2 PODs concerning the Marquis de Lafayette

1. MdL bleeds out or dies of infection soon after being shot at the Battle of Brandywine.

2. Upon being cornered at the Battle of Barren Hill, MdL attempts to fight a pitched battle and is captured alive by the numerically superior British forces.

How would each of the preceding two PODs influence the course of the American Revolution? In particular, what would be the effects on the negotiations leading up to the French intervention in the conflict? In a scenario involving the second POD, I'm curious to know how the British might've used such a high profile hostage as leverage in putting pressure on France not to commit its armed forces to the conflict.

Any American Revolution buffs have some thoughts on this discussion topic?

As a prisoner, Gilbert would not be very useful in getting any sort of leverage on France; he had asked for permission to join the Americans, King Louis had forbidden him to do it, and he went anyway. He had been a rural sort of fellow, not a personage of Court. In short, France doesn't feel it owes him anything and isn't willing to put much effort into getting him back. Serious mistreatment of the prisoner may force France onto the rebels side, but that is unlikely.

Let me check some books before I take a stab at the first one.

Ah, I see. I am curious to hear what you have to say about the first scenario, though.

The first wouldn't affect much, except maybe Washington on a personal level. Washington considered Lafayette a son he never had but the war continues much like OTL. Minus any battle he had a major affect in. He didn't have much of an effect on the war overall.

Wasn't Lafayette instrumental in acheiving French support for the revolution though?

He was billed as French support all by himself; he sunk a large portion of his considerable personal fortune into the Revolution. But no, he had nothing to do with changing the King's mind. Technically, there was a warrant out for him in France for defying the King through 1779.

Hard to give a firm answer to question 1 because Lafayette's contribution was primarily to morale. He won one skirmish against the Hessians, and he concluded some useful negotiations with the Oneida and Iroquois, and then he went home. He looks quite replaceable in that light. However, his presence caused many Americans to believe that French help would be right around the corner, and his disposition and personal sacrifices did a fair bit to ameliorate conditions at Valley Forge. Would his absence have been the straw that broke the camel's back and caused a mutiny? Perhaps, perhaps not.

It might make a different June Revolution. After all the revolutionaries wanted to make Laffayette Dictator but he pointed them toward Louis Phillipe