Washington - Rochambeau Coalition - Hartford, CT
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neoc1
N 41° 45.965 W 072° 40.352
18T E 693465 N 4626423
An historical marker on the Rochambeau trail recounts the meeting of Washington with the leaders of the French army. It is located in the center of the grounds of the Old State House in Hartford.
Waymark Code: WMHPZC
Location: Connecticut, United States
Date Posted: 08/02/2013
Views: 4
In 1778, a Treaty of Alliance with France was negotiated in the middle of the Revolutionary War. France promised military support in against the British forces indefinitely into the future. As a result, in 1780, King Louis XVI of France provided arms, ammunition, and uniforms as well as Comte de Rochambeau and an army of 450 officers and 5,300 men to assist George Washington in his battle against the British. Eventually the fight was joined by La Fayette and admirals De Tirney and De Grasse. The coalition of the Continental and French armies led to the defeat of Cornwallis at Yorktown, VA.
Congress declared the 600 mile route of Rochambeau's army from Newport RI and Boston, MA to Hartford, CT and on to Yorktown, VA the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail.
A historical marker on the grounds of the Old State House commemorates the first meeting of George Washington and the leaders of the French forces. This marker on the Rochambeau Trail is a metal plaque, curved to resemble a paper scroll and described as a sculpture. It is inscribed:
GEORGE WASHINGTON
WHERE YOU ARE STANDING
ON SEPTEMBER 20, 1780
WAITS GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON,
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE AMERICAN ARMIES
DURING THE AMERICAN COLONIES' REVOLUTION
AGAINST GREAT BRITAIN.
HE HAS COME WITH GOVERNOR TRUMBULL AND
CONNECTICUT'S PATRIOTS TO GREET THE FRENCH ARMIES
UNDER ROCHAMBEAU, ADMIRAL DE TIRNEY,
DE GRASSE AND LA FAYETTE.
THE TWO ARMIES FORM AN ALLIANCE
THAT WILL BRING ABOUT AN INDEPENDENT
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
THIS PLACE MARKS THE BEGINNING OF
THE ROCHAMBEAU TRAIL THAT LEADS TO
THE DEFEAT OF THE DREADED BRITISH GENERAL,
LORD CORNWALLIS AT YORKTOWN.
GEORGE WASHINGTON SCULPTURE BY RANDY NELSON, 1996
MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH A GRANT FROM
THE HARTFORD COURANT FOUNDATION.