Misplaced Pages

#573426

166-521: Joseph Marie LaBarge (October 1, 1815 – April 3, 1899) was an American steamboat captain, most notably of the steamboats Yellowstone , and Emilie , that saw service on the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, bringing fur traders, miners, goods and supplies up and down these rivers to their destinations. During much of his career LaBarge was in the employ of the American Fur Company , a giant in

332-513: A Freemason , and news of the revolt "fired his chivalric—and now Masonic—imagination with descriptions of Americans as 'people fighting for liberty ' ". A third historian, James R. Gaines , recalls Lafayette attending a dinner at this time with the Duke of Gloucester (brother of British King George III), who complained about the Americans who had objected to British rule and mocked their beliefs in equality

498-760: A Marshal of France , had been a companion-at-arms of Joan of Arc 's army during the Siege of Orléans in 1429. According to legend, another ancestor acquired the crown of thorns during the Sixth Crusade . His non-Lafayette ancestors are also notable; his great-grandfather (his mother's maternal grandfather) was the Comte de La Rivière, until his death in 1770 commander of the Mousquetaires du Roi , or "Black Musketeers", King Louis XV 's personal horse guard. Lafayette's paternal uncle Jacques-Roch died on 18 January 1734 while fighting

664-532: A "truly national assembly", which represented the whole of France. Instead, the king chose to summon an Estates General , to convene in 1789. Lafayette was elected as a representative of the nobility (the Second Estate ) from Riom . The Estates General, traditionally, cast one vote for each of the three Estates: clergy, nobility, and commons, meaning the much larger commons was generally outvoted. The Estates General convened on 5 May 1789; debate began on whether

830-571: A bust from the state of Virginia. Maryland's legislature honored him by making him and his male heirs "natural born Citizens" of the state, which made him a natural-born citizen of the United States after the 1789 ratification of the Constitution . Lafayette later boasted that he had become an American citizen before the concept of French citizenship existed. Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Virginia also granted him citizenship. Lafayette made

996-506: A cigar and, holding the cannon in plain view of the Indians, he directed them to leave at once or he would "blow them all to the devil". In a panic, the fleeing Indians fell over one another to get off the boat. In 1850 LaBarge was making a voyage aboard the steamer Saint Ange heading for Fort Union , on the upper Missouri River in the dense wilderness of north-west North Dakota . LaBarge's wife and other ladies were aboard, his wife being among

1162-521: A combined French and Spanish expedition against the British West Indies in 1782, as no formal peace treaty had yet been signed. The Treaty of Paris was signed between Great Britain and the United States in 1783, which made the expedition unnecessary; Lafayette took part in those negotiations. Lafayette worked with Jefferson to establish trade agreements between the United States and France which aimed to reduce America's debt to France. He joined

1328-505: A craft as a steamboat. One Mexican soldier is reported to have attempted to lasso her by her smoke stack as others fired on the craft heeding Santa Anna's order to capture the boat for his own crossing. The bullet-ridden stacks represented the only damage the steamboat incurred as she quickly outran her pursuers. Soon after the Texans' victory at San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, the Yellowstone

1494-462: A crowding mob calling for the heads of the monarchs as well as Lafayette. Lafayette had been responsible for the royal family's custody as leader of the National Guard, and he was thus blamed by extremists such as Georges Danton , declaring in a speech directed towards Lafayette "You swore that the king would not leave. Either you sold out your country or you are stupid for having made a promise for

1660-598: A crucial part in the battles to come. Washington, fearing a letter might be captured by the British, could not tell Lafayette that he planned to trap Cornwallis in a decisive campaign. Lafayette evaded Cornwallis' attempts to capture him in Richmond . In June 1781, Cornwallis received orders from London to proceed to the Chesapeake Bay and to oversee construction of a port, in preparation for an overland attack on Philadelphia. As

1826-551: A draft of the " Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen " to the Assembly, written by himself in consultation with Jefferson. The next day, after the dismissal of Finance Minister Jacques Necker (who was seen as a reformer), lawyer Camille Desmoulins assembled between 700 and 1000 armed insurgents. The king had the royal army under the duc de Broglie surround Paris. On 14 July,

SECTION 10

#1732851696574

1992-539: A good run. We are five hundred and seventy-five miles above St. Louis. By June 17, with the Missouri River four feet (1.2 m) higher than ever known before, LaBarge and his partners decided to stop ten miles (16 km) above Fort Benton, where they built a trading post, naming it Fort LaBarge. LaBarge, Harkness & Co., and the American Fur Company, were fierce competitors in the fur trading business. In

2158-648: A key figure in the French Revolution of 1789 and the July Revolution of 1830 and continues to be celebrated as a hero in both France and the United States. Lafayette was born into a wealthy land-owning family in Chavaniac in the province of Auvergne in south-central France. He followed the family's martial tradition and was commissioned an officer at age 13. He became convinced that the American revolutionary cause

2324-566: A large steamer, and the Shreveport , a shallow draft vessel. The LaBarge brothers managed affairs concerning the steamboats, while Harkness went to Washington to obtain the necessary permits from the Interior Department, and to establish friendly relations with the Office of Indian Affairs. Supplies and tools were also purchased for building a store to sell furs and other goods in what would become

2490-546: A liberal member of the Chamber of Deputies , a position which he held for most of the remainder of his life. In 1824, President James Monroe invited him to the United States as the nation's guest, where he visited all 24 states in the union and met a rapturous reception. During France's July Revolution of 1830, he declined an offer to become the French dictator. Instead, he supported Louis-Philippe as king, but turned against him when

2656-531: A lifelong Democrat. The demands of the fur trade were largely responsible for the advent of steamboat use on the Missouri River, and by 1830 the young LaBarge bore witness to the steamboats coming to and departing Saint Louis, which were employed in the service of this trade, their principal business in the mid-nineteenth century. Answering the high demand for furs in the East and in Europe, the American Fur Company , dominated

2822-548: A lifelong friend of LaBarge, gave the final funeral sermon, expressing that LaBarge had led a good life and that no stigma or vice could be attached to his name. He was buried in his home state of Missouri in Calvary Cemetery near the Missouri River. In 2002, Joseph LaBarge was inducted into the National Rivers Hall of Fame , sponsored by The National Mississippi River Museum, as "The most renowned mountain boat pilot on

2988-634: A major command in the French forces. Spain was now France's ally against Britain and sent ships to the English Channel in support. The Spanish ships did not arrive until August 1779 and were met by a faster squadron of British ships that the combined French and Spanish fleet could not catch. In September, the invasion was abandoned, and Lafayette turned his hopes toward returning to America. In December 1779, Adrienne gave birth to Georges Washington Lafayette . Lafayette worked with Benjamin Franklin to secure

3154-573: A man stationed there, wary of the outbreak, and watching for anyone coming from Missouri. LaBarge was not permitted to proceed and was threatened to be shot if he persisted. LaBarge agreed to remain where he was if the man would inform Chouteau of the purpose of his arrival. On Captain Bennett's return the boat proceeded on her voyage up the Missouri and arrived at the mouth of the Yellowstone on June 17, becoming

3320-592: A middle course through the years of revolution. In August 1792, radical factions ordered his arrest, and he fled to the Austrian Netherlands . He was captured by Austrian troops and spent more than five years in prison. Lafayette returned to France after Napoleon Bonaparte secured his release in 1797, though he refused to participate in Napoleon's government. After the Bourbon Restoration of 1814, he became

3486-686: A military and political leader in America, and he met Lafayette in Bordeaux and convinced him that the government actually wanted him to go. This was not true, though there was considerable public support for Lafayette in Paris, where the American cause was popular. Lafayette wanted to believe it, and pretended to comply with the order to report to Marseilles, going only a few kilometres east before turning around and returning to his ship. Victoire set sail out of Pauillac on

SECTION 20

#1732851696574

3652-456: A more prestigious school taught by Elihu H. Shephard, considered an excellent teacher. His command of English would come slowly, but eventually he mastered the language. At age twelve Joseph attended Saint Mary's College in Perry County for three years. His parents had intended to educate their son for the priesthood, and Joseph's curriculum at Saint Mary's was selected for that purpose. However,

3818-512: A new crew. From 1831 through 1833, regular runs of the steamboat took advantage of the higher river due to April snow melts and again in June and July by favor of snow melt from the Rocky Mountains. During the winters when ice prevented such travel and late summer when water levels were insufficient for the six foot draft of the vessel, the Yellowstone served the cotton and sugar cane markets along

3984-462: A person whom you could not trust…. France can be free without you." He was further called a traitor to the people by Maximilien Robespierre . These accusations made Lafayette appear a royalist, damaged his reputation in the eyes of the public, and strengthened the hands of the Jacobins and other radicals in opposition to him. He continued to urge the constitutional rule of law, but he was drowned out by

4150-456: A point further from the sea by river navigation than any other boat had up to this time. LaBarge permanently ended his service to the American Fur Company in 1857 and spent the next three years mainly on the lower Missouri river, rarely venturing beyond Council Bluffs, Iowa . By the summer of 1859 he built himself a new steamboat, considered one of the best vessels to navigate the Missouri River. Pierre Chouteau, Jr., LaBarge's former employer from

4316-425: A raiding party of Yanktonian Sioux Indians took possession of the woodpile, demanding payment. During the incident they boarded the vessel and killed one of the crewmen, and then drowned the boiler fires. Aboard the boat was a cannon which was in the engine room having its carriage repaired. While the Indians were occupied towards the front of the vessel LaBarge had the cannon brought up to the cabin and loaded. Lighting

4482-571: A retreat while the British remained indecisive. To feign numerical superiority, Lafayette ordered men to appear from the woods on an outcropping (now Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania ) and to fire upon the British periodically. His troops simultaneously escaped via a sunken road, and he was then able to cross Matson's Ford with the remainder of his force. The British then marched from Philadelphia toward New York. The Continental Army followed and finally attacked at Monmouth Courthouse in central New Jersey. Washington appointed General Charles Lee to lead

4648-444: A striking resemblance to General Ulysses S. Grant . LaBarge married Pelagie Guerette on August 17, 1842, whom he knew since his childhood. Pelagie was also born in St. Louis, on January 10, 1825. One of the first water-driven mills in St. Louis was built and operated by her father, a millwright and architect. They had seven children. LaBarge was a lifelong Catholic in religion, and in politics,

4814-469: A three-year contract to serve as a clerk for the American Fur Company at a salary of $ 700. He returned to the Yellowstone and traveled up the Missouri River to Council Bluffs, Iowa , where he worked in the flourishing fur trade along the Missouri River. LaBarge earned his Master's license for piloting riverboats at the age of 25. In 1833 LaBarge, aboard the steamship Yellowstone , left Saint Louis and

4980-464: A year of his arrival, and his Masonic membership opened many doors in Philadelphia. After Lafayette offered to serve without pay, Congress commissioned him a major general on 31 July 1777. Lafayette's advocates included the recently arrived American envoy to France, Benjamin Franklin , who by letter urged Congress to accommodate the young Frenchman. General George Washington , commander in chief of

5146-649: The Chippewa was sold to the company for a sum about equal to its charter price. At this time, freight from the Spread Eagle was transferred to the Chippewa . The Spread Eagle was commanded by Captain LaBarge, while his brother, John, assumed command of the Chippewa . On July 17, 1859, the Chippewa made her way successfully, to within fifteen miles of Fort Benton, and unloaded her cargo at Brule bottom, where Fort McKenzie had once stood. In so doing she had thus managed to reach

Joseph LaBarge - Misplaced Pages Continue

5312-650: The Château de Chavaniac , in Chavaniac-Lafayette , near Le Puy-en-Velay , in the province of Auvergne (now Haute-Loire ). Lafayette's lineage was likely one of the oldest and most distinguished in Auvergne and, perhaps, in all of France. Males of the Lafayette family enjoyed a reputation for courage and chivalry and were noted for their contempt for danger. One of Lafayette's early ancestors, Gilbert de Lafayette III ,

5478-595: The Continental Army , came to Philadelphia to brief Congress on military affairs. Lafayette met him at a dinner on 5 August 1777; according to Leepson, "the two men bonded almost immediately." Washington was impressed by the young man's enthusiasm and was inclined to think well of a fellow Mason; Lafayette was simply in awe of the commanding general. General Washington took the Frenchman to view his military camp; when Washington expressed embarrassment at its state and that of

5644-583: The Duc d'Orléans ). However, the National Assembly thought condemning two significant revolutionaries would hurt the progress and public reception of the revolutionary administration. As leader of the National Guard, Lafayette attempted to maintain order and steer a middle ground, even as the radicals gained increasing influence. He and Paris' mayor Jean Sylvain Bailly instituted a political club on 12 May 1790 called

5810-594: The Flight to Varennes almost enabled the king to escape from France on 20 June 1791. The king and queen had escaped from the Tuileries Palace, essentially under the watch of Lafayette and the National Guard. Being notified of their escape, Lafayette sent the Guard out in a multitude of directions in order to retrieve the escapee monarchs. Five days later, Lafayette and the National Guard led the royal carriage back into Paris amidst

5976-630: The Hôtel de La Fayette in Paris's rue de Bourbon an important meeting place for Americans there. Benjamin Franklin, John and Sarah Jay , and John and Abigail Adams met there every Monday and dined in company with Lafayette's family and the liberal nobility, including Clermont-Tonnerre and Madame de Staël . Lafayette continued to work on lowering trade barriers in France to American goods, and on assisting Franklin and Jefferson in seeking treaties of amity and commerce with European nations. He also sought to correct

6142-573: The Mink . When the hull was almost completed LaBarge brought the boat down into the river and supervised her completion and worked as her pilot during the entire season. As early as 1834, new speed and distance records for steamboats were being established on the Missouri River. That year the steamboat Assiniboine reached a point near the mouth of Poplar River , a hundred miles above the Yellowstone River, but because of low water levels remained there for

6308-472: The Montana Territory two years later. Their venture was short- lived because Harkness was not suited for the arduous task of managing such an enterprise on the frontier; LaBarge, Harkness & Company disbanded and sold their wares to the American Fur Company, at Fort Benton in 1863. On April 30, John LaBarge, aboard the Shreveport , embarked northward for Fort Benton with 75 passengers aboard and all

6474-584: The Ohio River , in the summer of 1837. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library in San Antonio is said to contain a brass bell purported to be that of the Yellowstone . Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, Marquis de La Fayette ( French: [ʒilbɛʁ dy mɔtje maʁki d(ə) la fajɛt] ; 6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in

6640-487: The Seven Years' War . When Lafayette heard that French officers were being sent to America, he demanded to be among them. He met Deane, and gained inclusion despite his youth. On 7 December 1776, Deane enlisted Lafayette as a major general. The plan to send French officers (as well as other forms of aid) to America came to nothing when the British heard of it and threatened war. Lafayette's father-in-law, de Noailles, scolded

6806-563: The Society of 1789 whose intention was to provide balance to the influence of the radical Jacobins . Lafayette helped organize and lead the assembly at the Fête de la Fédération on 14 July 1790 where he, alongside the National Guard and the king, took the civic oath on the Champs de Mars on 14 July 1790 vowing to "be ever faithful to the nation, to the law, and to the king; to support with our utmost power

Joseph LaBarge - Misplaced Pages Continue

6972-548: The Society of the Friends of the Blacks , a French abolitionist group which advocated for the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade and equal rights for free people of color . He urged the emancipation of American slaves and their establishment as tenant farmers in a 1783 letter to Washington, who was a slave owner . Washington declined to free his slaves, though he expressed interest in

7138-515: The Sonora , he made a trip up to Fort Union with their annual outfit of supplies. His next order of business took him to New Orleans where he operated for the remainder of the season, and found plenty of business left by many captains and crews who abandoned the city because of a yellow fever scare. That autumn he sold the Sonora and purchased a smaller vessel, the Highland Mary , which he put to work in

7304-475: The Spread Eagle , which finally arrived on June 20. Bailey was soon held accountable for damages and reckless endangerment when he returned to Saint Louis, but LaBarge one month later pardoned him, allowing his reinstatement. Captain LaBarge also saw service in General Custer's campaign in 1876. In the autumn, when water levels on the upper Missouri River were low, a light-draft riverboat was needed, prompting

7470-696: The United States as Lafayette ( / ˌ l ɑː f i ˈ ɛ t , ˌ l æ f -/ LA(H)F -ee- ET ), was a French nobleman and military officer who volunteered to join the Continental Army , led by General George Washington , in the American Revolutionary War . Lafayette was ultimately permitted to command Continental Army troops in the decisive Siege of Yorktown in 1781, the Revolutionary War's final major battle that secured American independence. After returning to France , Lafayette became

7636-586: The Yellowstone was called upon to take the body of Texas hero Stephen F. Austin to burial, and then return mourners along the Brazos River afterward. The ultimate fate of the Yellowstone is not recorded. Texas legend is that she sank in Buffalo Bayou in 1837; however, no record of such an end exists. A record does exist stating that a steamboat by that name passed through the Louisville and Portland Canal on

7802-569: The right of the people to rule themselves. Lafayette later recalled the dinner as a turning point in his thinking, and when he learned that Washington was seeking recruits for the Continental Army. In September 1775, when Lafayette turned 18, he returned to Paris and received the captaincy in the Dragoons he had been promised as a wedding present. In December, his first child, Henriette, was born. During these months, Lafayette became convinced that

7968-475: The 12-year-old Lafayette inherited a yearly income of 120,000 livres. In May 1771, aged less than 14, Lafayette was commissioned an officer in the Musketeers, with the rank of sous-lieutenant . His duties, which included marching in military parades and presenting himself to King Louis, were mostly ceremonial and he continued his studies as usual. At this time, Jean-Paul-François de Noailles, Duc d'Ayen

8134-638: The American Fur Trade, having heard about his undertaking, offered any assistance he may have needed, as the Company still valued LaBarge's services and would gladly have given him employment again. Having thanked Mr. Chouteau, LaBarge declined his offer. Upon completion of his new steamboat, LaBarge named her the Emilie , after one of his daughters. LaBarge was now the proud owner, designer, builder, and master of his own private riverboat. The Emilie soon became one of

8300-446: The American Revolution reflected his own beliefs, saying "My heart was dedicated." The year 1776 saw delicate negotiations between American agents, including Silas Deane , and Louis XVI and his foreign minister, Comte Charles de Vergennes . The king and his minister hoped that by supplying the Americans with arms and officers, they might restore French influence in North America, and exact revenge against Britain for France's defeat in

8466-413: The American army was bolstered by the display of courage by the men. By August, Cornwallis had established the British at Yorktown, and Lafayette took up position on Malvern Hill , stationing artillery surrounding the British, who were close to the York River , and who had orders to construct fortifications to protect the British ships in Hampton Roads . Lafayette's containment trapped the British when

SECTION 50

#1732851696574

8632-655: The American cause at a low ebb, rocked by several military defeats, especially in the south. Lafayette was greeted in Boston with enthusiasm, seen as "a knight in shining armor from the chivalric past, come to save the nation". He journeyed southwest and on 10 May 1780 had a joyous reunion with Washington at Morristown, New Jersey . The general and his officers were delighted to hear that the large French force promised to Lafayette would be coming to their aid. Washington, aware of Lafayette's popularity, had him write (with Alexander Hamilton to correct his spelling) to state officials to urge them to provide more troops and provisions to

8798-428: The American side. The Oneida referred to Lafayette as Kayewla (fearsome horseman). In Valley Forge, he criticized the board's decision to attempt an invasion of Quebec in winter. The Continental Congress agreed, and Gates left the board. Meanwhile, treaties signed by America and France were made public in March 1778, and France formally recognized American independence. Faced with the prospect of French intervention,

8964-424: The Americans, with most battles in the south going against them, and General Benedict Arnold abandoning them for the British side. Lafayette spent the first part of the winter of 1780–81 in Philadelphia , where the American Philosophical Society elected him its first foreign member. Congress asked him to return to France to lobby for more men and supplies, but Lafayette refused, sending letters instead. After

9130-401: The Army of the East's commander. At dinner, both men discussed the ongoing revolt against British rule in the Thirteen Colonies . Historian Marc Leepson argued that Lafayette, "who had grown up loathing the British for killing his father", felt that an American victory in the conflict would diminish Britain's stature internationally. Another historian noted that Lafayette had recently become

9296-438: The Austrians at Milan in the War of the Polish Succession ; upon his death, the title of marquis passed to his brother Michel. Lafayette's father likewise died on the battlefield. On 1 August 1759, Michel de Lafayette was struck by a cannonball while fighting a Anglo -German army at the Battle of Minden in Westphalia . Lafayette became marquis and Lord of Chavaniac, but the estate went to his mother. Perhaps devastated by

9462-411: The British column traveled, Lafayette sent small squads that would appear unexpectedly, attacking the rearguard or foraging parties, and giving the impression that his forces were larger than they were. On 4 July, the British left Williamsburg and prepared to cross the James River . Cornwallis sent only an advance guard to the south side of the river, hiding many of his other troops in the forest on

9628-660: The British defenses. After a failed British counter-attack, Cornwallis surrendered on 19 October 1781. Yorktown was the last major land battle of the American Revolution, but the British still held several major port cities. Lafayette wanted to lead expeditions to capture them, but Washington felt that he would be more useful seeking additional naval support from France. Congress appointed him its advisor to America's envoys in Europe, Benjamin Franklin in Paris, John Jay in Madrid, and John Adams in The Hague, instructing them "to communicate and agree on everything with him". Congress also sent Louis XVI an official letter of commendation on

9794-481: The British sought to concentrate their land and naval forces in New York City, and they began to evacuate Philadelphia in May 1778. Washington dispatched Lafayette with a 2,200-man force on 18 May to reconnoiter near Barren Hill , Pennsylvania. The next day, the British heard that he had made camp nearby and sent 5,000 men to capture him. General Howe led a further 6,000 soldiers on 20 May and ordered an attack on his left flank. The flank scattered, and Lafayette organized

9960-423: The British withdrew in the night and successfully reached New York. The French fleet arrived at Delaware Bay on 8 July 1778 under Admiral d'Estaing , with whom General Washington planned to attack Newport, Rhode Island , the other major British base in the north. Lafayette and General Greene were sent with a 3,000-man force to participate in the attack. Lafayette wanted to control a joint Franco-American force but

10126-463: The Continental Army. This bore fruit in the coming months, as Lafayette awaited the arrival of the French fleet. However, when the fleet arrived, there were fewer men and supplies than expected, and Rochambeau decided to wait for reinforcements before seeking battle with the British. This was unsatisfactory to Lafayette, who proposed grandiose schemes for the taking of New York City and other areas, and Rochambeau briefly refused to receive Lafayette until

SECTION 60

#1732851696574

10292-412: The Continental victory at the Battle of Cowpens in the Province of South Carolina , in January 1781, Washington ordered Lafayette to re-form his force in Philadelphia and go south to the Colony of Virginia to link up with troops commanded by Baron von Steuben . The combined force was to try to trap British forces commanded by Benedict Arnold, with French ships preventing his escape by sea. If Lafayette

10458-419: The Declaration on 26 August, but the king rejected it on 2 October. Three days later, a Parisian crowd led by women fishmongers marched to Versailles in response to the scarcity of bread. Members of the National Guard followed the march, with Lafayette reluctantly leading them. At Versailles, the king accepted the Assembly's votes on the Declaration, but refused requests to go to Paris, and the crowd broke into

10624-422: The French departure from Newport to be a desertion. John Hancock and Lafayette were dispatched to calm the situation, and Lafayette then returned to Rhode Island to prepare the retreat made necessary by d'Estaing's departure. For these actions, he was cited by the Continental Congress for "gallantry, skill, and prudence". He wanted to expand the war to fight the British elsewhere in America and even in Europe under

10790-446: The French flag, but he found little interest in his proposals. In October 1778, he requested permission from Washington and Congress to go home on leave. They agreed, with Congress voting to give him a ceremonial sword to be presented to him in France. His departure was delayed by illness, and he sailed for France in January 1779. Lafayette reached Paris in February 1779 where he was placed under house arrest for eight days for disobeying

10956-496: The French fleet arrived and won the Battle of the Virginia Capes , depriving Cornwallis of naval protection. On 14 September 1781, Washington's forces joined Lafayette's. On 28 September, with the French fleet blockading the British, the combined forces laid siege to Yorktown . On 14 October, Lafayette's 400 men on the American right took Redoubt  9 after Alexander Hamilton 's forces had charged Redoubt 10 in hand-to-hand combat. These two redoubts were key to breaking

11122-418: The Fur Company's inventory and supplies there. LaBarge was then commissioned to transport army personnel to the newly acquired fort. In 1852, Captain Edward Salt-Marsh arrived from Ohio to Saint Louis with the Sonora , a steamboat that LaBarge considered "an excellent craft". After learning it was up for sale, and following lengthy negotiations, LaBarge purchased the Sonora from the captain for $ 30,000. Using

11288-401: The Missouri River on board the Yellowstone . That journey was also chronicled in Maximilian's Reise in das Innere Nord-Amerikas . Karl Bodmer's depiction of the Yellowstone struggling over a sand bar may be the most accurate depiction of the steamboat in existence. In July 1833, the crew and passengers of the Yellowstone was overcome by cholera . Many of the crew and passengers, including

11454-492: The Missouri River, and was often consulted by historians and others who had occasion to recover accounts about people and events involved with the Missouri's early history. In 1896, LaBarge biographer Hiram M. Chittenden , an officer in the Army Corps of Engineers, decided to publish an account of steamboat wrecks that occurred on the Missouri River in an attempt to determine which types of improvements for navigation were needed. Searching for information he sought out LaBarge, who

11620-443: The Missouri River, commanded by LaBarge and his brother, John, with its annual outfit of men and supplies. The Company employed its own boat, the Spread Eagle , and chartered a second riverboat, called the Chippewa . It was a light vessel and her owner, Captain Crabtree, was contracted to reach Fort Benton, 31 miles below the Great Falls , or as far past this point as was possible. At Fort Union Crabtree defaulted in his contract and

11786-559: The Missouri that year when he piloted Saint Ange , with more than a hundred passengers aboard, from Saint Louis to Fort Union at the mouth of the Yellowstone River in twenty-eight days. The next year, departing from Saint Louis, he set yet another record with the same steamboat to the Poplar River , the farthest point north on the Missouri river ever reached by a steamboat. Aboard were the notable Jesuit missionaries, Fathers Pierre-Jean De Smet and Christian Hoecken , Catholic missionaries who were working with and teaching Christianity to

11952-523: The South. Although somewhat sympathetic also, Captain LaBarge remained loyal to the Union and took an oath of allegiance to the Union, not wanting to see the nation divided. While operating on the Missouri River, Confederate general John S. Marmaduke , whom LaBarge knew well, placed LaBarge under arrest and seized his boat and crew at Boonville and ordered him to transport Sterling Price , another Confederate general who

12118-499: The Texans in their fight for Independence against Santa Anna. In late March and early April 1836, despite three Mexican forces under Generals Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna , Antonio Gaona and Jose Urrea all searching for the Texas army along the right bank of the Brazos River, the Yellowstone steamed upstream to continue collecting cotton from the growers. In early April, Santa Anna was camped at San Felipe de Austin , fifteen miles below

12284-471: The U.S. government to commission LaBarge and his steamboat, the John M. Chambers , to transport food and supplies to Fort Buford . LaBarge left Saint Louis on August 5 and reached Fort Buford on September 2. After the cargo was unloaded, Brigadier General Alfred Terry with a company of troops and an artillery piece were brought aboard. The steamboat started out for Wolf Point early on the morning of August 12, with

12450-742: The West Indies to sell cargo, but Lafayette was fearful of arrest, so he bought the cargo to avoid docking at the islands. He landed on North Island near Georgetown, South Carolina on 13 June 1777. Upon his arrival, Lafayette met Major Benjamin Huger , a wealthy landowner, and stayed with him for two weeks before departing for the revolutionary capital of Philadelphia . The Second Continental Congress , convened in Philadelphia, had been overwhelmed by French officers recruited by Deane, many of whom could not speak English or lacked military experience. Lafayette had learned some English en route and became fluent within

12616-682: The abolition of slavery, and he urged the Pennsylvania Legislature to help form a federal union (the states were then bound by the Articles of Confederation ). He visited the Mohawk Valley in New York to participate in peace negotiations with the Iroquois , some of whom he had met in 1778. He received an honorary degree from Harvard University , a portrait of Washington from the city of Boston, and

12782-497: The age of 21, traveled from Quebec in a birch-bark canoe over lakes and rivers and settled in St. Louis at a time when the city was the center of the enormous fur trade. LaBarge Senior fought in the War of 1812 , most notably at the Battle of Frenchtown where he lost two fingers during the battle. LaBarge Senior was a trapper who also worked as a guide and engaged in many trapping expeditions in

12948-437: The attacking force at the Battle of Monmouth , and Lee moved against the British flank on 28 June. However, he gave conflicting orders soon after fighting began, causing chaos in the American ranks. Lafayette sent a message to Washington to urge him to the front; upon his arrival, he found Lee's men in retreat. Washington relieved Lee, took command, and rallied the American force. After suffering significant casualties at Monmouth,

13114-402: The cargo the vessel could carry. Two weeks later LaBarge, piloting the Emilie , set out, loaded with 160 passengers and 350 tons of freight, and in the process set speed and distance records. The Emilie completed its trip upriver, covering 2,300 miles (3,700 km) in thirty-two days. This was the first time LaBarge had been more than one hundred miles (160 km) above Fort Union. Some of

13280-452: The cholera outbreak aboard the Yellowstone spread, a pro tempore board of health from Jackson County ordered the boat to move on, threatening to burn the craft if it remained. Now acting as both pilot and engineer, and realizing the danger, LaBarge took the boat up a short distance from the mouth of the Kansas on the west shore of the Missouri, where there were no inhabitants. The cargo aboard

13446-522: The circumstances he was allowed to continue operating on the river for the remainder of the war. In the winter of 1861–1862 LaBarge and several partners formed the firm of LaBarge, Harkness & Co., based in Saint Louis, for purposes of trading on the upper Missouri River. Members of the firm included LaBarge, his brother John, James Harkness, William Galpin and Eugene Jaccard. Each member put up $ 10,000 with which two steamboats were purchased; The Emilie ,

13612-506: The coming months. He and part of the National Guard left the Tuileries on 28 February 1791 to handle a conflict in Vincennes, and hundreds of armed nobles arrived at the Tuileries to defend the king while he was gone. However, there were rumors that these nobles had come to take the king away and place him at the head of a counter-revolution. Lafayette quickly returned to the Tuileries and disarmed

13778-533: The commons, and on the 17th, the group declared itself the National Assembly . The loyalist response was to lock out the group, including Lafayette, while those who had not supported the Assembly met inside. This action led to the Tennis Court Oath , where the excluded members swore not to separate until a constitution was established. The Assembly continued to meet, and on 11 July 1789, Lafayette presented

13944-486: The constitution decreed by the National Assembly, and accepted by the king." In the eyes of the royalist factions, Lafayette took a large risk holding a largely undisciplined group at the Champs de Mars in fear for the safety of the king, whereas for Jacobins this solidified in their eyes Lafayette's royalist tendencies and an encouragement of the common people's support of the monarchy. Lafayette continued to work for order in

14110-507: The crossing with multiple trips by mid-afternoon the following day. On April 14, as the Texans marched toward San Jacinto , the Yellowstone , still armored in cotton bales, began her sprint downstream to pass the Mexican camps on her way to the Gulf. With her bell clanging and smoke billowing, the Yellowstone sent many of the Mexican soldiers running in fear, having never known the existence of such

14276-524: The crowd. Lafayette would later initiate an investigation within the National Assembly on the now declared October Days , which led to the production of the Procédure Criminelle by Jean-Baptiste-Charles Chabroud , a 688-page document accumulating evidence and analysis on the exact events and procedures of the March on Versailles, hoping to condemn those inciting the mob (in his mind being Mirabeau and

14442-403: The delegates should vote by head or by Estate. If by Estate, then the nobility and clergy would be able to outvote the commons; if by head, then the larger Third Estate could dominate. Before the meeting, as a member of the "Committee of Thirty", Lafayette agitated for voting by head, rather than estate. He could not get a majority of his own Estate to agree, but the clergy was willing to join with

14608-410: The duration of the winter. This remained the farthest point reached by steamboats until 1853 when the steamboat El Paso surpassed this point by 125 miles (201 km), five miles above the mouth of Milk River , which came to be known as El Paso point. This marked the uppermost limit of steamboat navigation for the following six years. In the spring of 1859 the American Fur Company sent two vessels up

14774-450: The ever emerging railroads. By 1866 there were only 71 steamboats in active service which could feasibly only service the river between Saint Louis and Kansas City . From 1890 to 1894 LaBarge worked for the city of Saint Louis. Thereafter he found employment with the federal government documenting steamboat wrecks that occurred on the Missouri River. Captain LaBarge managed to survive most of his associates involved with shipping and trade on

14940-665: The field in November after two months of recuperation in the Moravian settlement of Bethlehem , and received command of the division previously led by Major General Adam Stephen . He assisted General Nathanael Greene in reconnaissance of British positions in New Jersey; with 300 soldiers, he defeated a numerically superior Hessian force in Gloucester , on 24 November 1777. Lafayette stayed at Washington's encampment at Valley Forge in

15106-415: The firemen and assistant Indian Agent Robinson Pemberton Beauchamp, died, and the boat was under threat of being burned by locals in both Iowa and Nebraska who were afraid of contagion. Leaving famed steamboat captain, then a clerk and pilot, Joseph LaBarge , to hold and protect the boat and its ailing crew, the Yellowstone' s captain, Anson G. Bennett, ventured downstream to St. Louis, and soon returned with

15272-399: The first cholera epidemic in the United States, which at that time killed half the crew aboard the Yellowstone . After years of success in the shipping business, LaBarge, his brother, and other partners formed their own trading firm on the upper Missouri River. A steamboat captain for more than fifty years, LaBarge was considered the greatest steamboat man on the Missouri River, and was among

15438-542: The first steamboat pilots to navigate the uppermost Missouri River in the 1830s. His long career as a riverboat captain exceeded 50 years and spanned the entire era of active riverboat business on the Missouri River. Joseph LaBarge was born on Sunday, October 1, 1815, in St. Louis , Missouri . His father was Joseph Marie LaBarge, Senior and his mother was Eulalie Hortiz LaBarge. He was the second of seven children, three boys and four girls, who all survived to adulthood. His father, at

15604-412: The first steamboat to reach the mouth of the Yellowstone. During the summer of 1838, LaBarge was serving as pilot aboard the steamboat Platte . Twelve miles downriver from Fort Leavenworth one of the guys of the yawl derrick broke, sending the yawl adrift down the river. The yawl was so essential for navigating the steamboat up the Missouri River that its loss would have proven irreparable. Aware of

15770-408: The first white women to ever see the fort. Along the way a boy fell overboard from the forecastle . LaBarge was nearby and immediately dove into the river and seized him, keeping the boy from being taken in by the steamboat's sidewheel and got the youth safely to shore, an event that again demonstrated LaBarge's ability as a skilled swimmer. LaBarge exceeded the existing speed record for steamboats on

15936-527: The fortress known as the Bastille was stormed by the insurgents. On 15 July, Lafayette was acclaimed commander-in-chief of the Parisian National Guard , an armed force established to maintain order under the control of the Assembly military service as well as policing, traffic control, sanitization, lighting, among other matters of local administration. Lafayette proposed the name and the symbol of

16102-506: The fur trade and made regular and frequent use of steamboats. From 1831 to 1846 steamboat navigation on the upper Missouri River was confined almost entirely to riverboats owned by the American Fur Company. Among these vessels were the Yellowstone , and the Spread Eagle , both of which would eventually be piloted by LaBarge during the course of events. Not content working as a shop clerk,

16268-446: The fur trading business, before building his own steamboat, the Emilie , to become an independent riverman. During his career he exceeded several existing speed and distance records for steamboats on the Missouri River. Passengers aboard his vessels sometimes included notable people, including Abraham Lincoln . LaBarge routinely offered his steamboat services gratis to Jesuit missionaries throughout his career. LaBarge managed to avoid

16434-436: The group: a blue, white, and red cockade. This combined the red and blue colors of the city of Paris with the royal white, and originated the French tricolor. He faced a difficult task as head of the Guard; the king and many loyalists considered him and his supporters to be little better than revolutionaries, whereas many commoners felt that he was helping the king to keep power via this position. The National Assembly approved

16600-526: The injustices that Huguenots in France had endured since the revocation of the Edict of Nantes a century before. On 29 December 1786, King Louis XVI called an Assembly of Notables , in response to France's fiscal crisis . The king appointed Lafayette to the body, which convened on 22 February 1787. In speeches, Lafayette decried those with connections at court who had profited from advance knowledge of government land purchases; he advocated reform. He called for

16766-468: The king by going to America. This was merely face-saving by Louis XVI ; Lafayette was given a hero's welcome and was soon invited to hunt with the king. The American envoy was ill, so Benjamin Franklin's grandson William Temple Franklin presented Lafayette with the gold-encrusted sword commissioned by the Continental Congress. Lafayette pushed for an invasion of Britain , with himself to have

16932-470: The loss of her husband, she went to live in Paris with her father and grandfather, leaving Lafayette to be raised in Chavaniac-Lafayette by his paternal grandmother, Mme de Chavaniac, who had brought the château into the family with her dowry. In 1768, when Lafayette was 11, he was summoned to Paris to live with his mother and great-grandfather at the comte's apartments in Luxembourg Palace . The boy

17098-533: The lower Mississippi River . After the final July 1833 run up the Missouri River, the steamboat continued the work along the Mississippi River with Captain John P. Phillips, under new ownership. In November 1835, the Yellowstone steamed to New Orleans for a significant refit, a second boiler was added and much of the wooden components replaced with newer wood. Meanwhile, she was sold yet again and registered by

17264-466: The lower Missouri river during the entire season of 1853, after which he sold this vessel that autumn. By 1854 Captain LaBarge was commissioned by the U.S. government most of the time. During the previous winter Colonel Crossman, of the U.S. Army Quartermaster stationed in St. Louis, contracted a shipbuilding company operating on the Osage River for a steamboat for use by the government. It would be named

17430-566: The man himself, asking him to compile his documents and correspondence and offer his personal recollections of his lifetime career as a riverman, trader and riverboat captain on the Missouri River. Work was moving along steadily until Chittenden was interrupted when he was called away during the Spanish–American War of 1898. While stationed in Huntsville, Alabama , Chittenden received news in 1899 from Saint Louis that LaBarge had taken ill and

17596-533: The marquis's behalf. Lafayette left Boston for France on 18 December 1781 where he was welcomed as a hero, and he was received at the Palace of Versailles on 22 January 1782. He witnessed the birth of his daughter, whom he named Marie-Antoinette Virginie upon Thomas Jefferson's recommendation. He was promoted to maréchal de camp , skipping numerous ranks, and he was made a Knight of the Order of Saint Louis . He worked on

17762-564: The monarch became autocratic. He died on 20 May 1834 and is buried in Picpus Cemetery in Paris, under soil from Bunker Hill . He is sometimes known as " The Hero of the Two Worlds " for his accomplishments in the service of both France and the United States. Lafayette was born on 6 September 1757 to Michel Louis Christophe Roch Gilbert Paulette du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette , colonel of grenadiers , and Marie Louise Jolie de La Rivière, at

17928-401: The most famous boats on the Missouri River. She was a sidewheel vessel, 225 feet (69 m) in length, had a beam of 32 feet (9.8 m), with a hold 6 feet (1.8 m), and could easily carry cargoes of up to 500 tons. The riverboat proved to be an exceedingly beautiful vessel. LaBarge embarked on Emilie's maiden voyage on October 1, 1859, which happened to be his forty-fourth birthday. In

18094-460: The mouth of the Kansas River until he could return to Saint Louis and get replacements for the crew. Before leaving, he assigned LaBarge the charge of the steamboat; this is when LaBarge, at age 18, began his fifty-year career as a riverman and steamboat pilot. While Bennett was away, the remainder of the crew died; LaBarge buried their bodies in a trench-grave alongside the Missouri. When news of

18260-541: The new owners for trade runs in foreign (specifically, the then Mexican Texas) waters. The steamboat was purchased by Thomas Toby & Brother to focus upon the cotton trade along the Brazos River in Texas, carrying bales from the growers down to Quintana on the Gulf Coast . Departing New Orleans on New Year's Eve, 1835, she was loaded with arms, ammunition and forty-seven volunteers of the Mobile Greys destined to support

18426-471: The nobles after a brief standoff. The event came to be known as the Day of Daggers , and it boosted Lafayette's popularity with the French people for his quick actions to protect the king. Nonetheless, the royal family were increasingly prisoners in their palace. The National Guard disobeyed Lafayette on 18 April and prevented the king from leaving for Saint-Cloud where he planned to attend Mass. A plot known as

18592-399: The north side, hoping to ambush Lafayette. On 6 July, Lafayette ordered General "Mad" Anthony Wayne to strike British troops on the north side with roughly 800 soldiers. Wayne found himself vastly outnumbered, and, instead of retreating, led a bayonet charge. The charge bought time for the Americans, and the British did not pursue. The Battle of Green Spring was a victory for Cornwallis, but

18758-426: The objective of heading off the Indians in that vicinity. LaBarge made about thirty miles (48 km) that day, making one stop at Fort Union to drop off General William Babcock Hazen and pick up a load of beef for the troops. On August 13, because of low water levels, LaBarge was only able to travel some twenty miles (32 km). The next day the party stopped to investigate a broken-down hospital ship abandoned on

18924-592: The palace at dawn. Lafayette took the royal family onto the palace balcony and attempted to restore order, but the crowd insisted that the king and his family move to Paris and the Tuileries Palace . The king came onto the balcony and the crowd started chanting "Vive le Roi!" Marie Antoinette then appeared with her children, but she was told to send the children back in. She returned alone and people shouted to shoot her, but she stood her ground and no one opened fire. Lafayette kissed her hand, leading to cheers from

19090-509: The passengers were making the trip because of reports of gold in the Dakota and Washington territories. Several days before the two steamboats embarked, Harkness had gone ahead by railroad to Saint Joseph where he began recording the venture in his private journal. His first entry read: St. Joseph, Mo., May 18, 1862. About one-third of this place has been burned and destroyed by the army. Took on ten passengers and left at 4 P.M. Weather very good. Made

19256-583: The possible predicament, LaBarge jumped into the river and swam over to the yawl, gained control and landed it a short distance downstream from the Platte , an episode which demonstrated LaBarge's ability as a swimmer. In 1847, acting as captain and pilot aboard the steamboat Martha , LaBarge journeyed up the Missouri River carrying supplies for various Indian tribes on the upper Missouri River. For several years Captain Sire had made this journey but had decided to retire from

19422-494: The promise of 6,000 soldiers to be sent to America, commanded by General Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau . Lafayette would resume his position as a major general of American forces, serving as liaison between Rochambeau and Washington, who would be in command of both nations' forces. In March 1780, he departed from Rochefort for America aboard the frigate Hermione , arriving in Boston on 27 April 1780. On his return, Lafayette found

19588-560: The residence of Jean Baptiste Trudeau, a noted and reputable teacher in St. Louis, where he studied the common branches in education, all in French. Knowing that their son needed to speak English fluently in order to make his way in America, his parents sent him to schools where instruction was given in English. To that end Joseph's next teacher was Salmon Giddings, the founder of the First Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, and after, to

19754-606: The riding school of Versailles, where his fellow students included the future Charles X , and at the prestigious Académie de Versailles. He was given a commission as a lieutenant in the Noailles Dragoons in April 1773, the transfer from the royal regiment being done at the request of Lafayette's father-in-law. In 1775, Lafayette took part in his unit's annual training in Metz , where he met Charles François de Broglie, Marquis of Ruffec ,

19920-454: The river, and Captain LaBarge immediately began the task of ferrying Reno's troops over, which was accomplished before nightfall. LaBarge then left for Buford the next morning, with General Terry, his staff, and 270 troops. LaBarge reached Fort Buford on August 17, and the John M. Chambers was discharged. After more than fifty years on the rivers, Captain LaBarge retired from steamboat piloting in 1885. By then steamboats could not compete with

20086-516: The river, leaving LaBarge in command of the boat and in charge of the company's business. LaBarge's wife, Pelagie, was also aboard. The trip north went without incident until they arrived at Crow Creek in the Dakota Territory, not far from a trading post owned and operated by Colin Campbell, who had a large supply of fire-wood ready as fuel for the steamer. In an effort to prevent refueling the vessel,

20252-429: The shore, which was found to have been used by Major Marcus Reno 's troops who were now pursuing the Indians. As they proceeded on, LaBarge came upon a small party coming down the river from Montana who brought news of Reno and his encounter with the Indians. The party boarded LaBarge's vessel and the next day made the return trip down the Missouri. On the 15th LaBarge arrived at Reno's camp. The Indians had already crossed

20418-892: The shores of the Gironde on 25 March 1777. However, Lafayette was not on board in order to avoid being identified by British spies or the French Crown; the vessel moored in Pasaia on the Basque coast, and was supplied with 5,000 rifles and ammunition from the factories in Gipuzkoa . He joined the Victoire , departing to America on 26 April 1777. The two-month journey to the New World was marked by seasickness and boredom. The ship's captain Lebourcier intended to stop in

20584-451: The spring of 1862 the two companies were about to make their annual trip up the Missouri River to Fort Benton with men and supplies. Each company, and their captains, were determined to get to the fort before the other. The Spread Eagle , owned by the American Fur Company, and commanded by Captain Bailey, departed Saint Louis first, two days before LaBarge departed in the Emilie , the faster of

20750-413: The summer of 1859 Abraham Lincoln came west and toured the Missouri River looking into real estate investments, where LaBarge saw the future president for the first time. Lincoln was a passenger on the Emilie , which carried him to Council Bluffs. During autumn of that year, river ice prevented the Emilie from proceeding while docked near Atchison, Kansas , which kept LaBarge there for the duration of

20916-408: The troops, Lafayette responded, "I am here to learn, not to teach." He became a member of Washington's staff, although confusion existed regarding his status. Congress regarded his commission as honorary, while he considered himself a full-fledged commander who would be given control of a division when Washington deemed him prepared. Washington told Lafayette that a division would not be possible as he

21082-412: The two vessels. The Emilie soon caught up to the Spread Eagle at Fort Berthold at which point the journey turned into a frantic race. In an act of desperation, Bailey rammed LaBarge's boat, but after LaBarge threatened to resort to lethal force if Bailey did not cease, almost starting a shootout, the attempt was aborted. Regardless, LaBarge managed to bring his damaged boat to the fort four days before

21248-561: The upper Missouri River. He was considered a riverman in his own right; subsequently all three of his sons, Joseph, John and Charles, aspired to the trade and became riverboat pilots. Not long after Joseph was born his parents bought and moved to a farm in Baden, Missouri , six miles distant from St. Louis. The area was mostly unsettled at the time and Sac and Fox Indians roamed the area and were at times aggressive and hostile. The infant LaBarge and his mother were once accosted by Indians while she

21414-888: The upper Missouri River." Yellowstone (steamboat) The Yellowstone was built between 1830 and 1831 in Louisville, Kentucky, for the American Fur Company to service the fur trade between Saint Louis, Missouri , and the trading camps along the Missouri River up to the mouth of the Yellowstone River in western North Dakota in support of their Montana fur trade . Prior to the Yellowstone , fur traders beyond Council Bluff relied on un-powered keelboats which had to be dragged up-river for supply and then floated downstream with their furs. Beginning in St. Louis, The Yellowstone made her maiden voyage on April 16, 1831, and reached Pierre, South Dakota , on June 19, 1831, six hundred miles farther than any other steamboat, dramatically opening

21580-560: The various Indian tribes in the North country. LaBarge was a close friend of De Smet, and always offered the services of his steamboat to the Catholic missionary effort. After LaBarge's record-breaking journey he sold the Saint Ange and retired temporarily at age thirty-six with the fortune he had amassed. Two years later he was back on the river, buying, selling and building steamboats. Before long he

21746-540: The war, he returned home to France to lobby for an increase in French support for the American Revolution. He returned to America in 1780, and was given senior positions in the Continental Army. In 1781, troops under his command in Virginia blocked a British army led by Lord Cornwallis until other American and French forces could position themselves for the decisive siege of Yorktown. Lafayette returned to France and

21912-430: The way for regular travel and trade along the upper stretches of the Missouri River. She returned, fully loaded, to Saint Louis on July 15, 1831. The following year, 1832, the Yellowstone reached the mouth of the river for which she was named. That voyage was chronicled by George Catlin . In 1833, German naturalist Prince Alexander Philipp Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied , together with Swiss artist Karl Bodmer traveled

22078-544: The winter of 1777–78, and shared the hardship of his troops. There, the Board of War , led by Horatio Gates , asked Lafayette to prepare an invasion of Quebec from Albany, New York. When Lafayette arrived in Albany, he found too few men to mount an invasion. He wrote to Washington of the situation, and made plans to return to Valley Forge. Before departing, he recruited the Oneida tribe to

22244-626: The winter's river ice once again caught LaBarge and the Emilie near Liberty, Missouri . While detained there he heard the news that his former passenger, Lincoln, had been elected president. A few months later the Confederates fired upon Fort Sumter in South Carolina and the Civil War became a reality. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, people along the Missouri River were largely sympathetic to

22410-415: The winter. When spring arrived the citizens of Atchison, offering to supply fuel for his steamboat, asked LaBarge if they could employ his steamboat for use as an ice-breaker to open a passage between Atchison and Saint Joseph , some twenty miles to the north. LaBarge maneuvered the bow of his boat up on to the ice and with its enormous weight broke through, doing this repeatedly to Saint Joseph. The next year

22576-584: The yet undiscovered Texas camp near Groce's Landing, while General Gaona was marching southward down the Brazos from the San Antonio Road , leaving the Texans caught between. On April 2, Sam Houston sent word to the Yellowstone to remain at Groce's Landing, and prepare to assist in crossing the Texas Army. The captain and crew complied. On April 12, the Yellowstone began crossing the entire Texas Army, completing

22742-406: The young LaBarge did not aspire to such vocation and began associating with young ladies to the extent where he was not allowed to finish school at Saint Mary's. At age fifteen he began working as a store clerk in a clothing store. Among the prominent events LaBarge witnessed in his childhood, was the celebrated visit to the United States by Lafayette in 1825, while he was in St. Louis. Lafayette

22908-486: The young LaBarge joined the crew of the steamboat Yellowstone , serving as a clerk, when the vessel was engaged in the sugar trade in the lower Mississippi River. In 1831 the Yellowstone made her first trip up the Missouri River, and was now in the employ of the American Fur Company. The Yellowstone was to proceed to the lower Mississippi to the bayou La Fourche. Since LaBarge spoke both English and French, his services were found useful. The following spring, LaBarge signed

23074-579: The young man and told him to go to London and visit the Marquis de Noailles , the French ambassador to Britain and Lafayette's uncle by marriage, which he did in February 1777. In the interim, he did not abandon his plans to go to America. Lafayette was presented to George III , and spent three weeks in London. On his return to France, he went into hiding from his father-in-law (and superior officer), writing to him that he

23240-425: The young man apologized. Washington counseled the marquis to be patient. That summer Washington placed Lafayette in charge of a division of troops. The marquis spent lavishly on his command, which patrolled North Jersey and adjacent New York state. Lafayette saw no significant action, and in November, Washington disbanded the division, sending the soldiers back to their state regiments. The war continued badly for

23406-519: The young man's ideas, and Lafayette purchased three slave plantations in Cayenne , French Guiana to house the project. Lafayette visited America in 1784–1785 where he enjoyed an enthusiastic welcome, visiting all the states. The trip included a visit to Washington's farm at Mount Vernon on 17 August. He addressed the Virginia House of Delegates where he called for "liberty of all mankind" and urged

23572-500: Was 83. Four years later, in 1903, Chittenden completed and published his two-volume biography of LaBarge and his life on the Missouri River. In Volume II of his work he quotes LaBarge expressing his love of the Missouri River. A natural and prominent rock formation rising 150 feet (46 m) above the Missouri River in Chouteau County, Montana , was named LaBarge Rock , is his honor. On Thursday morning, April 6, LaBarge's funeral

23738-579: Was a heavy Continental Army presence, and then bringing British troops over land to the city. After the British outflanked the Americans, Washington sent Lafayette to join General John Sullivan . Upon his arrival, Lafayette went with the Third Pennsylvania Brigade, under Brigadier Thomas Conway , and attempted to rally the unit to face the attack. British and Hessian troops continued to advance with their superior numbers, and Lafayette

23904-691: Was appointed to the Assembly of Notables in 1787, convened in response to the fiscal crisis. He was elected a member of the Estates General of 1789 , where representatives met from the three traditional orders of French society: the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners. After the National Constituent Assembly was formed, he helped to write the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen with Thomas Jefferson 's assistance. This document

24070-407: Was being abandoned in a backwater while decisive battles took place elsewhere, and objected to his orders in vain. He also sent letters to the Chevalier de la Luzerne , French ambassador in Philadelphia, describing how ill-supplied his troops were. As Lafayette hoped, la Luzerne sent his letter on to France with a recommendation of massive French aid, which, after being approved by the king, would play

24236-464: Was being prepared for her trip, and he sent word asking for information on his family's reaction. The response threw him into emotional turmoil, including letters from his wife and other relatives. Soon after departure, he ordered the ship turned around and returned to Bordeaux, to the frustration of the officers traveling with him. The army commander there ordered Lafayette to report to his father-in-law's regiment in Marseilles . De Broglie hoped to become

24402-412: Was consigned to Cyprian Chouteau who owned a trading post ten miles up the Kansas River. Captain Bennett gave orders to LaBarge to turn over the cargo to the consignees before he left. LaBarge, accordingly, set off on foot to find the trading post and tell Chouteau to come and get his goods. About a mile from the trading post, which had quarantined itself from the cholera epidemic, LaBarge was intercepted by

24568-414: Was dying. He immediately telegraphed LaBarge's son asking him to assure LaBarge that "...I shall faithfully finish his work. It will take me a long time, but I shall not fail to do it." Chittenden's pledge reached LaBarge, who had been suffering from a tumor on his neck, just before he died one and a half hours later, after an unsuccessful surgery, from blood poisoning on April 3, 1899, in Saint Louis. LaBarge

24734-400: Was greeted by the Mayor and escorted by a company of cavalry on horseback, along with a company of uniformed boys, of whom the ten-year-old LaBarge was one. Lafayette shook hands and spoke inquisitively with each of the youths, which would prove to be an event LaBarge would reminisce about into his old age. LaBarge wore a full beard most of his adult life and in his later years was said to bear

24900-399: Was headed for Fort Pierre on the upper Missouri River. One of the passengers aboard was Prince Maximilian , a German explorer and naturalist. Returning to Saint Louis, another cargo was loaded, to be taken to Council Bluffs. During this voyage an epidemic of cholera broke out in the general area and claimed the lives of many of the crew members, forcing Captain Anson G. Bennett to stop at

25066-407: Was held at Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral in Saint Louis, and drew a large gathering. Attending Jesuits expressed their gratitude to LaBarge who, throughout his career, had offered his steamboat services to their missionary efforts, at no cost. A solemn high mass was held by Archbishop Kain , who was assisted by eight priests. Six of LaBarge's grandsons acted as pall bearers. Father Walter H. Hill,

25232-458: Was ill, to Lexington, Missouri . LaBarge and his crew were free to leave, but he knew that news of his help to the Confederates would soon reach Union authorities. He subsequently appealed to General Price, explained his situation, and asked him for help. Price wrote a letter for him, stating that LaBarge had acted under duress and was forced to help against his repeated protests. The incident landed LaBarge in trouble with Union authorities, but under

25398-421: Was in the trading business once again. In 1855 the American Fur Company sold Fort Pierre , which was also used as a trading post, to the U.S. government. At that time LaBarge had purchased and supervised the completion of a new steamboat he named the Saint Mary , which he used in making the transfer of the former post to the War Department's new post further north in South Dakota, near Chantier Creek, and in moving

25564-419: Was inspired by the United States Declaration of Independence , which was authored primarily by Jefferson, and invoked natural law to establish basic principles of the democratic nation-state. He also advocated for the abolition of slavery , in keeping with the philosophy of natural rights . After the storming of the Bastille , he was appointed commander-in-chief of France's National Guard and tried to steer

25730-400: Was looking to marry off some of his five daughters. The young Lafayette, aged 14, seemed a good match for his 12-year-old daughter, Marie Adrienne Françoise , and the duke spoke to the boy's guardian (Lafayette's uncle, the new comte) to negotiate a deal. However, the arranged marriage was opposed by the duke's wife , who felt the couple, and especially her daughter, were too young. The matter

25896-410: Was noble, and he traveled to the New World seeking glory in it. He was made a major general at age 19, but he was initially not given American troops to command. He fought with the Continental Army at the Battle of Brandywine near Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania , where he was wounded but managed to organize an orderly retreat, and he served with distinction in the Battle of Rhode Island . In the middle of

26062-415: Was now retired, and who possessed an extensive and often first-hand knowledge of steamboat history from his many years of navigating on the Missouri River. Though LaBarge was willing to work at no cost, Chittenden hired him as his consultant and assistant. In the process, Chittenden soon discovered how knowledgeable and involved LaBarge was with Missouri River history overall and decided to do a biography about

26228-412: Was of foreign birth, but that he would be happy to hold him in confidence as "friend and father". Lafayette first saw combat at the Battle of Brandywine near Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania , on 11 September 1777. British commander Sir William Howe made plans to occupy Philadelphia by moving troops south by ship to Chesapeake Bay rather than approaching the city through the Delaware Bay , which there

26394-477: Was planning to go to America. De Noailles was furious, and convinced Louis to issue a decree forbidding French officers from serving in America, specifically naming Lafayette. Vergennes may have persuaded the king to order Lafayette's arrest, though this is uncertain. Lafayette learned that the Continental Congress lacked funds for his voyage, so he bought the sailing ship Victoire with his own money for 112,000 pounds. He journeyed to Bordeaux , where Victoire

26560-461: Was rebuffed by the admiral. On 9 August, the American land force attacked the British without consulting d'Estaing. The Americans asked d'Estaing to place his ships in Narragansett Bay , but he refused and sought to defeat the British Royal Navy at sea. The fighting was inconclusive as a storm scattered and damaged both fleets. D'Estaing moved his ships north to Boston for repairs, where it faced an angry demonstration from Bostonians who considered

26726-413: Was sent to school at the Collège du Plessis , part of the University of Paris , and it was decided that he would carry on the family martial tradition. The comte, the boy's great-grandfather, enrolled the boy in a program to train future Musketeers. Lafayette's mother and grandfather died, on 3 and 24 April 1770 respectively, leaving Lafayette an income of 25,000  livres . Upon the death of an uncle,

26892-495: Was settled by agreeing not to mention the marriage plans for two years, during which time the two spouses-to-be would meet from time to time in casual settings and get to know each other better. The scheme worked; the two fell in love, and were happy together from the time of their marriage in 1774 until her death in 1807. After the marriage contract was signed in 1773, Lafayette lived with his young wife in his father-in-law's house in Versailles . He continued his education, both at

27058-408: Was shot in the leg. During the American retreat, Lafayette rallied the troops, allowing a more orderly pullback, before being treated for his wound. After the battle, Washington cited him for "bravery and military ardour" and recommended him for the command of a division in a letter to Congress, which was hastily evacuating, as the British occupied Philadelphia later that month. Lafayette returned to

27224-549: Was successful, Arnold was to be summarily hanged. British command of the seas prevented the plan, though Lafayette and a small part of his force was able to reach von Steuben in Yorktown, Virginia . Von Steuben sent a plan to Washington, proposing to use land forces and French ships to trap the main British force under Lord Cornwallis . When he received no new orders from Washington, Lafayette began to move his troops north toward Philadelphia, only to be ordered to Virginia to assume military command there. An outraged Lafayette assumed he

27390-421: Was waiting nearby and received the wounded Commander in Chief, Sam Houston, the new republic's interim president David G. Burnet , the captured Santa Anna and forty-seven Mexican prisoners. She was held for a time for the purpose of returning the captive Santa Anna to Mexico, but Santa Anna's return would be delayed many months. Later that year and still in service (then as a packet boat along Buffalo Bayou ),

27556-399: Was working in the garden, with LaBarge's father fending them off by presenting gun in hand. As a young lad, LaBarge was said to have exceptional ability as a runner and swimmer, and excelled in the various games and sports of the day. Joseph LaBarge's early education was somewhat limited given the basic and unrefined schools in St. Louis during his childhood days. He first attended classes at

#573426