Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route

./ "When the news arrived here of the surrender ofLord Cornwallis, the citizens to manifest their joy, erected aflag pole near the State House, on which were hoisted theAmerican Continental Colors a little above those of the British."-oelaware's celebration reported in the Pennsylvania Packet. 1 November, 1781 Map of the route to Yorktown Washington and Rochambeau in the Siege of Yorktown, October 17th, 7781 by Louis-Charles Auguste Couder France & Independence In 1781, the American and French allies combined their armies at a pivotal turning point in the War of Independence. Under the command of General George Washington and French General Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vlllleur, comte de Rochambeau, the armies marched south to lay siege to Yorktown, Vlfginia. In a decisive victory, they captured the British Army under General Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis. This single campaign ensured American independence. The Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail follows the routes used between 1781 and 1783 by allied American and French forces to and from the successful i-icge of Yorktown, Virginia. This network of roads and water trails winds over 700 miles through nine states and the District of ( ' olumbia. George Washington: 1732-1799 Congress chose George Washington to command the Continental Army in 1775. His strategic insight and leadership culminated in American independence. 'fake this Revolutionary Route and explore historic sites and communities that once hosted Revolutionary War soldiers. Learn the stories of people who helped pave the way to victory and an independent United States. After the war, Washington resigned his military command. He became the first President of the United States in 1789. Caesar Rodney, President of Delaware (1728-1784), commemorated on the US quarter. Hts administrative authority ensured a steady, continuous purchase and delivery of supplies before and dunng the march to Yorktown. Rodney prevented significant desertions of Continental troops and tamped down fights that broke out between Loyalists and Whigs in southern Delaware. Delaware River to Chesapeake Bay It took several days for the French and Continental troops to pass through 26 miles of Delaware on their way to Yorktown, from September 4 through September 7, 1781. Some 4,300 French soldiers alone marched through Wilmington, Delaware, along with nearly 2,000 horses, 800 oxen, close to 1,000 officer servants, over 300 waggoners, dozens of female camp assistants, equipment and baggage trains. While encamped in Wilmington, the largest town in Delaware, t hese troops more than quadrupled the population. The t roops fol lowed t he "King's Highway" (t oday's Philadelphia Pike/Route 13) into the City of W ilmington. It was the only road from the south to Philadelp hia and points north. Caesar Rodney took this road on his famous 18-hour journey on the night of July 1/2, 1776. He rode to Philadelphia to cast the crucial vote for the colonies to unanimously declare independence from Great Britain. Despite its small population, the City of Wilmington rivaled Philadelphia in the importance of its comm erce, being a major source of fine flour and destination for tobacco transported ov<>rland from "Head of Elk" (Elkton, Maryland), to be loaded on ships plying the Delaware River. Reaction to the French army's presence was mixed. Many Huguenoh, Moravians, and Quakers had fled re ligious persecution and wars in Europe to settle in Delaware, and many were pacifists. Some Delawareans had foug ht t he French previously during the French and Indian War. On the other hand, many Delawareans re membered w ith resentment the mont h-long British occupation of W ilmington in 1777. Delawareans also prized the h ard currency t hat the French used to pay for goods and services. Silver coin temporar; ly replaced fluctuating Continental dollars and state cu rrency as the state's only legal tender The main body of Continental soldiers headed southwest from W ilmington on dirt roads, arriving in Christiana on September 6, 1781. French troops passed through a day later, in two separate groups. A contingent of Continental troops had arrived a few days earlier by boat to help unload artillery, ammunition and other su pplies from boats that came up Christina Creek from the Delaw are River. Christiana was the critical staging area prior to the 10-12 mile march to Elkton, ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~lffl781. ~~ The allied troops took the same overland route from Head of Elk/ Elkton through Delaware, returning from Yorktown, as they had heading south. They made their way in different groups, the Continentals during November of 1781, by land and water, and the French by land in August of 1782. The allied troops took with them more than 1,600 sick and wounded (some 14% of the French troops alone) who would rest at hospitals along the way, including the Wilmington Academy. Rochambeau's forces headed to Boston, ultimately bound for the West Indies, but in 1783 received word they would be returning to France. Lauzun's Legion returned to Wilmington in late October of 1782 and stayed at the Wilmington Academy until the following spring. The Legion's 550 men were available to support a French detachment in Baltimore if needed. Rochambeau, too, returned south, traveling across Delaware to Baltimore in January of 1783. He would sail to Annapolis the same day and embark January 8 on the French frigate Emeraude along with his son and sixteen officers. Avoiding the British, they returned to France several days later, along with the best wishes of a grateful nation. Jean-Baptiste Donat ien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau: 1725-1807 Indian Hut of Dr. James Tilton (1745-1 822). The hut w as fi rst used successfully to combat disease at the Continental encampment at Morristown, New Jersey, in the severe winter of 1779-1780. Revolutionary Health Care Disease claimed more lives of soldiers than did the battles themselves. An estimated 25,000 American soldiers died dunng acllve military service, of which about 8,000 died in battle and the rest from disease Hospitals were few, tools were crude, and not much was known about the causes and treatments of common illnesses. The few existing military hospitals lacked adequate sanitation, with patients crowded into filthy tents and buildings. Thousands of cases of typhus, smallpox and dysentery were contracted in the hospitals. Fighting Blue Hens & Unsung Heroes where the allied forces were to re-group. Christiana was one of t he most important shipping centers in Delaware and a crucial trade center on the route from Philadelphia to Baltimore. Nor t hern Delaware as a whole w as strategically important as a supply depot and military transportation corridor throughout the Revolutionary War, a critical o verland link in t he transport of t roops and materials between the Delaware River and Chesapeake Bay. These operations could avoid exposure to the British warships patrolling the Atlantic c-east. Dr. James Tilton was instrumental in improving care for the sick and wounded during the Revolutionary War. One of few physicians with solid professional training and experience, he joined t he local militia that became part of the First Delaware Regiment. As th e regimental surgeon and commander of several military hospitals, he saw fi rsthand the horri fic conditions at the hospitals. To counteract these conditions, he invented the " Indian Hut," or "Tilton Hut." This pioneering effort to construct isolation wards and erect barriers against cross infection greatly reduced the spread of infectious disease in army hospitals. A POWERFUL ALLIANCE The French nobleman and distinguished officer was appointed commander of the French Army sent to America in 1780 to fight the British. After success there, he continued his military career until 1792. Arrested in 1794 during the French Revolution, he was released later that year and retired to his estates. The soldiers of the state's one regiment par ticipated in many of the important battles o f the war and were particularly critical to the success of the Continentals in the southNn theatre. Their bravery earned them the nickname of "The Fighting Delawares" and "Blue Hen's Chickens" after a gamecock with a fierce reputation. The Blue Hen was adopted by the Delaware General Asse mbly in 1939 as the official stat e bird and is the mascot for the University of Delaware. African-Americans were legally not allowed t o serve in the militias of Delaware during . the Revolutionary War and later. However, one free black-Edward Harmon- joined Captain Robert Kirkwood's 1st Delaware Regiment as a common soldier in 1777. He was the only African-American from Delaware who applied for, and was granted, a pension in 1818. Remarkably, several other African-Americans, slave and free, are noted on pay records as serving in the Delaware Regiment, possibly as express riders, cooks, and teamsters. Others showed t heir loyalty by paying taxes in bushels of w heat for t he support of t he army, j ust like their white neighbors. Delaware's African Americans supporting the troops emphasizes the irony of freedom denied for some who fought for freedom. The 1790 census shows 70 percent of the state's b lack population remained enslaved after the American Revolution. "...Many a fine fellow have I seen brought into the hospital, for slight syphilitic infections and carried out dead of a hospital fever." - Or. Jam es Tilto n, commenti ng on Revol utionary War hosp it als in " Economical observ at ions on military hospitals : and t he prev ent ion and cu re of diseases incident to an army," 1813. Delaware officers played important roles in the Washington-Rochambeau story, including (I tor) Dr. James Tilton, Physician and Surgeon General of the United States Army; Allen Mcl ane, a master spy for George Washington; and Captain Robert Kirkwood (not shown), a hero of the Southern campaigns. ~·TV< ()I ·.~ ~ ;.;.:., ~bY W ~~ NA" --~· ,,__ ·~ Lil '1UYOf ~.'lDIC.~•t. ~..:-1.JS.l Along Delaware's Allied Route Today Discovering a Revolutionary War Trail Bosto 1781 :::::===:J Alhe<I French and ~ American troops by land ~ Alhed French and J Amertcan troops by water 1.. ~ Brit ish troop$ by wat er North Cf) O SO Kiiometers 0 50 Miles ~ ~ New York City •••• • .... ....·· .. . ... :.. ~ ! : ..., : f.. 1.:·•• -· • .r . ~~...Baltimore . ....·· ··: -:. . -:: : &: .j• ~: ! Annapolis ~; ~ . • ....·· .......·· . The Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Nat ional Histo r ic Trail comprises a network of roads and wat erways used by allied forces in t he Yorktow n campaign . In colonial times, the rout l! t hrough Delaware was very challeng ing. The d irt roads, some t h ro ugh m arsh lands, were almost impassabl e for horses and wagons during certain times of t he year. Much of the land w as sparsely settled. Getting to t he 26-mile section of t rail in Delaware is Although population growth and urban development have erased most traces of the rural campsites and sm all t averns that once sheltered Revolutionary War sold iers, th e public can stil l drive, bike or walk some of the same routes taken by th e soldiers. There are many historic sites that tell the Washington-Rochambeau story. Strolling the historic districts in Wilmington and Old New Ca stle, canoeing on the Chr istina River, or exploring t he battle sites at Cooch's Bridge and Brandywine are j ust a few of the many opportunities to interact with history in Delaware and the region. now easy. Travelers can accrss no rthern Delaware using 1-95 and can drive the entire route on local roads that w ere once colonial arteri es for commerce. It is possible to bike and walk some sections of the t rail. Lodging, fuel, supplies and restaurants are readily available • •• ~ ~ • ...., 2 178 f • ,,. Yorkfown Spronq Juty 6 1181 ••. • • PE YLVANIA STATE PARK ATLANTIC OCEAN .... .... , ....... -Sep1s 1781 -r.•• --- -- ,,,_ . \~ \~.,. . .. .. .. .. . ~~ ' .. .. ---~-----; --- .' ·,~~ More Infor mation The Washi ngton-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Visit other historic sites, trails and scenic byways along the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route. The p laces designated on this m ap are all open to the public. For locations, hours, d irections, and other places of interest, visit t he site-specific website o r the fol lowing visitor information centers: Old Swedes I Holy Trinity Church, 1698 - Revolutionary War burials mdude Dr. Joseph Cappelle & Ma1or Peter Jaquette !i.'"" _, " - .,. The National Park Service w orks w ith federal, state, and local agenci es and private organizat ions along the nine-state corridor that constitutes the WashingtonRochambeau Revolutionary Route. Visit www.nps.gov for more information. ... Ca1:1ffiel HoUSF • / ,. l I Washington's Earthworks • 1: ,.. _ _ _.. _..,\\r •- - • - - • .... : ... / / /.... " ~1 \ ,./ I \ ~ ,••• / / .... / / / / Q ! \ NATI ONA L HISTORIC TRAIL ROUTE ' .... ,_ 0 -~-"' I ' i---"""41French Army I........ , French Army-water route / / ~"" /first State NationaV ' Historical Park I , / New Castle I Cou rt Ho use / ' Mvseum I / • t=i • • • / \ ' \ ~ '' . \ \ FORT MOTT \..•"" STATE PARK ' ~ '---. FORT DELAWARE \ Hale-Byrnes House on White Clay Creek 1777 Council of War site for George Washington & the Marquis de Lafayette I I STATE PARK PEA PATCH ISLAND ' ·,--, I .. ; Iron Hill Museum 1355 Old Baltimo re Pike Newark, DE 19702 302-368-5703 www.ironhill-museum.org ~,,,. ~ Iron Hill & Museum. site of Continental army comp of 1781 lj'".D.ir. ~- ••~ :e •• _____ :: Continental Army-encampment Related NPS units Related historic sites ' .\ I UNOARUS>ru. ~ Continental Army F - - I East Coast Greenway I :: :: French Army-encampment \........ 1 ContineiifiirArmy-water route ./ \ Shannon Inn, ca. 1759, hosted George Washington & surveyors Mason and Dixon NEW JERSEY I ---i' ,\ \ / ' typical of northern Delaware farms, Cauff1el House J I ,Ne'{V Cast le ,' Christiana MARYLAND ' / NEWARK ~ <l.J \ ~ ~, . :; y \ •• c -~ / \ -@- 1 \ ~ ' 'b l ~ \ ~ '\ STATE PARK \ \ : ~ I· / W HITE CLAY CREEK /--.,_...- 18th eel'lttll') lel'lg let el'lee J • <U I ~ ,/ •••••: ., I ~/ •• •• ~ \ I I l : Greater Brandywin~Village t: MI DDLE RU N VALLEY NATURAL AREA STATE PARK \ Greater W ilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau 100 W. 10th St. (Ste. 20) Wilmington, DE 19801 1-800-489-6664 www.VisitWilmingtonDE.com r I : Stanton o • O ......l ~\ \ .• ~""e" Newport ... ;.;.:.' PRESERVE / FO~OINT , sT.J'E PARK '1 s '- '"'"' ' I ... WHITE CLAY CREE~ - :\. / j 1 First State National Histori cal Park do New Castle Court House Museum 211 Delaware Street New Castle, DE 19720 302· 323-4453 http:// history.delaware.govI museums/ncch/ncch_main .shtml ,.. /' - ~~<f.' , I CREEK • - I ~ / First State National • ( Historical Park I : • Old Swedes Chi.lch & Fort f=hri stina Ship 's Tavern District : , WHITE CLAY • - Richardson's Mlll--18th c. mill wheel, near Continental & French army camps of 1781 . . . / '\\ w-, WILMINGTON ; •"' -..t, • ....··· BELLEVUE /r \ >:; I ' Delaware Hist o rical Society SOS N. M arket St. W ilmington, DE 19801 302-655· 7161 www.dehistory.org ••~ ·' ~~. --- - -- I ~ \ ~ / , ••• ,.. \ --: ~~~~~~~~ ~ , / / ........ ..• / .... . ~. STATE PARK Robinson House, ca. 1723 "'1'1~sted George Washington and the !j.ai'quis de Lafayette /, / •• ~ •• •• • ill BRANDYWJle CREEK ~ (0 --. b ~" I g. .. (0 ""t< I 1 2,. .. 0- • ~~·<~· .. ' Marcus Hook 0 -·------·-- ------...... I ., ' First State National Historical Park~ Portsmouth ···••• ;io" '' )!#. ..·· ji:The Capes Chester ~"·_ ~~~- BRANDYWINE BATILEFIELD~ _, / ~ sept 2s.oct 19 11a1 .• .,, ·----- ' 4:J: \,o / / :l~ · ~<;_t,c rssbu r<1~ Gr~N ·• • troops in Newport, DE, 1782. ROI HAMeEAU "1Ar>COLLE;.. noi •• USMRY Of (0:--0\)R~ 'lt• : This atlas page records a camp occupied by Rochambeau's . ~i"': •• ..----.....- ...._ along the trail. \ I \ Cooch's Bridge battlefield site, 1777 \ \ '\ ' I ,f Delaware City I J I ( . DELAWARE . "> \ \ \ ,I I North CV 0 2 K ilom eters 0 2 Miles I •·.-~~~~~------------~