Fifth Camp of Rochambeau's Infantry National Register of Historic Places Listing

In June 1781, nearly five thousand French soldiers under the Count de Rochambeau tramped through Connecticut. They wanted Cornwallis. To get to him, they had to march hundreds of miles, stopping each night to pitch heavy canvas tents and cook rations. The Bourbonnais Regiment claimed Bolton first. They arrived on June 21, sweating in their thick woolen uniforms as they climbed the steep ridge. Three other regiments followed in daily shifts. Think of the noise. Thousands of French-speaking men, hundreds of pack horses, and heavy brass cannons tore up the quiet Yankee pastures. Local farmers watched in sheer disbelief.

Today, the site looks like ordinary Connecticut woods. Just trees. But beneath the soil lies physical proof of the alliance that won the Revolutionary War. Archaeologists digging in Bolton found French coins, lost lead musket balls, and dropped uniform buttons. Some pewter buttons still show the numbers "85" and "13." Those belonged to specific regiments. The French actually used this ground twice, stopping here again in 1782 on their triumphant march back north. While developers paved over most other campsites along the route, this Tolland County ridge stayed quiet. It preserved history.