French Officers that Died Fighting in the American Revolution Memorialized in Newport, RI

Nick Benson, a third-generation stone carver and letterer, has carved inscriptions for the World War II Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the Eisenhower Memorial, and the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial in Washington, D.C.

However, he has now been tasked with a humbler job: carving headstones for two French soldiers who died in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1780. With these new headstones, Lt. Augustin Benjamin of the French Frigate l’Hermione and Major Pierre du Rousseau Chevalier de Fayolle, a friend and aide to Lafayette, can now be put to rest.

The American Battlefield Trust preserves America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educates the public about what happened there and why it matters. We permanently protect these battlefields for future generations as a lasting and tangible memorial to the brave soldiers who fought in the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Civil War.