The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-02-26

concerning it q arrived at Lebanon
 about noon. This does not mean that
 had reached the church, near which the
 troops were quartered, as I still had
 five miles to go. Who would not think
 then that was describing large city
 The houses of the inhabitants are wide
 apart from each other, built in innum-
 erable forests The Legion of the
 Duke de LauZun-Biron was a mixed
 command of cavalry and infantry in-
 cluding artillery and baggage, the
 cavalry part of which consisted of 6,S0O
 Iiuzzars. Rochambeau with his four
 regiments remained in Lebanon about
 three weeks probably on his march
 across the State of Connecticut, and
 while they were there Gen. Washington
 came and stayed three days, during his
 sojourn he received the French troops
 who were under the most perfect disci-
 pline. On June 10, 1781, the regiments
 of the Bourbonnais and Royal Deup-
 ponts left Newport for Providence, R.
 l., where they arrived at 10 a. m. The
 Baron de Viomenil led this portion of
 the army. It being too late to lay out
 camp the Baron obtained permission
 from the magistrate of the town for that night, to use some empty houses in
 which the soldiers could sleep. The
 next morning the regiment of Deup-
 Fonts encamped on the hill that over
 looks Providence, and the regiments of
 Soissonnais and Saintoonge which ar
 rived that day (the day of the laying
 out of the camp and the one following
 that on which the Bourbonnais' and
 Deup Fonts arrived) took position on
 ,te,1 1AFt thn t1,pt 1aft ot
 Newport to protect the fleet was 400 re-
 cruits, 30 artillerymen and 1000 Ameri-
 can militiamen. Baron Bromot du
 Bourgan, aide-de-camp of Rochambeau
 said Providence is a rather pretty
 town which had good deal of com
 merce before the war. There is noth-
 ing remarkable in its except magnif-
 cent hospital" What would he say if
 he could see it to-day? The army re-
 rnained in camp there for eight days to
 collect their baggage, hospitals, means
 of transportation for equipments, etc.
 On the 18th of June the Baron de Vio-
 menil held review preliminary to be-
 ginning the campaign and the army be-
 gan to march In the following order.
 On the 18th of June the regiment of
 Bourbonnais under the immediate
 command of the Count de Rochambeau
 and the Chevalier de Chastellup; on
 the 18th the Royal Deup Fonts, under
 the Baron Viomenil and Count William
 Deup Fonts; on the 20th the regiment
 of Soissonnais the Wis., Count de Viome-
 nil in commando; on the 21th the regi-
 ment of Saintonge commanded by the Count de Bustine, successively left Providence and keeping one days march apart encamped the first day at Waterlnans Tavern, in Coventry, R. l., the second at Plainfield, Conn.,, the third at Windham the fourth at Bol-
 ton, and the fifth at Hartford. These stopping places are fifteen miles apart.
 The roads were bad, the artillery being hardly able to keep up the baggage was left behind. At Windham they en-
 camped in valley surrounded by
 woods which soon took fire, no one
 knew how three hundred men endeav-
 ored to put it. out but were unable It
 only destroyed the brushwood. On the 20th nine men deserted from the regi-
 ment of Soissonnais and one from the
 Royal Deup Fonts. The host of Roch-
 ambeau at Bolton was a clergyman feet inches tall, named Colton. He of fered to adopt the child of the wife of a
 grenadier of Deup Fonts and give her thirty Louis for herself but she refused. The regiment of Bourbonnais reached Hartford on June 22, 17s1, and left their camp on the 18th, the Royal Deup Fonts on the 26th, the Soissonnais on
 the 27th, the Saintonge on the 2Sth
 The first day they encamped at Farm ington, the second at Barons Tavern, ] the third at Breakneck and the fourth at Newton. Imagine them, then as they marched through the main street of this quaint and quiet old town with it's ancient dwellings and it's
 breezy hilltops from which fine views may be obtained, the arching elms and
 other trees forming fitting back ground to the brilliant scene They l must have been impressed with the natural beauties of the place as I was, as I can bear witness, having spent four pleasant summer seasons meath | it's peaceful shades and the rural in- | habitants must have gazed with awe and admiration on the imposing spec | tacle before them. The route from | Hartford was better and more open. | the stopping places were pleasant. The | artillery was unable to arrive until | late. The first division of the main | army composed of the regiments of | Bourbonnais and the Royal Deup Fonts | started from Newton early in the
 morning of July 1, 17S1, to proceed to l Bridgebury. The second division of | Soissonnais and Saintonge left the next | day for the same destination The road l from Newton to Bridgebury was hilly l and difficult. On the way two men de- | serted from the regiment of Bourbon 1 nais. Bridgebury was the last place in l Connecticut through which the main | body of the army passed. This main force left Bridgebury on July 2, 1731, | for Bedford, N. Y., where it joined
 Lauzun's Legion, which, during the time the main army had been moving
 as stated above, had left Lebanon and
 marched fifteen miles from the main
 force on it's left flank over the following 1 route from Lebanon to Colchester to
 New Stratford, to Ridgefield, their last 1 stop in Connecticut. This charming | village must have delighted them much | as did me on recent visit. Its broad, | well shaded main street arched by 1 the boughs of its noble trees and lined | by it's comfortable old historic houses, one of which has imbedded in its side ! cannon ball fired by the British when 1 they engaged in battle, in or near the