The March from Massachusetts and  
Rhode Island through Connecticut
to New York

Latest changes: 2006-05-30: reword Providence paras / 2008-02-19: move to W3R site / 2009-11-15: rearrange text for better flow /

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MASSACHUSETTS  The Historic Route through MA: On 1781 Jun 15 a convoy of eight vessels accompanied by the 50-gun ship-of-the-line Le Sagittaire arrived at Boston with 592 soldiers and two companies (68 men) of artillery for Rochambeau's force. About 260 men were too sick to travel further. The other 400 marched with the artillery to Dedham, the next day to Wrenthan, and finally to Providence RI, where 200 joined their units for the march to New York while 200 marched to Newport to join the garrison under Brigadier Claude Gabriel de Choisy. [Ref. W3R Historical Survey for PA, by Robert Selig (2007), p 81] A Note about "Official" W3R Routes

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Portion of the W3R Campsite map developed for the National Park Service 2000-2005 study of significance, feasibility and environmental impact. NOTE: These maps are tilted; north is about 45-degrees left of straight up.

RHODE ISLAND  The Historic Route through RI: During the week of 1781 June 10–17 the French Army moved from Newport to Providence (22 miles) in small ships and large boats. They also established lines of communication and supply along Narragansett Bay’s eastern shore. Fifty men from each of the five regiments (supported by local militia, including the Kentish Guards) were retained in Newport to guard the French siege cannon, which later served as the decisive element in the siege of Yorktown. In Providence Chastellux lodged at Joseph Russel's residence on Main Street, not far from the Market House. [Ref. Chastellux] Troops recovering from scurvy in Boston added to the Newport garrison under Choisy, eventually numbering 430 French effectives. [Ref. 1781 June 10 letter Rocambeau to Choisy, per Trentinian] The French Army established a camp on the western edge of Providence (perhaps where I-195 and I-95 intersect now) to prepare for the long march to New York. Some 3,800 troops and 450 officers were ready to start on the long march -- including 600 in Lauzun's Legion in Lebanon CT. [Ref. W3R Historical Survey for PA, by Robert Selig (2007), pp 81-83 and 88] "Grand Parade through Providence" by David R. Wagner (used with the artist's permission) 1781 June 18 (Sunday): The great movement that would decide the outcome of the American Revolution began with the Bourbonnais Regiment (as the senior regiment) marching out of Providence, reaching Waterman's Tavern in Coventry that evening (near what is now Pottersville, a distance of 15 miles). A Note about "Official" W3R Routes

Portion of the W3R Campsite map developed for the National Park Service 2000-2005 study of significance, feasibility and environmental impact. NOTE: These maps are tilted; north is about 45-degrees left of straight up.

MARCHING IN FOUR DIVISIONS The usual structure for an extended march [see TACRA] was for the main army to be divided into several units (in this case four), with an independent screening division as a buffer between the main army and the hostile force (in this case the British who might be brought in to attack from ships in Long Island Sound). This dispersion of forces allowed the use of smaller campsites and spread out the impact on the environment (which provided water and forage for the horses and oxen) and on the local communities (which provided food and drink for the soldiers and housing for the officers). The lead unit had several important roles: The assistant quartermaster general (M. de Beville) was responsible for seeing that the main column took the correct path. The first division setup the campsites, with places for tents, water, food, firewood, pasturage, artillery park, and quarters for the officers. The following divisions cleaned and re-used the same campsites. The first division was preceded by thirty woodsmen, whose job was to clear and repair the road and to repair or build bridges as needed. The following divisions had fewer woodsmen. The baggage train of the expedition's commander (the Comte de Rochambeau) and the military chest (money) marched at the head of the first division. The baggage wagons of each other general officer marched at the head of the that division. Each division was accompanied by its own field hospital and one-quarter of the artillery. The commanders and regiments were Division 1 (Marquis de Chastellux) Bourbonnais Regt. Division 2 (Baron de Viomenil) Royal Deux-Ponts Regt. Division 3 (Comte de Viomenil) Soissonnais Regt. Division 4 (Comte de Custine) Saintonge Regt. The screening force was Lauzun's Legion of Foreign Volunteers (hussars and infantry) They took a more southerly route through Connecticut to fend off any attack from seaward.

CONNECTICUT  NOTE: The dates below overlap because they encompass the arrival of the first unit and the departure of the last unit. The Historic Route through CT to Hartford: The Revolutionary Road [Connecticut Society SAR], by Hans DePold, is an extensive discussion of the route and events along the way. Rochambeau's army made 47 stops in CT as it proceeded to Yorktown in 1781 and back again in 1782.* Jun 19-22 -- The route passed through Sterling and the camp was in Plainfield CT.* On this westward march the camp was opposite the present-day cemetery. Jun 20-23 -- From Plainfield, the troops passed through Canterbury and Scotland and camped in Windham.* (16 miles) The camp in Windham was about a mile west of the village. A Note about "Official" W3R Routes

Portion of the W3R Campsite map developed for the National Park Service 2000-2005 study of significance, feasibility and environmental impact. NOTE: These maps are tilted; north is about 45-degrees left of straight up.

Jun 21-24 -- Passing through Columbia (then part of Lebanon)*, the troops camped in Bolton (16 miles) on the east of the church. Jun 22-28 -- Then it was on to East Hartford, (12 miles) where the troops rested for several days. The first Roman Catholic Mass in CT may have been said by a French army chaplain in East Hartford on Sunday, 24 Jun 1781.* The camp was north of Nathaniel Warren's on Silver Lane -- so named because the French opened kegs of silver coin here to pay their men. Private and public houses on Main Street entertained the officers. It is said that they had an army hospital in the second meeting house. Lauzun's detachments likely followed the dotted lines on Rochambeau's map #65. These begin at Middletown -- 25 miles west of their winter quarters in Lebanon -- and show that       #1 went north to Hartford to join Rochambeau       #2 moved parallel to the French foot soldiers and about ten miles to the south so as to screen them from possible British attacks from naval transport ships, going 50 miles southwest to Ridgefield and on to New York state       #3 went 20 miles southeast to Saybrook and then across to New Haven       #4 went 20 miles directly to New Haven where it joined #3 and went 35 miles west along the coast to Stamford. The Historic Route through CT after Hartford: Jun 25-28 -- The four French regiments encamped four successive days toward the south end of Farmington (10 miles via Rt 4), near the place where there is now a vacation home called "The Lodge." There is a tradition that Rochambeau and his officers stayed at the Elm Tree Inn. Jun 26-29 -- Some divisions encamped in that part of Southington (10 miles via Rt 10) now called Marion, on what was later named French Hill on the right of the Meridan road, going west. The officers were entertained at Barnes' Tavern, which was kept by Asa Barns (or Barnes), who gave a ball for them.

Portion of the W3R Campsite map developed for the National Park Service 2000-2005 study of significance, feasibility and environmental impact. NOTE: These maps are tilted; north is about 45-degrees left of straight up.

Jun 27-30 -- The army then proceeded through Waterbury Break Neck, now Middlebury (14 miles via Rt 6A) to camp at Breakneck Hill, about a mile north of the church. Rochambeau and his officers were entertained at Israel Bronson's tavern. Jun 28 - July 2 -- The camp site in Newtown (14 miles va Rt 84) was south of where the middle district school now stands. At this point Washington advised Rochambeau that the French were "now in a very disaffected part of the country" and directed him to divert his march past Danbury. Jul 1-3 -- The French took the route along West Worcester Street over Hull's Hill to Ridgebury (11 miles via Rt 6). The French army arrived on Rochambeau's fifty-sixth birthday and encamped east of the Ridgebury Congregational church on the Danbury road. Washington's diary for 1781 June 28 notes he had requested Rochambeau "to file off from Ridgebury to Bedford (New York) and hasten his March...." * = from Robert A. Selig's 1999 report "Rochambeau in Connecticut: Tracing His Journey".

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