Virginia Governor Patrick Henry Intervenes to Arrange Just Compensation for Jacques Lemaire, the French Freedom Fighter Who Supplied the Swords of the Virginia Militia During the Revolution

“It is recollected however that he went to France, that he spent much time there in procuring armed military stores for the use of this state”

In an effort to procure arms and supplies for Virginia during the American Revolution, Governor Patrick Henry, with the advice of Council, appointed William Lee in December of 1777 as the state’s first commercial agent in France. This appointment would give the state an important and direct presence in the European market. Except for infrequent private negotiations with individuals abroad, the American colonies before the Revolution had to conduct commercial relations with foreign governments through English agents, who placed the interests of England first. Consequently, no precedent existed for direct colonial foreign trade or diplomacy.

William Lee, however, who had been residing in France for some time, had established preliminary contacts through an earlier appointment by Congress as a commercial agent, along with Thomas Morris, for the United States. Soon after his new appointment by Governor Henry, William empowered his brother Arthur to assist him. Arthur also had previous foreign connections, having been appointed by Congress in 1776 to act as the third member of the new diplomatic commission in Paris. His Paris residence and liaison with French and German officials would facilitate the securing of French assistance for Virginia.

Paralleling William and Arthur’s new service on the state’s behalf, however, was a third independently sanctioned individual with equally strong French connections, Jacques LeMaire. The son of a prominent French family, LeMaire had come to Virginia with the permission of the French court in 1777 in search of a political future in America. Governor Henry quickly accepted his offer of assistance, provided him with a list of needed materials for the state, and commissioned him with the rank of captain. LeMaire also received important invoices for war materiel from Mr. Loyeante, Virginia’s inspector general of artillery and military stores. LeMaire’s potential service to the state was strengthened further by a letter of introduction to the Honorable Benjamin Franklin, the first U.S. minister to France. Before leaving Virginia, Henry instructed LeMaire to contact the Lees upon his arrival in France.

LeMaire was successful in buying swords for the army in Virginia. The swords were distributed rapidly to the Virginia militia, and with the intensified British activity in the southern states by 1780, a large number of these weapons would have seen service in the Carolinas and then at Yorktown. The first direct reference to their service appeared at the Battle of Guilford Court House on March 15, 1781.

During the war, LeMaire’s papers were seized by the British and he fought hard after the war to receive his compensation, enlisting the most prominent Virginians in his cause. Thomas Jefferson wrote to then-Virginia Speaker of the House and fellow signer of the Declaration of Independence Benjamin Harrison, ”The bearer hereof Colo. Le Maire who was in the service of the Comw. of Virga. during the late war informs me that he is about to apply to Your Excellency on some occasion on which he would wish you to be satisfied of his rank and services in that state, and that the capture of his personal effects and papers by the enemy has put it out of his power to produce to you his commission which would have been the most authentic of all vouchers. I therefore take the liberty of troubling your Excellency with information that he was a Colonel of Dragoons in the state of Virga. under a Commission which I signed myself as Governor of that state in the latter part of the year 1779 or beginning of 1780. I have the pleasure further to testify that they found him faithful zealous and active and that his services were so usefull to that state that besides the common allowances to officers of his rank they made him a donation of 2000 acres of land which he is now entitled to receive.”

Autograph letter signed, Council Chamber, Williamsburg, November 14, 1785, signed by Henry as Governor, to Benjamin Harrison, Speaker of the House of Delegates. “Several months ago Colo. LeMaire applied to me for a Recompense for the Services he has done the State. In enumerating these he stated many Facts referring to the Journals and Proceedings of the Executive. But from the Loss of these they can not be ascertained so particularly as I would wish. It is recollected however that he went to France—that he spent much time there in procuring Arms & military stores for the use of this State—that the Executive engaged to give him a suitable Reward, the particulars of which he did not stipulate, choosing to leave it to Government after he had rendered the Service. He was an old Officer in the Army of France, which he left in order to come here; and in Justice to him I must say he has shown great Zeal and Attachment to the Interest of this Country, & I believe has suffered considerable Losses on that Account.”

“This I beg leave now to do through you, Sir, as there is no Fund which can be appropriated to reward him according to the merits of his claim.”

This letter was effective, as in 1786 the Virginia House of Delegates passed a resolution authorizing “the payment of Col. LeMaire’s claim, as settled and allowed by the Executive.”

The letter has been professionally restored, with some loss to text at the bottom side, affecting a few words.