Which French officer became a major general in the Continental Army and served at Yorktown?

The Marquis de Lafayette became a major general in the Continental Army and served at Yorktown.

Born Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Lafayette was a young French aristocrat who volunteered for the American cause. Congress commissioned him a major general on July 31, 1777, when he was 19 years old. He served without pay and developed a close relationship with George Washington.

Lafayette was wounded while fighting at the Battle of Brandywine in September 1777, then returned to active service. He spent the winter at Valley Forge and later helped command American forces in Virginia against British troops led by Cornwallis.

During the Yorktown campaign, Lafayette’s troops helped contain Cornwallis before Washington and Rochambeau arrived for the decisive siege. His role differed from that of Rochambeau, who commanded French land forces, and de Grasse, who commanded the French fleet. Lafayette became celebrated in both the United States and France as the “Hero of Two Worlds.”