Within a year of his joining the Continental Army in November 1777, General Louis Lebègue Duportail, a French military engineer, had become a trusted aide and advisor to the commanding general. As Washington’s chief engineer, General Duportail had responsibility for fortifications and defenses throughout the American colonies. He additionally served as a critical liaison between Washington and his French counterparts during the Yorktown campaign. His greatest legacy, however, is the establishment of the US Army Corps of Engineers and subsequently the US Military Academy at West Point. Despite the impact of his service to the American cause, General Duportail today is little remembered compared to similar foreign officers who served in the Continental Army.

James McKinley resides in Tredyffrin Township and has served on the Board of the Duportail House in Chesterbrook, PA, since 2016 and on the Board of the recently formed Tredyffrin Heritage Center at Duportail. The historic Duportail House (circa 1740) was the General’s quarters during the Valley Forge encampment. Before moving to Tredyffrin in 1997, Jim lived in Mt. Kisco, NY, where he was a founding member of the Mt. Kisco Historical Society.