Gentle-souls,
On Sunday, November 11th the sacrifices of France in support of the American Revolution were remembered in Providence, Rhode Island in a simple ceremony in the North Burial Ground, where many French soldiers are buried. Those soldiers and a similar number buried in Newport in a spot unknown, died as a result of the necessarily long voyage for Rochambeau's Army to avoid English shipping lanes. The Brown University buildings were used as a hospital, and some of these troops came to be buried in Providence.
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The monument (pictured above) was erected in 1882, the centennial of the French Army's return to Providence after Yorktown, marching towards their final embarkation in Boston to the Caribbean or to France. One detail to note in the picture is the figure of a cartridge box, inscribe with the year "1782". The monument is also inscribed "OUR ALLIES IN THE REVOLUTION" on the west side and "LA GRADITUDE DE RHODE ISLAND" on the east. Here you see it adorned with the United States and the French flags, and two wreaths: one
placed by the Regiment Bourbonnais and the other by the W3R-RI, Roseanna Gorham, Chairman. The ribbons on the W3R wreath read: "Duty, Honor, Sacrifice - W3R-RI."
The brief ceremony honoring the French fallen here, is an annual event held by the Regiment Bourbonnais, an American re-enactment of one of Rochambeau's regiments. This year was particularly poignant for two reasons: (1) the Bourbonnais commander, George Chapman had just passed away (aged 71) and so the ceremony included him in their honors, and (2) this year and this very week marked the 225th Anniversary of the return of the Rochambeau's Army to Providence.
After wintering in Yorktown, Williamsburg, Hampton, Jamestown and West Point, Virginia, Rochambeau's Army had marched north, passing through Philadelphia at the beginning of September, and so across the Hudson and Connecticut. Arriving in Providence in early-mid November they lingered here a week, camping not a half mile from this gravesite between what is now North Main Street and Camp Street, and beside Rochambeau Avenue. They had spend many months in Rhode Island before and had many former acquaintances, with whom they re-acquainted themselves. After a week the Army departed north to Boston; Rochambeau turned south to catch more expedient transport back to France.
And so the last, lingering events of the 225th Anniversary trail away. All that is left is the French Army in Boston during December 1782, and then Paris in 1783 and Annapolis in 1784. And dare we think of 1789 ... the American influence on events in France.
Your servant,
Richard Sheryka
W3R-RI, Military Consultant
Fifre, Regiment Bourbonnais
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