Forty-Seventh Camp of Rochambeau's Army facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Forty-Seventh Camp of Rochambeau's Army
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Rochambeau Camp 47 site
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | Scotland Rd., Windham, Connecticut |
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| Area | 15 acres (6.1 ha) |
| Built | 1782 |
| MPS | Rochambeau's Army in Connecticut, 1780-1782 MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 02001732 |
| Added to NRHP | January 23, 2003 |
The Forty-Seventh Camp of Rochambeau's Army is an old army camp site in Windham, Connecticut. It's found along Scotland Road, just east of Windham Center. This spot was used by the French Army in November 1782. They were traveling from their big win at Yorktown back to Rhode Island.
This camp is important for studying history. It helps us learn about temporary army camps, which are usually hard to find. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
What Was Rochambeau's 47th Camp?
This camp was the 47th stopping point for General Rochambeau's army. A map made by a French military engineer shows its exact location. It was on both sides of Scotland Road, between Ballamahack Road and Middle Hill Road. This area is east of the main part of Windham village.
The modern road, now called Connecticut Route 14, still looks much like it did back then. This part of the road is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The army camp covered about 15 acres (6.1 ha) of land. The parts of the camp facing the road had stone walls.
Why Was This Camp Important?
When the French Army marched west from Providence toward New York City in 1781, their chosen spot in Windham was their fourth camp. That camp was located west of Windham Center, near the Shetucket River.
French soldiers who wrote in their diaries said the journey west of Windham was very tough. One soldier from the first group of troops wrote about having a rest day at this camp on their way back. He mentioned that the second group of troops joined them there during "frightful weather." This shows how challenging their travels were.
