CONTACT NEWS RELEASE Samuel Stephens For immediate release 609-334-6904 [email protected] July 26, 2021
On the Road to Victory at Yorktown – The Encampment in Trenton, August 1781 Relive the experiences of American and French soldiers as they joined forces for the decisive battle of the Revolutionary War
Trenton, NJ (For immediate release)— The Trent House Association hosts an all-day event on Saturday, August 28, 2021, from 10 am to 5 pm, celebrating the 240th anniversary of the Washington-Rochambeau march to victory in Yorktown. This is a free outdoor event with activities suitable for adults and children.
The final major battle of the Revolutionary War took place in 1781 when the combined forces of General Washington’s Continental Army and its French allies under General Rochambeau captured British General Cornwallis’ army at Yorktown in Virginia. This victory, after five years of warfare, ensured America’s independence. It was at the end of August 1781 that the two armies first converged in Princeton. They then proceeded down the King’s Highway, now New Jersey Route 206, to encampment at Trenton, New Jersey before crossing the Delaware River. French cannons were parked on the estate known as Bloomsbury and owned by Assistant Quartermaster General of the Continental Army, Colonel John Cox. In the early 1700s this estate had been the home of William Trent, for whom Trenton is named. On Saturday, August 28, 2021, the program at the William Trent House Museum will portray the American and French soldiers who marched nearly 700 miles from Rhode Island to Yorktown.
The August 2021 event features re-enactors portraying soldiers from both the American and French armies. Two re-enactor organizations – Le Régiment Bourbonnais and Le Régiment Saintonge – represent French infantry and artillery. Also participating are re-enactors of African American infantrymen of the 1st Rhode Island Regiment and John Lamb’s Artillery Company. Demonstrations of military drills and camp life take place throughout the event as well as other family-friendly activities and historical talks. The William Trent House Museum as a site on the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Heritage Trail will be recognized.
Co-sponsors of the event include the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie, the Lawrence Historical Society, and the National Washington Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Association (W3R-US) and its local New Jersey chapter.
The event will be one of several 240th anniversary programs in the area. Also on August 28, the Millstone Valley Preservation Coalition (MVPC) and Franklin Township will host re-enactors representing both American and French troops Both events will occur throughout the day, and organizers encourage the public to spend the morning at one event and the afternoon at the other. And on August 12, Morven Museum and Garden will host a virtual talk, “Rochambeau at Morven, given by Bob Selig. The William Trent House Museum is a National Historic Landmark in the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area and on the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail. The Museum is dedicated to sharing the authentic history of the house, property, and people with our communities, connecting the past with today and tomorrow. Owned by the City of Trenton, it is operated by the Trent House Association, which is supported by the generosity of its members and donors; by grants from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, the New Jersey Cultural Trust, the New Jersey Historic Trust, and the Mercer County Cultural and Heritage Commission with funding from the New Jersey Historical Commission; and by contributions from New Pod City, NJM Insurance Group, and Orion General Contractors. For more information, visit https://williamtrenthouse.org.