An indefatigable letter writer, the Marquis de Lafayette carried on a correspondence with an extraordinary range of people involved with the fate of revolutionary America. Volume I provides a fascinating account, from source materials, of his arrival in America and of his first challenging year with the Continental Army. It covers Lafayette's activities from December 7, 1776, to March 30, 1778, including his landing in Charleston, his 900-mile trip to Philadelphia, and his chilly reception by Congress. It also chronicles his service in Washington's army, his participation in the battle of Brandywine and the winter encampment of the troops at Valley Forge, and his abortive expedition to Canada in 1778.

Complementing Lafayette's personal memoirs are extensive exchanges of letters with his family and with such prominent figures as George Washington, Robert Morris, John Adams, John Hancock, and Patrick Henry. The documents and letters written in English are published as they appear in the manuscripts; those written in French appear both in the original and in translation.