George Washington Papers

[Diary entry: 7 October 1797]

7. Calm, clear & warm in the forenoon with appearances of Rain afterwds. Mer. 66. Mr. La Colombe & a Doctr. Flood came here to Dinner. The last returned. Mr. T. Peter & Mrs. Peter came in the Afternoon.

Louis Saint Ange Morel, chevalier de La Colombe (1755–c.1800), had come with Lafayette to America in 1777 as an aide-de-camp. He was later made a captain of the King’s Dragoons and retired as a major in 1783. He also served in the French army in France, becoming colonel of an infantry regiment in 1791 and aide to the commander-in-chief, Lafayette, in 1792. He was arrested and imprisoned, but in 1794 escaped and came to the United States. Except for a brief return to France he lived in the United States the rest of his life (CONTENSON description begins Baron Ludovic Guy Marie du Bessey de Contenson. La Société des Cincinnati de France et la guerre d’Amérique, 1778–1783. Paris, 1934. description ends , 197). George Washington Lafayette, during the early part of his exile in the United States, probably stayed in La Colombe’s home (George Cabot to GW, 16 Sept. 1795, DLC:GW). Dr. Flood may be William Pinckard Flood, son of Dr. William Flood and nephew of Dr. Nicholas Flood of Richmond County. William Pinckard Flood was married in 1793 to Ann Peyton (Nancy) Washington and probably resided in King George County.

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