The French nobleman Marquis de Lafayette fought alongside George Washington during the Revolutionary War, endearing him to everyone in the forming nation. Some four decades later, in 1824-25, Lafayette took a victory lap around the United States, stopping in towns large and small to greet the grateful Americans.
Some 200 years hence, Lafayette is making a return visit – sort of – during the Bicentennial of Lafayette's Farewell Tour. The war hero’s trail is in the process of being honored by reenactors who are stopping in every town Lafayette visited two centuries ago, including Louisville and Jeffersonville, May 10-12, 2025.
Continue reading as we take a closer look at Lafayette’s connections to America and SoIN, including upcoming celebrations in Jeffersonville, Indiana.
1. Lafayette’s Role in Revolutionary War
Lafayette was an inexperienced 20-year-old when he sailed to America to join forces with Revolutionary forces, quickly rising up the ranks and forging a friendship with Gen. Washington.
After fighting alongside Washington for several weeks, he was promoted and given his own platoon to command. He later took command of an army in Virginia, ultimately surrounding and forcing the surrender of the British army’s Lord Charles Cornwallis. This victory signaled the end of the war, with America gaining its independence.
Lafayette was declared the “Hero of Two Worlds,” and would ultimately become one of the most influential men in France as a crusader for constitutional government.
2. Lafayette's Return Tour
Why is this such a significant historical event? Because Lafayette was more than just a war hero; he was a bona fide celebrity in his time, and his return to America was huge news.
“For a lot of people, the most important thing they ever did in their life was that they met the Marquis de Lafayette,” Bonny Wise, a volunteer with the American Friends of Lafayette, said. “It was in some of their obituaries. Think of it like Taylor Swift coming to town. He was this rock star, this idol.”
Naturally, 200 years on, many if not most people are unaware of the significance of his visit or may not know anything about him whatsoever. But if Gen. Washington had a right-hand man, it was the French noble Lafayette.
His return visit years after the Revolution, thanks to an invitation by Congress, covered 6,000 miles across 24 states, starting Aug. 16, 1824, in New York, and winding up the tour in Virginia in early September 1825 before returning home to France.
3. An Unexpected Delay
This long journey wasn’t without its hiccups. Before he arrived in Louisville, his steamboat sank, sending the entire party scrambling onto the shore near Cannelton, Ind., also referred to as Lafayette Springs (in honor of this unplanned tour stop).
All was going well until the evening of May 8, when a log punctured the steamboat’s hull. Water rushed into the boat, jolting many sleeping passengers suddenly awake. Lafayette and his entourage were rushed to a lifeboat, which then took them to shore, where they built fires to dry and stay warm.
When a new boat was delivered, he continued his tour. He would ultimately arrive in Portland in west Louisville, greeted by a welcoming committee.
4. Lafayette’s Historic Visit to Louisville & Jeffersonville
Lafayette crossed the Ohio River on May 11, and was greeted by a 24-gun salute from the river’s edge. Jeffersonville was the only Indiana town he visited.
Per the Johnson County Daily Journal, “Military officers escorted Lafayette to the home of the late Indiana Territory Gov. Thomas Posey, a mansion overlooking the river. Gov. James B. Ray and veterans of the Revolution were there to meet him. Lafayette attended a public reception followed by a 3 p.m. dinner conducted outside on a 220-foot-long table decorated with roses and other flowers.”
“The ladies cooked for two days to feed everyone,” Wise said.
A banner in town proclaimed, “Indiana welcomes LaFayette, the Champion of Liberty in Both Hemispheres!”
Interestingly, Lafayette employed a secretary, who documented all of his experiences along the journey. It was written in French, and until about 20 years ago, it had not been translated for English-speaking history buffs. The translation was turned into a book titled Lafayette in America in 1824 and 1825: Journal of a Voyage to the United States “Lafayette in America in 1824 and 1825: Journal of a Voyage to the United States,” by Alan Hoffman.
5. The Bicentennial Event
Lafayette – his reenactor Michael Halbert, that is – will return to the region with great pomp and circumstance May 10 – 12. The visit starts across the river in Louisville, KY, featuring a Historic Ball & Dinner at the Pendennis Club, a historical marker dedication, a public address and more. Halbert, a retired civilian defense intelligence officer who served nearly four decades in various foreign engagement posts, will then be escorted across the Big Four Bridge and into Indiana by the Army Old Guard Fife & Drum Corp. He will make an appearance at Jeffersonville’s Big Four Station Park , followed by a walk to nearby Veterans Memorial Park where actual Revolutionary War Veterans are buried for a ceremony. Dozens of students from nearby Franklin Square Elementary are expected to attend. The closing act is the reenactment of a play performed by the Scottish Rite – it is based on a play written about Lafayette’s visit to Abraham Lodge.
Event Info to Know:
If you plan to attend, Halbert – who is one of five reenactors making appearances as Lafayette – will make his address at 10 a.m. May 12 on the Louisville Riverfront. Afterward, the entourage will walk across the Big Four Bridge to Jeffersonville.
The ceremony at Jeffersonville’s Big Four Park Station is set to begin at 1 p.m., followed by a walk of the assembled crowd to Veterans Memorial Park for a ceremony. The reenactment play will happen directly afterward.
The Jeffersonville stop is being sponsored by The Bales Foundation, Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Indiana, SoIN Tourism, Indiana Humanities, Jeffersonville Township Public Library, Jeffersonville Main Street, Daughters of the American Revolution and Sons of the American Revolution.
Local groups have planned a weekend of celebrations, beginning with Lafayette's arrival in Louisville on Saturday, May 10. View full details here.
Are you a history buff? Check out our History and Heritage Itinerary for more suggested stops during your visit to SoIN!
