Revolutionary War Sends 225-Year-Old Echo—

Tracing The Path Of History Through Newtown

By Kendra Bobowick

Understanding why King Louis XVI sent his high-ranking officer, Count de Rochambeau, to America is debatable among historians; the results, however, are clear today. Stories following one French general’s footsteps still resonate more than two centuries later.

“Every area has its folklore,” said historian Daniel Cruson. Newtown will be revisiting its share of the story about Count de Rochambeau’s march during several dates next month.

A decorated soldier in France, Count de Rochambeau literally washed ashore in the late 1700s and took aim at British troops intent on subduing colonists. Patriots, including General George Washington, insisted on their freedom, and the Revolutionary War erupted here for almost a decade. The conflict sent ripples to England and — luckily, as some historians see it — those same waves reached France.

“I think ultimately we [the colonists] would have won, but some feel that without Rochambeau the British would have prevailed,” said Mr Cruson. “It’s a great ‘what if’ in history.”

Chronicles of revolutionary soldiers’ time spent in Newtown include the leg of Rochambeau’s march along Church Hill Road by troops who arguably steered this country’s history away from British rule.

“I think we would have worn the British down,” Mr Cruson said. He also believes that by defeating General Cornwallis, with Rochambeau’s assistance, “we broke the British resolve.” Rochambeau and General Washington essentially cornered Cornwallis. Prior to the defeat, the British were “taking casualties continually without getting anywhere.”

Resident Pat Hubert credits the longstanding disdain between England and France for this country’s struggling colonists battling for their independence.

“Oh they hated each other,” she said, “They were constantly at odds and took any opportunity they could find.”

According to Ms Hubert, a Daughter of the American Revolution (DAR) member of the Mary Wooster chapter out of Danbury, siding with the colonists against British troops suited the French. “When the colonies sought freedom from England, the French saw another opportunity to dominate the British. When the Brits saw the French involved with the colonists it was stressful, they feared the French would want to take over the colonies and would then take over the entire new continent [America].”

As blood spilled and the body count grew excessive, Rochambeau rallied his troops and set out for the New World. Closest to home were the welcome footsteps of Count de Rochambeau that passed the site where Hawley School now stands, and settled on the ridge now home to St Rose. He was warned to tread lightly, however, as many colonists still sympathized with “the Crown,” as General Washington warned him.

In correspondence documented in Newtown 1705–1918 Washington warns, “the Count with his troops is now in a very disaffected part of the country…the most profound secrecy and dispatch must prove the soul of success…”

The colonists’ divided loyalties decreased as the war waged on, explained Mr Cruson.

“At the beginning of the war you had three groups: the pros, the cons, and those who wanted to be left alone,” he said. As battles progressed and time passed, the scales shifted.

“Many were on the Patriot side,” said Mr Cruson.

The Revolutionary War had saturated the colonies, he explained.

“At the end of the war everyone knew someone who had been hurt, killed, wounded, who fought,” he said. “No one was untouched, it hit them economically too.”

Because of this grasp, Mr Cruson said, “No one was indifferent by the end.”

Mr Cruson notes the places bearing permanent marks of Rochambeau’s historic march today.

A Marker For                   Local History

Fixing Newtown’s place in line is a plaque in front of Hawley School, which falls along the 120 miles of Connecticut’s portion of the 600-mile trail marched by Count de Rochambeau and his soldiers. Their course stretched from Rhode Island to Virginia in a route tailored to avoid the enemy entrenched in New York and Pennsylvania. The plaque commemorates the march and was put in place on Washington’s 200th birthday in 1932, Mr Cruson said.

A second plaque, which will commemorate the same march’s 225th anniversary, will soon serve as a second marker along the indelible path worn by the steps of French infantrymen in June of 1781.

“We are hoping for a celebration,” Mr Cruson said. However, the tentative date and time, on June 29 at 4 pm in front of Hawley School, will be informal he said.

The site is significant because “they camped across from the school,” Mr Cruson said. St Rose now occupies the land where soldiers camped, he explained.

The ceremony will be understated, he feels; yet the plaque has pertinence reaching beyond Newtown.

Historical artist David Wagner, who has created an entire Revolutionary Route series, has produced images depicting Count de Rochambeau’s route, specifically one stop near the Housatonic River. Based on information found on his site, this image, reveals, “General Rochambeau and a group of French engineers inspecting Carlton’s Bridge on the Housatonic River.” After a few hours rest, Clermont-Crevecoeur and his artillery marched toward Newtown via Woodbury and Southbury. They crossed the Housatonic River, called “Stratford” or “Little Stratford” by the French, “on a bridge which is remarkably constructed, in that the timber work is supported without pillars, by the thrust of intersecting arches.” Visit davidrwagner.com for additional details on the series.

Mr Cruson has already secured the illustration, which is on fiberglass. In recent months he also has received approval from the Board of Education to put this plaque in place.

Sooner than the plaque dedication will be a neighboring ceremony in Southbury in mid-June, also in recognition of Count de Rochambeau. Coming up is the “March To Victory Weekend” from June 16 to 18 at Platt Farm, Southbury Land Trust. Visit Southburybattle.com. This site indicates, “The venue is directly adjacent to the actual march route of Rochambeau’s advance guard in 1781 through the rural town of Southbury [once part of Woodbury]. This location is a dream spot for reenactors and the public. Modern horse stables for a horse-friendly event are adjacent to the wide panoramic field appearing much as it did 225 years ago. Extensive field skirmishes and individual and four-man team competitions will be held for ‘the Fastest Shot in France and New England.’”

Full encampment activities are planned throughout the weekend and a low-country 18th Century dance with period music and dance instructions will be held just as described in French Private Flor’s journal. The battle website provides full details about each day’s schedule.

Although escaping newsprint more than two centuries ago, accounts of Newtown’s stance in the war for independence from England, and Rochambeau’s assistance and communications with General Washington, are well documented in history books including, Newtown 1705–1918 by Historian Ezra Levan Johnson. This book reveals the town’s ambivalence toward revolution. One chapter states, “During the war Newtown was free from all raids of the enemy. Many of its people were in sympathy with the Crown, and loathe to take arms against it…”

Of note is one death attributed to suspicions, about which the book states, “One man was hung in Newtown as a spy in 1777…”

Count de Rochambeau’s remarks enter the history books with records of his correspondence to General Washington.

Settling his men in Hartford before moving toward Newtown, Count de Rochambeau wrote, “I arrived here [Hartford] yesterday with the first regiment, which has been followed this day by the second and will be so tomorrow by the third…”

His movements are of note to Survey and Grants Director Mary Donohue with the state’s Commission of Culture and Tourism.

She commented that a year prior to his march, which passed through Newtown, Count de Rochambeau arrived on American shores with 6,000 French soldiers and aligned his efforts with General George Washington. His route was tailored to avoid the British occupation in New York and Philadelphia.

Both echoing and adding to Count de Rochambeau’s description of his movements, Ms Donohue added, “They landed in Newport, R.I., and marched — wearing white wool — 600 miles and back, it’s a crazy thing.”

Further detailing the historic march, she said, “Five thousand infantry moved through Newtown and came in brigades. The first brigade came in, camped, and moved on, and it took three nights for the infantry to move through,” she said.

As Mr Cruson indicated, the British retreated and finally relented specifically after Lord Cornwallis became cornered and gave up his fight in surrender.

Americanrevolution.com details the steps leading to Cornwallis’s defeat. Initially, the site explains, “General Cornwallis had been ordered to bring all his men to New York, but he did not obey orders. Instead, Cornwallis kept all of his troops, totaling about 7,500, and began fortifying Yorktown and Gloucester, across the York River.

“Cornwallis was outnumbered, outgunned, and was running out of food. Realizing that his situation was hopeless, Cornwallis asked for a truce on October 17. He surrendered to George Washington on October 19, 1781.” After military maneuvering on General Washington’s and Count de Rochambeau’s parts led them to Cornwallis, who had been left without reinforcements.

Also by this time were the colonists who were readily “grabbing weapons spontaneously,” to defend their land from attack of British raids as close as Danbury and Bethel, explained Mr Cruson.