The letters from Gen. Washington to the Author, are extracted from the New-York Literary Journal, of 1820-1, into which they were copied from the original manscripts of Madame Chastellux, after the death of her husband. They detract nothing from the amiable, the patriotic, and the philosophical character of their illustrious writer. This edition of the Marquis' work, is copied from an English translation, in two volumes, published in 1787. In its consolidated and economical form, it will doubtless be an acceptable addition to the literary and historical reading of our country. Unwilling Travels in North-America, in the years 1780–81–82 / By the Marquis de Chastellux; Tr. from the French, by an English gentleman, who resided in America at the period, with notes by the translator; Also, a biographical sketch of the author, letters from Gen. Washington to the Marquis de Chastellux, and notes and corrections by the American editor. http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbtn.06665 Library of Congress that the mistakes of the intelligent Author and his Translator should be extended and perpetuated by this first American impression, the editor has added a variety of NOTES and CORRECTIONS, which it has been deemed preferable to place at the end of the volume, instead of inserting them at the foot of the pages to which they respectively refer, as the notes of the Translator already occupy so large a portion of the work. For the sake of method and perspicuity, he has divided the whole into Parts and Chapters to which he has prepared and adapted the Table of Contents. v - 86 ADVERTISEMENT TO THE FRENCH EDITION. The public have been long informed that the Marquis de Chastellux had written Journals of his Travels in North-America, and they seem to have wished to see those Journals more generally diffused. The Author, who had arranged them solely for himself and for his friends, has constantly refused to make them public until this moment. The first and most considerable, in fact, were printed in America; but only twenty-four impressions were struck off, and this with no other view than to avoid the multiplying of copies, which were become indispensably necessary, in a country and at a time when there was very little hope of any packets reaching Europe, but by the means of duplicates. Besides that, he thought proper to avail himself of the small printing press on board the squadron at Rhode- Island. Of these twenty-four impressions, not above ten or twelve reached Europe, and the Author had addressed them all to persons on whom he could rely, and whom he had requested not to suffer any copies to be taken. The curiosity, however, which every thing respecting America at that time inspired, excited much anxiety to read them. They passed successively through a great many hands, and there is reason to believe that the readers have not all been equally scrupulous; nor can it even be doubted that there exist some manuscript copies, which being hastily executed, may be presumed to be incorrect. In the spring of 1782, the Marquis de Chastellux made a journey into Upper Virginia; and, in the autumn of the same year, another into the States of Massachusetts, and New- Travels in North-America, in the years 1780–81–82 / By the Marquis de Chastellux; Tr. from the French, by an English gentleman, who resided in America at the period, with notes by the translator; Also, a biographical sketch of the author, letters from Gen. Washington to the Marquis de Chastellux, and notes and corrections by the American editor. http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbtn.06665 Library of Congress Hampshire, and the back part of Pennsylvania. According to custom, he wrote journals of these expeditions; but, being on his return to Europe, he reserved them to himself. These therefore are known only to a few friends, to whom he lent them; for he invariably denied the request of many 8 persons, and particularly our own, to empower us to lay them before the public. One of his friends however, who has a very extensive correspondence in foreign countries, having pressed him much to furnish him with at least a few detached extracts from these journals, for the purpose of inserting them in a periodical work printed at Gotha, the object of which is to collect such works as have not been made public, he consented; and, during a whole year, there appeared in each number of this Journal a few pages taken here and there from those of the Marquis de Chastellux.