Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route
The Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route is a series of roads used in 1781 by the Continental Army under the command of George Washington and the Expédition Particulière under the command of Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau during their 14-week march from Newport, Rhode Island, to Yorktown, Virginia.
French forces left Rhode Island in June 1781 and joined Washington's force on the Hudson River the following month. The combined American and French armies headed south in August, marching through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland, a route that allowed them to evade British troops. They reached Williamsburg, Virginia, in late September, several weeks after the French royal fleet had won the Battle of the Chesapeake, preventing the British from reinforcing or evacuating General Charles Cornwallis's army. On September 22, they combined with troops commanded by the Marquis de Lafayette. A three-week siege of Yorktown led to Cornwallis's surrender on October 19, 1781. The route is a designated National Historic Trail with interpretive literature, signs, and exhibits that describe the key role of French diplomatic, military, and economic aid to the United States during the American Revolutionary War.
Background
In 1780, French King Louis XVI dispatched Rochambeau, 450 officers, and 5,300 men to help Washington and the American forces. They arrived in Narragansett Bay off Newport, Rhode Island, on July 10, 1780.In June 1781, Rochambeau prepared to march from Rhode Island to join the Continental Army under George Washington on the Hudson River at Dobbs Ferry, New York. Rochambeau divided his force into four regiments: "Royal DeuxPonts" under the Baron de Vioménil; "Soissonnais" under the Baron's brother Count de Vioménil; "Saintonge" under the Marquis de Custine; and a fourth regiment. This final unit remained in Providence where it guarded the baggage and munitions stored in the Old Market House and supported the surgeons and attendants at the hospital in University Hall. The advance party was led by Armand Louis de Gontaut or Duc de Lauzun. His Lauzun's Legion would march ahead of the main army and stay to the south, protecting the exposed flank from the British.
Rhode Island to New York
Providence to Coventry
Rochambeau and his general staff left Newport on June 10, 1781, arriving at Providence the following day. The remainder of his force at Newport was transferred by boat and camped in Providence. The French Army performed a grand review in Providence on June 16, then set out for Coventry in four divisions. One division departed each day from June 18 to 21.Each division had roughly the same amount of artillery and supplies, as well as a field hospital. Rochambeau left with the first division and arrived at Waterman Tavern in the evening of June 18. The remainder of the army started leaving camp between Broad and Plain Streets on June 19. The route generally followed the alignment of Broad Street to Olneyville. They passed through Stewart Street to High Street, and west along this to the "junction", where they took Cranston Street that went to Knightsville, then took Route 14 to the eastern side of the Scituate Reservoir. The original road is submerged in the reservoir but picks up again as Old Plainfield Pike in Scituate. The march route resumes west of Route 102 in Foster, following Route 14 into Coventry.
The march continued the next day through Sterling, Connecticut, via Route 14A to Plainfield opposite Plainfield Cemetery. A 3.6-mile portion of the march route is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its 2002 NRHP nomination document records "the road retains its narrow, hilly, winding character, and for most of its length, the characteristic borders of stone walls remain in place." The French found this particular segment to be difficult for marching, resulting in the late arrival of some artillery and supply wagons at the Plainfield camp.
Windham
On June 20, they continued along Route 14A to Canterbury then along Route 14 to Scotland. They arrived in the evening of June 20 in Windham by the Shetucket River, just west of Windham Center.Most of Routes 14A and 14 have lost their 18th-century visual character, but several short road segments remain preserved. Some of these road segments have been listed on the NRHP. One such segment is Old Canterbury Road in western Plainfield which was bypassed by state highway construction in the 1930s; it preserves some of the features of the original roadway, including the low stone walls lining the road. The designated portion of the route also includes a 1,200-foot section of modern Route 14A east of the eastern end of Old Canterbury Road that maintains visual continuity of Old Canterbury Road.
Manship Road and a portion of Barstow Road in Canterbury were also bypassed during highway construction, located midway between Canterbury Center and the village of Westminster. A segment of Route 14 east of Scotland Center has also been recognized as a preserved section of the march route. The designated segment runs from Miller Road to the top of a hill, about 800 feet east of Route 97, known locally as Palmer Road. The low stone walls remain in place on both sides of this road segment, described by the French as "a narrow, steep, and stony road".
Scotland Road in Windham also remains between the third and fourth encampments, from Back Road to a point about 300 feet east of Ballahamack Road. This portion is also listed on the NRHP, and it was one of the less difficult roads, according to the French. The road is now mostly modern in appearance, but the expansive views of the surrounding landscape contribute to the visual historical significance of the site, in addition to the preserved stone walls.
Bolton
The army continued its march through Connecticut on June 21, past Willimantic, roughly following modern Route 14 and Route 66. They proceeded through Columbia and Andover towards the fifth camp site in Bolton. In Andover, the original march route used what is now Hutchinson Road and Bailey Road. A segment of Hutchinson Road between Route 6 and Henderson Road retains the stone walls and mature trees along the side of the road, as well as the expansive views of open fields towards the Hop River. This road segment is listed on the NRHP. The Daniel White Tavern was built in 1773 and used by French officers, and it still stands along this road segment. North of Henderson Road, Hutchinson Road has modern development and no longer has the visual continuity of the southern part of the road.The march route proceeded along Route 66 then Route 6 until roughly the northwest corner of Andover. The camp was located in Bolton Center, but the original road leading there has been unused since the late 19th century and has been overgrown by forest. A remnant of Bailey Road in Bolton exists as an unpaved footpath and still retains the characteristic stone walls, as well as two original stone culverts.
East Hartford
The march continued on June 22 along Bolton Center Road, continuing along Middle Turnpike East in Manchester until Route 6. From there, they followed Route 6 through Manchester Center to Silver Lane in East Hartford. The four divisions had been traveling a day apart. They rested for three nights in East Hartford, necessitating additional camp sites. Route 6 is a state highway trunk line route, and the surrounding area is heavily urbanized and has lost most of its historic character. However, two sections of the road have been bypassed in Andover and Bolton and remain relatively preserved in their 18th-century appearance.Hartford to Ridgebury
The first division crossed the Connecticut River by ferry on June 25 into Hartford, with the other divisions following in one-day intervals as before. From there, they traveled along Farmington Avenue through West Hartford until Farmington, the site of the seventh camp. The camp site was located toward the south end of the town center village. Rochambeau and his officers are said to have stayed at the Elm Tree Inn. The army followed Route 10 on June 26 through the town center of Southington until the Milldale section of town, then headed west along Route 322 until they reached the eighth camp site in the Marion section of Southington. Rochambeau and his officers stayed at the Asa Barnes Tavern.The following day, they continued westward along Route 322, then Meriden Road into Waterbury. In Waterbury, the route followed East Main Street and West Main Street, crossing the Naugatuck River along the way. The road west of Waterbury was difficult and characterized by the French as being "détestables" for being very stony and mountainous. The route continued into Middlebury, specifically the area around Breakneck Hill. The march route followed Park Road to Watertown Road, then turned south on Watertown Road until Breakneck Hill Road. The ninth camp was located at the foot of Breakneck Hill, where the first division stayed the night of June 27. Rochambeau and his officers were entertained at the Israel Bronson Tavern.
On June 28, the first division resumed its march heading south on Artillery Road and Middlebury Road through the town center of Middlebury, continuing along Route 188 and Waterbury Road into the center of Southbury. The army continued west along Main Street South and River Road through Southbury, crossing the Housatonic River into Newtown using a bridge built by the Colonial troops in 1778 at Glen Road. They continued along Church Hill Road through the center of Newtown, where they set up their tenth camp west of the town center. The officers stayed in Caleb Baldwin's Tavern.
Rochambeau reorganized his troops into two brigades in Newtown. The first division resumed its march on June 30, heading west on West Street and Castle Hill Road, then turning north along Reservoir Road and west again on Route 6. The Reservoir Road portion is well preserved and is listed on the NRHP. The army marched along Route 6 and Newtown Road into Danbury. In Danbury, they used West Wooster Street, Park Avenue, and Backus Avenue to reach the Ridgebury section of the town of Ridgefield. The eleventh camp was set up on July 1 in Ridgebury near the Congregational Church.