You're listening to an Airwave Media Podcast.

Hello all, Eric Rivenus with the most notorious

podcast here.

Each week I interview an author or historian about a historical true crime, tragedy, or disaster.

Subject matter ranges from gun slingers to gilded age murder to gangsters to to pirates, to wild prison breaks.

My guests spring their incredible knowledge directly to you.

Please subscribe to Most Notorious on your favorite podcast app.

Cheers and have a safe tomorrow. Hello and thank you for joining the American Revolution.

This week episode 263, the Hartford Conference. Back in episode 257. the Baptiste donation de Vermeer, the Camp de Rochembo, led an army of about 5,500 soldiers.

With them were seven ships of the line and five smaller frigates under the command of Admiral Charo-Enri Louis de El-Sac, the Chaville-de-Ternet.

Upon arrival, much of the Army and Navy was sick from the journey, and they also had to scramble

to build a defensible position at Rhode Island.

The French had come to America with far fewer soldiers than originally planned.

There were not enough ships to transport all the soldiers that Rochambo expected to bring with him.

He had to cram in 5,500 soldiers onto 36 transports, leaving behind much of his equipment, horses, and another 2,500 soldiers.

Those who cannot get on the ships remained in breast, waiting for transport ships to carry them

to America. And more importantly, Rochambault wanted a larger naval French presence to gain superiority of the seas.

As long as the British controlled the water off their coast, the French army was little more

than a supplement to the continental's.

A French naval priorities, however, remained elsewhere.

With only seven ships of the line, the French had enough to defend against a British naval

attack on Newport, but couldn't really go on the offensive. Recall that Admiral

...