Press Release Date: February 18, 2006
Contact: Bill Lucas, Publicity Coordinator; (203) 438-2124
day and night
Subject: Washington-Rochambeau “March
to Victory” Weekend
A 225th Anniversary Celebration in Ridgefield,
CT
Background of the March
French General Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de
Rochambeau, and thousands of French ground and naval forces
arrived in Newport, RI on July of 1780 to assist the Americans
in their War for Independence. After wintering in Newport,
Rochambeau’s troops marched through Connecticut to
join General George Washington’s Continental Army
just over the New York border. The combined forces then
moved down the eastern seaboard and confronted Lieutenant
General Earl Cornwallis and the British army in Yorktown,
Virginia. After a prolonged siege, Cornwallis surrendered
on Oct. 19, 1781, virtually ending the Revolutionary War
and ensuring American independence.
In honor of these significant events in our early history,
The National Parks Service, the U.S. Congress and the State
of Connecticut have designated this nine state “March
to Victory” as an official national trail.
Rochambeau's troops camped in Ridgebury, July 1 to July
2, 1781. It was their eleventh and last camp in Connecticut
before crossing the border into New York and joining with
Washington’s Continental Army near what is today, White
Plains, NY, on July 3, 1781. Their encampment was on the
ridge to the west of Ridgebury Road, near what is now its
intersection with Old Stagecoach Road. Before leaving for
New York, Rochambeau celebrated his 56th birthday in Ridgebury
at the Ensign Samuel Keeler’s Tavern. The next morning,
a Sunday, one of Rochambeau’s regimental chaplains
led a Catholic mass for the French troops, prior to their
departure.
After the success at Yorktown, Rochambeau’s army returned
north in the summer of 1782, passing through Ridgebury en
route to Boston.
The Celebration of the “March to Victory:” First
weekend of July, 2006
A weekend of fun and educational events for all ages will
run throughout the Ridgefield area, starting at the Ridgefield
Library on Friday evening, June 30. The noted Historian,
Dr. Robert Selig, will set the stage with a spellbinding
account of the impact of the march on rural Ridgefield.
Following, on Saturday July 1, is the re-enactment of Rochambeau’s
encampment at the Ridgebury Meadow, near the same spot as
the French Army’s 1781 encampment. This will be the
largest French army re-enactor encampment in New England
along the nine state trail. The event will include skirmishing
by re-enactors dressed as French, British and American troops
and there will be Rochambeau, Lafayette and Washington appearances.
The afternoon concludes with a colonial marching band parading
down Main Street.
That evening is capped with an 18th Century-style costume
ball in honor of Rochambeau’s birthday, with food,
drink, dance, gaming and even a magician at the historic
Lounsbury House, Ridgefield’s Community Center.
Tickets
and information for the Ball are available through the “March to
Victory” website: http://www.ridgefieldvictorymarch.org
Sunday continues the celebration. Two 1770’s style
worship services will be conducted. The Ridgebury Congregational
Church, United Church of Christ, will conduct a Divine Service
at 10 AM; and a traditional Roman Catholic Mass “in-the-field” will
be held in the Ridgebury Meadow at 11:30 AM (where the re-enactment
was held Saturday). At 6:30 PM, the USAF Band of Liberty
will give a celebratory concert at Veterans Park Field, bringing
Ridgefield’s “March to Victory” Weekend
to a joyful close.
Museum-quality exhibits and educational programs for all
ages, will be available throughout the weekend at the Ridgefield
Historical Society, Ridgefield Library and also the Keeler
Tavern Museum, Ridgebury Congregational Church, and Ridgebury
Cemetery, most of which existed during the time of Rochambeau’s
march.
This “March to Victory” weekend celebration
would not be possible without the support of these financial
sponsors: Aquarion Corporation, Century 21 Real Estate (Hon.
John Frey), Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism,
Connecticut Humanities Council, Discovery Center of Ridgefield,
Keeler Tavern Museum, Ridgefield Bank, Ridgebury Congregational
Church, Ridgefield Historical Society, Ridgefield Kiwanis,
Ridgefield Library Association, Russell Wadsworth Lewis Fund,
Union Savings Bank, and the Town of Ridgefield, Connecticut.
All the events, exhibits and programs are open to the public.
For more event and historical information; and to purchase
tickets for the Saturday night (July 1st) “March to
Victory” 18th century costume ball, please visit our
website: www.ridgefieldvictorymarch.org .
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