French General Rochambeau
On Saturday, May 20th, from 10am to 4pm, the Yorktown Heritage Preservation Commission / Yorktown 250 in partnership with the Washington Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Association (W3R) and the Yorktown Grange will commemorate the role that French General Count de Rochambeau and the French army played in aiding General Washington and the Continental Army in the fight for freedom from British rule.
The American Revolutionary War was not going well for Washington and his exhausted troops. In February 1780, French King, Louis XVI, agreed to send land forces to help the American cause, appointing Rochambeau to command the French army. The French Army arrived in Newport Rhode Island in July 1780 and spent the winter regrouping and getting ready to join the American fight for independence.
In July 1781, the French forces joined the Americans at their camp at Philipsburg, now Greenburgh, New York, to assess the military strength of the British who were in Manhattan and decide on a plan of attack. In August 1781, they learned French Admiral Comte de Grasse planned to sail to Chesapeake Bay and they decided the best chance for victory was to attack the British army in Yorktown, Virginia. The two generals mapped out their plan and decided on a route to move their armies from Greenburgh to Yorktown Virginia which took them through Yorktown, New York.
Rochambeau Park, dedicated in honor of the French General in 1954, was among five locations the French forces occupied in Yorktown, then known as Crompond. On August 21, 1781, the French troops encamped overnight at Hunt’s Tavern, named for the local watering hole (now Freyer’s Nursery), with over 5,000 French men, a few women, servants, waggoneers, 1,500 horses, and hundreds of wagons pulled by as many as 2,000 oxen.
On May 20th, visitors to Rochambeau Park will join local, county and state officials in welcoming our French allies, be able to discuss the French army’s role in winning our independence with a Rochambeau national scholar, French dignitaries, and living history teachers. Guests will interact with members of the French, Continental, and British forces in uniform and observe drills and firing of muskets. Adults and kids will participate in an encampment setup and drill with model muskets under the leadership of a sergeant. Exhibitors attired in period dress will share stories about Rochambeau and the French troops while here in Yorktown; visitors are invited to wander the spacious grounds, enjoy the food and beverage and greet animals from the day.
This event is one of many planned leading up to 2026 commemoration of our nation’s 250th anniversary of our independence from England. Yorktown’s Heritage Preservation Commission Chair, Lynn Briggs, exuberantly says: “Bring the whole family and learn how our Yorktown played a crucial role with Rochambeau aiding Washington and the Continental Army in the fight for our independence from British rule.”
Rochambeau Park is one of three historic Revolutionary War sites in Westchester County were French troops camped during the war. The other encampment sites are Smith’s Tavern in Armonk and the Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters in Hartsdale. On the day of the event, visitors can be guided to visit Rochambeau Park and the other sites with a soon to be released free TravelStorys Follow the French audio tour about the crucial French alliance with General Washington and the Continental army. The tour was organized by the Friends of Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters, www.odellrochambeau.org, and funding provided by the Scarsdale Historical Society.
The Town of Yorktown wishes to thank Rochambeau Park /Yorktown Grange, located at 99 Moseman Road, for their partnership in bringing this historic event to Yorktown and nearby community residents. Grange Master, Mark Franks, says: “We are proud to help Yorktown create public awareness of Rochambeau Park, this historic Revolutionary War site.”
