Monument Monday – General Rochambeau Statue at Lafayette Square

Directly across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House is Lafayette Square. One of the more prominent statues in the park is of French General, Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau, or General Rochambeau for short.

During the American Revolutionary War, French Lt. General Rochambeau, landed on American shores at Newport, Rhode Island in 1780, along with six French regiments (5,500 soldiers) as part of the Expédition Particulière.

As a French aristocrat and lifelong soldier, at the age of 55, he was sent to America to join General George Washington in the fight against the British in the American Revolution.

After a year defending the naval blockade at Narragansett Bay, he moved his troops 65 miles down the Atlantic Coast to meet Washington on the Hudson River at Dobbs Ferry, in New York.

He combined his troops with Washington’s and they marched to Yorktown, Virginia to lay siege to the 9,000 British troops under Lord Cornwallis.

The three-week siege resulted in the capture of over 8,000 British troops.  Cornwallis did not attend a formal surrender, claiming he was too ill to attend, yet many paintings depicting the moment, show him in attendance.

As a direct result, Great Britain began peace negotiations with the U.S. and ultimately signed the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

The main clause of the treaty recognized the 13 American colonies as free and sovereign independent states.  The British government also gave up all claims and rights to the colonies or the people.

The statue was created by M. Hamar of Paris, and dedicated on May 24, 1802.

General Rochambeau Statue
Lafayette Park
Pennsylvania Ave. and Jackson Place, NW
Washington, DC 20006

Dates and Times – The park is open to the public 24-hours a day.

Admission – FREE

Nearest Metro Subway Station – McPherson Square or Farragut West – Blue and Orange lines, then a 2-3 block walk, or use the DC Circulator.

Parking – Very limited metered street and paid garage parking is available in the area.

Images – Wikipedia – Surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown by John Trumbull – public domain, all others from personal collection ©2009, Jon Rochetti 

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