A Portrait of Revolutionary War Veteran Andrew Wallace, the “Rescuer of Lafayette” at Brandywine

According to his 1833 pension letter and other contemporary accounts, Wallace had a seemingly fascinating career throughout the Revolution. Having allegedly served as a sergeant from 1776 through the end of the war, Wallace claimed to have participated in nearly every major battle and campaign, along with carrying out other heroic feats such as aiding the marquis de Lafayette on the battlefield after he was wounded at the Battle of Brandywine. Historical Programs Manager Andrew Outten examines the validity of Wallace’s claimed service during the American Revolution—including his claim to have aided Lafayette—along with the significance of his 1831 portrait in the context of memorializing the Revolution. The portrait, on loan from Mr. and Mrs. William Allen Marshall of the Society of the Cincinnati of the State of South Carolina, is on display in our current exhibition, Fete Lafayette: A French Hero’s Tour of the American Republic.