W3R Heritage Tour in Connecticut 

Latest changes: 2011-06-01: add NPS maps / 2011-07-28: add pearls /

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Two recent 140-page books provide excellent tour and historical information on the W3R in the state of CT: En Avant with Our French Allies is a richly-illustrated tour guide of the W3R in CT. Huzzars in Lebanon! describes the five-month stay of Lauzun's hussar companies in Lebanon CT over the winter of 1780-81 Historical Overview In 1781 June some 5,500 men of the French Expeditionary Force (FEF) left Newport RI and marched via Providence and west through CT to New York to join the U.S Continentals and go south to Yorktown. When the French came north in 1782 they retraced the route east through CT to Providence and then to Boston, where they embarked for the Caribbean Islands. See the Main History Page for a more detailed history of the march west from RI to NY and the return east coming back from Yorktown Consider the economic benefit to Lebanon from housing and provisioning the hussar companies in the winter of 1780-81 and providing campsites, food, and fodder for the French troops and their horses and oxen as they marched west in 1781 (and then east in 1782), then follow their footsteps west across the entire width of CT.

A Note about "Official" W3R Routes NPS Historic Map for CT-NY [TIFF file] NPS draft tour route for CT, May 2011 [GoogleMap]

AUTO ROUTE THROUGH CONNECTICUT TO HARTFORD: Continuing into CT on Rt 14A go 10.8 miles to Canterbury and to follow the main army route go straight on Rt 14 for 10.3 miles to Windham. NOTE: To follow the hussar route to Lebanon turn left onto Rt 169, follow it about 7.8 miles south, turn right onto Rt 138, go about 2 miles to Baltic, turn left across the river and follow Rt 207 west about 16 miles to Lebanon. The main army route continues on Rt 14 for 3.2 miles, where it merges with Rt 66. Follow Rt 66 and Riverside Rd through Willimantic and at 2.0 miles follow Rt 66 as it splits off to the left. After 2.8 miles continue straight onto Rt 6. After 5.6 miles the old road splits off to the left and parallels Rt 6, but you can't drive it since it is overgrown with trees. Continue 3.2 miles on Rt 6 and turn left on Steel Crossing Rd. After 0.6 miles it ends at Old Bolton Rd. Go left 0.5 miles to the center of Bolton. Bear right and take Bolton Center Rd 0.4 miles, where it becomes Rt 85 North. Continue 1.5 miles and turn left onto Rt 6. Follow this for 4.0 miles through Manchester, then leave Rt 6 and continue straight on Rt 502 for 5.0 miles. Go right on Roberts St to the ramp to I-84 West. This goes across the river and at 6.5 miles take exit 49 to Farmington Ave (Rt 4). Continue out of Hartford on Rt 4 to Farmington, then take Rt 10 south to Southington. At Milldale take Rt 322 (Meriden Road) west toward Marion. This becomes Rt 69, and take a right off this onto East Main St into Waterbury. Exit on West Main and take Park St to the end. Go left on Watertown Road to the end. Go right on Breakneck Hill Rd and then the first left on Artillery Road. Take a right onto Rt 64. This merges with Rt 188 and after Middlebury Rt 64 goes off to the right. Stay on Rt 188 and branch right on Old Waterbury Rd just before Rt 188 crosses Rt I-84. Follow this into Southbury. Take West Main St about two miles, then cross I-84 on Ichabod Rd and take an immediate right onto River Road. After a mile take Glen Rd left into Sandy Hill and right on Rt 34 which soon becomes Rt 6 into Newtown. Continue on Rt 6 until it meets I-84, then go left on Old Newtown Rd into Danbury. Go left three blocks and then right onto Lake St for 5 blocks then left on Park Rd, which becomes BAckus and then Washington Rd into Ridgebury. Go left on Rt 53 (Ridgebury Rd). After one mile it passes Hussar's Camp Road on the right and after 0.4 miles more it zig-zags left and then right. Rather than the zag left go straight on Mopus Bridge Road. Just after crossing into New York this joins Rt 116 and then Rt 121 and both go west and then south. Follow Rt 121 (Rt 116 goes off to the right) all the way past Cross River and to Bedford NY. The route north re-traced essentially the same path in reverse.

Pearls along the Necklace -- Nearby Revolutionary-Era Sites Further information on most of the site below is available at ctvisit.com. Use their Quick Search function. COVENTRY: Nathan Hale homestead - House and farm reflect lifestyle of first generation of American citizens. ESSEX: Museum of Fife and Drum FARMINGTON: Stanley-Whitman House Living history center focused on 1642-1810. National Historic Landmark. Tours, exhibit gallery, research library, childrenŐs loft, historic gardens. GROTON: Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park Remains of Revolutionary War fort that was the site of 1781 British massacre of American troops. -HARTFORD: LEBANON: the mile-long town green and the Trumbull House, a Revolutionary War Office. In Oct 2004 the town published a booklet describing Lauzun's Legion and the activities of the two hussar companies that were posted in Lebanon for the winter of 1780-81. MYSTIC: Mystic Seaport: many sailing ships, mostly post-Revolution NEW HAVEN NEW LONDON: Nathan Hale Schoolhouse -- One-room school where patriot spy and Connecticut state hero Nathan Hale taught before the American Revolution. SCOTLAND: Huntington Homestead This has a fine W3R display including a model of the French troops marching by in 1781. WATERBURY: Mattatuck Museum WETHERSFIELD: Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum

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