Statement of the Attempted Rescue of General Lafayette from Olmutz

What it is

This is a printed statement from 1881 about the attempted rescue of General Lafayette from Olmutz, the Austrian prison where he was held after the Revolution. It was prepared by one of the family of Col. Francis Kinloch Huger of South Carolina, using his personal narrative and conversations. The text describes Huger's birth in Charleston in 1773 and his early life before the rescue attempt.

Why it matters

Lafayette was imprisoned by Austria after the French Revolution, and Americans followed his fate closely. The statement shows how Huger, a young American, risked his life to try to free a friend of his country. Because it was written decades after the events, it reflects the family's memory and the public interest of its time as much as the events themselves.

Look closer

• The statement is based on Huger's own narrative as told to a family member. What might change when a story passes through memory and retelling?
• Why did the family say the public had repeatedly asked for these details?
• What parts of the rescue attempt does the opening section leave out, and what would you need to know to judge it fully?