Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route

Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail Massachusetts to Virginia Pennsylvania National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior “ The appearance of these [French] troops far exceeds any thing of the kind before seen on this continent; and presages the happiest success to the cause of America.” —from the Philadelphia Freeman’s Journal, September 5, 1781, by editor Francis Bailey Map of the route to Yorktown ROCHAMBEAU MAP COLLECTION, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Washington and Rochambeau in the Siege of Yorktown by Louis-Charles Auguste Couder © RMN-GRAND PALAIS / ART RESOURCE, NY 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 Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau, the armies marched south to lay siege to Yorktown, Virginia. 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 siege of Yorktown, Virginia. This network of roads and water trails winds over 700 miles through nine states and the District of Columbia. Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau: 1725-1807 George Washington: 1732-1799 Congress chose George Washington to command the Continental Army in 1775. His strategic insight and leadership culminated in American independence. Take 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 flrst President of the United States in 1789. 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. BOTH PORTRAITS COURTESY OF INDEPENDENCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK Through Bucks, Philadelphia & Delaware Counties The Philadelphia Story It took nearly a week for the French and Continental armies to pass through 50 miles of Pennsylvania on their way to Yorktown, from September 1 through September 6, 1781. Some 2,700 American officers and men crossed the Delaware River into Pennsylvania from Trenton, along with nearly 600 horses, 300 oxen, and 40-45 women, mainly soldiers’ wives or camp assistants. The latter kept the soldiers’ apparel clean or cared for the sick and wounded. The strength of the French Army was more than double, at about 6,000 officers and men, servants, waggoners, cooks and other support personnel; 900 to 950 head of cattle; and 1,700 horses. Philadelphia, the seat of government for the young nation, played a critical role in the victory at Yorktown. The two Continental Congresses had met in Philadelphia, and the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed here. The French minister stayed in Philadelphia after the signing of the treaties of Amity and Commerce, and Alliance. These treaties recognized the independence of the United States, and secured military and diplomatic cooperation between the United States and France. The amount of food needed for the troops and their animals was enormous. During September and October 1781, Pennsylvania provided almost 270,000 rations to the Continental Army alone. Flour and foodstuffs came to Philadelphia from all over southeastern Pennsylvania, along with thousands of pounds of forage for the animals. Not even the 28,000 residents of Philadelphia could support such large numbers for long. The troops kept moving, marching an average 10-15 miles per day between encampments and usually staying for a day or less in one spot. September 2, with the French troops one day behind. The French march through the city was described as a splendid scene, with a line of troops extending nearly two miles. Ironically, 1/2 of all desertions from the French Army occurred during the march through Pennsylvania. This is, in part, because about 20% of the French Army was comprised of German-speaking soldiers who discovered friendly Germanspeaking Pennsylvanians on this part of the march. About 1/3 of Philadelphia area residents spoke German during the Revolutionary War. The main body of the Continental Army marched south from Morrisville on dirt roads, including portions of current PA Route 13. They arrived in Philadelphia on Meanwhile, several Continental units sailed down the Delaware River from Philadelphia toward Christiana, Delaware with vital military supplies. Independence Hall, Philadelphia, PA COURTESY OF INDEPENDENCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK “Some public buildings are also to be seen there which are worthy of a great city, such as the house where the congress meets, the hospitals and the prison.” From Philadelphia, General George Washington wrote the states to remind them of Congress’ quotas for urgently needed supplies for the Yorktown campaign. He — from Guerre D’amérique, 1780-1783: Journal De Champagne De Claude Blanchard, Commissaire Des Guerres Principal Au Corps Auxiliaire Français Sous Le Commandement Du Lieutenant Général Comte De Rochambeau William Faden, The course of Delaware River from Philadelphia to Chester, exhibiting the several works erected by the rebels to defend its passage, with the attacks made upon them by His Majesty’s land & sea forces. 1777. PHILADELPHIA LIBRARY OF CONGRESS wrote to Rochambeau with directions for the land and water routes that should be taken from Elkton, Maryland down to Virginia, and ordered Lieutenant Colonel Gouvion to reconnoiter the potential routes and camping sites south of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Philadelphia’s political importance was matched by the city’s geographic position at the center of the only available land route from New York to Elkton. One of the two largest cities in America (New York was the other), Philadelphia was back in American hands after having been occupied by the British 1777-78. The city was now the command center for planning the Yorktown campaign of 1781. However, at this point, Washington was still uncertain as to the successful outcome of his plans. Washington wrote to Nathanael Greene, commander of the southern forces, on September 4, 1781. He expressed his anxiety as to whether French admirals de Grasse and de Barras would be able to join forces to cut off a British retreat from the Chesapeake Bay. The very next day generals Washington and Rochambeau traveled south through Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania. Here they heard the joyous news: Admiral de Grasse had arrived in the Chesapeake with 28 ships and 3,000 troops. Map of encampment at Chester, PA. Jean-Baptiste-Donatien De Vimeur, Comte De Rochambeau. Amérique Campagne. August,1782. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Recruiting an Army BRITISH BATTERIES FORT MIFFLIN AMERICAN SHIPS BRITISH TROOPS FORT MERCER BRITISH SHIPS FORT BILLINGSPORT AMERICAN GALLEYS & FLOATING BATTERIES Grenadier of the French Royal Deux-Ponts Regiment ILLUSTRATION: ALBERT D. MCJOYNT DELAWARE RIVER BRITISH TROOPS BRITISH TRANSPORTS a regiment of German-speaking troops, signed up more than 100 soldiers at Philadelphia’s two recruiting stations in what is now the Old City neighborhood. However, many of these ”recruits” deserted almost immediately with their uniforms, equipment, and weapons! Lessons in Military Strategy After generals Washington and Rochambeau arrived in Philadelphia, there were social calls and sight-seeing excursions with a serious purpose. The generals toured the battlefield of Germantown with Baron von Closen, one of Rochambeau’s aides, on September 2, 1781. Afterward, the group dined at the home of John Holker, the French consul, who ”entertained us magnificently in his charming country house [i.e., Cliveden].” Sailing south from Philadelphia on September 5, 1781, Rochambeau decided to make a detour to see Fort Mifflin on Mud Island and the forts at Red Bank, New Jersey--forts Mercer and Billingsport. Visits to such sites formed part of the continuing education on military strategy for his senior officers and aides. Rochambeau was accompanied by Artillery Captain Mauduit du Plessis, who had been in command of the American artillery at Fort Mercer as a lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army during the British siege of 1777. During his march through Pennsylvania on September 3, Rochambeau’s son, the Vicomte de Rochambeau, penned the following descriptions of his battlefield visits: ”Also we felt obliged to visit the battlefields of Brandywine and Germantown (the defensive points of the river in 1777), and last, the good winter quarters that Washington held from 1777 to 1778 at Valley Forge. The first was won by General Howe from General Washington. In the second this latter held his own. Trenton and Princeton won for him the reputation of a general.” Philadelphia on 14 July, the same day as Rochambeau, who had traveled north from Virginia. Following the July 15 celebrations, Washington and Rochambeau met for their fourth and final strategy session at an unknown location in Philadelphia. They decided against an invasion of Canada and to re-group the allied forces at the lower Hudson River. Rochambeau cautioned that the French could not attack New York City, the center of British power in North America, because of their naval disadvantage. The FrenchAmerican military alliance had essentially dissolved. March of the Royal Deux-Ponts Regiment, 2nd & Market streets, Philadelphia - September 3, 1781 COURTESY ANNE S. K. BROWN MILITARY COLLECTION, BROWN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY “There we met for the first time Germans who greeted us immediately along the road as fellow countrymen.” — Georg Daniel Flohr of the Royal Deux-Ponts describing Frankford, ”Journal” Camp Security: Drawings from Sergeant Lamb’s Journal CAMP SECURITY VIRTUAL MUSEUM, accessed March 10, 2017, http://www.campsecurity.org/museum/items/show/80. The End of the Alliance A few days after the surrender of General Cornwallis, Queen Marie Antoinette gave birth to the heir of Louis XVI of France Louis-Joseph-Xavier-François, the dauphin. The birth was celebrated in America as a way to further cement the FrenchAmerican alliance and recognize the importance of French aid to the American Revolution. Pennsylvania used the upcoming meeting between Washington and Rochambeau in July, 1782 as an occasion to hold a formal celebration. Coming from his headquarters in Newburgh, Washington arrived in One of Philadelphia’s contributions to the war effort was the recruitment of German-speaking troops for Rochambeau’s forces among Hessian and Brunswick prisoners of war and deserters. By August 1780, newspaper advertisements in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states called on ”all German deserters from the armies of Great Britain” to enlist. The call was successful in part: During the course of the war, officers from the Royal Deux-Ponts, Prisoners of War By September 1782, all French and Continental troops left Pennsylvania. The Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783 officially ended the American War of Independence. By November of 1783, the last of the French troops and their leaders had departed the United States, with about 600 fewer men. While some died in battle, more than half had deserted. About 1/4 (140, including 30 "American" recruits) were discharged. Thirty-one officers and 14 enlisted men retired with military pensions in the New World. CA. 1907 PHOTO OF ORIGINAL PAINTING BY JOSEPH-SIFFRÈDE DUPLESSIS CA. 1778, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS (ORIGINAL IN The treatment of prisoners of war (POWs) during the American Revolution was very different from the standards of modern warfare. Unlike the Geneva Conventions of later centuries, captives were expected to be cared for and supplied by their own or private citizens, not by their captors. THE FRIEDSAM COLLECTION, WWW.METMUSEUM.ORG) Philadelphia’s adopted son Benjamin Franklin played a critical role in obtaining financial and military support for the United States. As the US Ambassador to France, he worked with the Marquis de Lafayette in 1779 to secure a promise from King Louis XVI to send troops to America. A handful of British POW camps were established during the Revolutionary War in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia that held more than 10,000 prisoners during the war. The barracks were constructed hastily, often by the prisoners themselves. The camps were self-sufficient, with land and supplies to grow their own food. Some prisoners may even have been paroled to work on American farms. Camp Security, located just east of the City of York, Pennsylvania was built in 1781 to detain British troops surrendered in 1777 by General Burgoyne at Saratoga, New York. Differences of opinion between Congress and Burgoyne about the vanquished troops’ status kept the latter moving around to several different locations during the years following the surrender. Several days following the American victory at Yorktown, a number of Continental units marched north toward Philadelphia with their British POWs. Upon arrival in Philadelphia, Moses Hazen’s Canadian Regiment branched off toward its winter quarters at Camp Security, guarding British prisoners that had marched north with them to Pennsylvania. Between 1781 and the end of the war in 1783, more than 1,500 captured British and Canadian soldiers and their families were confined at the camp, living in log huts surrounded by a stockade. They were more fortunate as compared to American POWs. Washington ordered his troops to take prisoners in and ”treat them with humanity,” which they generally did. The British solution to capturing large numbers of Americans was to stow them on prison ships or use them as slave labor in other parts of the British empire. Thousands of American prisoners died of disease and starvation during the American Revolution due to lack of medical supplies, neglect and abuse. Some were forced to join the Royal Navy to save their lives. The lucky onesmostly the officers - might be paroled or exchanged for their British counterparts. Along Pennsylvania’s Allied Route Today Discovering a Revolutionary War Trail Although population growth and urban development have erased most traces of the rural campsites and small taverns that once sheltered Revolutionary War soldiers, the public can still drive, bike or walk some of the same routes taken by the soldiers. There are many historic sites that tell the Washington-Rochambeau story. Strolling the historic districts in Philadelphia, kayaking the Schuylkill River, or Getting to the 50-mile section of trail in Pennsylvania is easy using I-95 or trains, or flying into Philadelphia International Airport. It is possible to drive much of the route on local roads that were once colonial arteries for commerce. Most sections of the trail in Philadelphia and in some of the surrounding communities are accessible to bicyclists and hikers. Lodging, fuel, supplies and restaurants are readily available. n De la w a N 3rd St N 4th St ND e Avlawa e r e Street N Front d us Blv N Co lumb N 2nd St N 6th St River Delaware Front St S 3rd St S Front St S 4th St k S 5th St un S 2nd St S 6th St ssy Pa ike tol P Bris Old Tu r Av en rd fo an k C re re ek Pennypack Creek/Frankford Avenue Bridge, oldest continuously used highway bridge in North America LIBRARY OF CONGRESS NEW JERSEY NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL ROUTE Rochambeau & staff tour route B r ig Ti m b e French Army–encampment ee Cr k Fort Mifflin, bombarded and captured in 1777 as part of the So British conquest of Philadelphia ut h e ik np Tu r STATE PARK French Army VALLEY FORGE STATE FOREST N o rt h Br an ch Continental Army Continental Army–water route Continental Army–encampment Je rs ey Related NPS units ns N ew a dm C N 7th St eek ng Cr ken au yC rb Da 495 ve rNESHAMINY 295 i R Red Bank Battlefield Park/ Fort Mercer National Park 295 Burlington 30 a Fort Billingsport O l King George II Inn s Camden Plank Log House S 7th St S 10th St S 11th St S 12th St Tu r Po ck C pa 95 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE 95 N 5th St N 8th St N Franklin St N 9th St N 10th St N 12th St N 13th St North Broad St South Broad St S 15th St S 16th St S 17th St S 18th St ike ine DELAWARE re e k WILMINGTON N 11th St N 15th St N 17th St N 18th St N 19th St S 19th St S 20th St S 21st St S S 22nd St np yw VALLEY FORGE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK 202 a Pe nn re ek Fort Mifflin Chester 13 a Bristol L r Tu 13 a Morton Homestead Marcus Hook Winter quarters for the Continental troops at Valley Forge, 1777/78 following the failed campaign to keep Philadelphia out of British hands ue 76 Chester Courthouse a r eek The Woodlands JOHN HEINZ NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE 276 si 1 a 1697 Stone Bridge John Boelsen Cottage Mount Pleasant Blue Bell Tavern 13 a STATE PARK 95 Pe n y n Bartram House & Gardens 1 a 1 a e ia RIDLEY CREEK k DELAWARE CANAL 206 a ik an 476 STATE PARK Ridgeland Woodford Laurel Hill TRENTON np ylv n Downingtown 1 S 13th St S 23rd St e nu S 23rd St Av e y rr Fe ys ra G ns r Tu PENNSYLVANIA Cr ee N 16th St N 20th St S 24th St S 25th St e en ia Belmont Mansion 295 Morrisville y - P an 76 Bran d ek qu es PHILADELPHIA 202 a WASHINGTON CROSSING STATE PARK Yardley ia Cliveden/Chew House & Battle of Germantown STATE PARK DELAWARE & RARITAN CANAL STATE PARK 276 ke Conshohocken 76 Queen Street 206 1 Washington a a Crossing WASHINGTON CROSSING HISTORIC PARK 476 MARSH CREEK West Chester sy Fitzwater St re e t rse on n en n lva ose St Je nsi P 76 Coatesville pi Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial Catherine Street NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Norristown 422 a Valley Forge National Historical Park pi ke S 26th St r xte a Phoenixville lv South Street TYLER STATE PARK 202 95 SOCIETY HILL Lombard Street Christian Street Carpenter’s Hall, where in 1775 Benjamin Franklin met with Chevalier Julien-Alexandre Achard de Bonvouloir, a French spy, to secretly discuss an American-French alliance ALLEY Christ Church Powel House w st E TY UN CO TY UN CO R TE ES nsy nu Av e ll ki yl hu ea Y ER Pen Corinthian Ave way Exp ll lki uy Sch ll ki yl hu Sc Sc rth Lansdale ELFRETH’S Old St. Joseph’s Church American Philosophical Society Montr h Nes amin y Cr e CLIVEDEN, INC. STATE PARK M STATE GAME LANDS 43 Mikveh Israel Cemetery Fitzwater Street DELAWARE CANAL STATE PARK EVANSBURG GO NT PARK CH Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site Lombard Street Cliveden / Chew House: Site of the Battle of Germantown,1777; home of John Holker, French general consul to the US, during the American Revolution. No MO CREEK STATE Pine Street Doylestown The National Park Service works with federal, state, and local agencies and private organizations along the nine-state corridor that constitutes the WashingtonRochambeau Revolutionary Route. Visit www.nps.gov for more information. r ve Ri Schuylk ill Spruce Street Delancy Delancy Bainbridge Street t Carpenters’ Hall City Tavern WASHINGTON SQUARE Locust Street South Street 476 Schuylkill River National & State Heritage Area FRENCH Independence Hall Sansom Street Montrose Street Pottstown 422 a Declaration/ Graff House Walnut Street Ri vd Stree National Constitution Center Christ Church Burial Ground Liberty Bell Center Franklin Court Visitor Center RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 95 30 a FRANKLIN SQUARE MARKET Market Street Sansom Street Delancy Av e Independence National READING TERMINAL Historical Park VISITOR CENTER Fr Museum of the American Revolution 101 South Third Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 877-740-1776 www.amrevmuseum.org et n vd Valley Forge National Historical Park 1400 North Outer Line Drive King of Prussia, PA 19406 610-783-1000 www.nps.gov/vafo t re 676 CITY HALL ve hS w Callowhill Street Chestnut Street re s s S 36th St ut Independence National Historical Park Independence Visitor Center 41 N. 6th Street (Corner of 6th & Market Streets) Philadelphia, PA 19106 215-965-2305 www.nps.gov/inde Independence Visitor Center 1 North Independence Mall West Philadelphia, PA 19106 800-537-7676 www.phlvisitorcenter.com N 21st St Q to et eet Spring Garden Str PENN CONVENTION CENTER Arch Street Q Green Race Street John F Kennedy Blvd an enue Green Street 30 a LOGAN SQUARE unt Av m mbus Bl vi So y Stre er S Colu Ci e w lar Street Ne t St Visit other historic sites, trails and scenic byways along the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route. The places designated on this map are all open to the public. For locations, hours, directions, and other places of interest, visit the site-specific website or the following visitor information centers: nt Pk 676 3 UNIVERSITY OF e cC n 3 Walnut Street l rB kli Pop S 8th St rd S 3 an N 22nd Street N 33 Q Fr S 21st Street a PENNSYLVANIA The Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route in 30 Chestnut Street Spruce Street am 30TH STREET STATION Market Street Sansom Street Sansom Street Fort Mifflin 82 Fort Mifflin Road Philadelphia, PA 19153 215-685-4167 http://www.fortmifflin.us N 22nd St 30 ve on A N 34th Ave t t elt nj FAIRMOUNT PARK st St nd S th S Bari a et S t re t ng S 611 S Fairmo Spring Garden Street N 31 n a rd e Green Street e r Be Filbert St More Information N 26th St PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART ue nu ve dA rfor ter ve e nt Aven 76 Pow cas K St ng G 3 5t h N 36 Lan Ri N 32 Spri e l T P AR Fairmou e Brown e Av Hav kil iv Aspen Street nu Brown St St e lace UN Av e Brown dg Wa l MO Dr Parrish St Ri FAI R uyl ly N 27th St e N 28th St iv Sch Kel Parrish St G Avenue Dr Kelly Drive nn Poplar Street rd ar N 29th St Poplar Street Pe Girard Avenue GIRARD COLLEGE S 9th St Girard Avenue N 30th St pl ely e exploring Revolutionary battle sites at Fort Mifflin and Germantown are just a few of the many opportunities to interact with history in Pennsylvania and the region. Frankfo Po Sedg Driv The Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail comprises a network of roads and waterways used by allied forces in the Yorktown campaign. 0 7 Kilometers 0 5 Miles Related historic sites East Coast Greenway