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ANNAPOLIS (AP) — Except for the noise of a helicopter circling overhead, it could almost have been a crisp fall day in 1781 rather than 1981 as General Rochambeau's French troops marched into Annapolis Wednesday. With camera-toting spectators wat ching and clicking away, about 500 troops clad in uniforms patterned after those the French wore 200 years ago gathered at the Maryland State House for a formal ceremony, paraded around town and finally re-enacted the Battle of Yorktown. The “British,” as expected, lost. Wednesday's pageantry was part of a 10-day march from Rhode Island to Virginia commemorating the march of 5,000 French troops along the same path in 1781. Rochambeau's troops traveled from Providence to Yorktown, Va., to fight alongside American forces com manded by Gen. George Washington in te battle which ended the Revolutionary or The re-enactment of the events of 1781, sponsored by Rhode Island, is one of the last events of the U.S. Bicentennial celebration. The troops and camp followers involv ed in the re-enactment come from 26 States and the Canadian province of Quebec, Rhode Island Gov. J. Joseph Garrahy said. While about 700 troops and dependents gathered in Annapolis, similar exercises were carried out by some 200 soldiers and their dependents in Elkton and by about 225 soldiers and dependents in Havre de Grace. The Annapolis celebration began with a ceremony on the State House lawn featuring Gov. Harry Hughes, Rhode Island Gov. J. Joseph Garrahy and Gen. Michel de Noray, military attache at the French Embassy in Washington. Gen. de Noray noted in his speech that one of every six French soliders who came to this country to help fight the British died on American soil. He said the participation by French troops in the American revolution “pav ed the way for a lasting friendship bet ween France and the American people.” From the State House, the troops and spectators walked a short distance to the St. John’s College campus, where about 5,000 French soldiers spent the nights of September 19 and 20 in 1781. There the spectators were treated to a re-enactment of the battle of Yorktown, with Maryland “Colonial” troops playing the part of the British. From Annapolis, the French troops will travel to Yorktown. Twenty four of the French troops will board two sailing ships, “Providence” and ‘The Pride of Baltimore,” to continue the trip by water, as did some of Rochambeau’s ar my which camped in Annapolis in 1781. The rest will complete the journey to Yorktown by motor vehicle. The celebration will wind up next Mon day in Yorktown with a full scale re enactment of the battle which ended 200 years ago with the surrender of British troops to Gen. Washington and Gen. Rochambeau. Both President Reagan and French President Francois Mit terand are scheduled to attend the Yorktown celebration.
Newspaper Details
Daily News-Record
Harrisonburg, Virginia, US
Thu, Oct 15, 1981
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Carol S.
USA 13 Jul 2026
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