Official Site of The State of New Jersey
The New Jersey Historic Trust is pleased to announce the completion ofThe Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route In The State of New Jersey, 1781-1783: An Historical and Architectural Survey, by historian Robert A. Selig, Ph. D. The survey is an in depth and detailed study of military marches through the State of New Jersey during the American Revolutionary War of both French Army troops and Continental Army troops in 1781-1783 in route to the defeat of the British Army and General Cornwallis at the Battle of Yorktown, Virginia, October 19, 1781, and their return journey north.
The New Jersey study compliments the work of the National Park Service, which was authorized by Congress through passage of the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Heritage Trial Act of 2000 to evaluate the 650-mile route from Newport, RI, to Yorktown, VA., taken in 1781 by French troops.
The year 2006 marks the 225th anniversary of this historic military campaign specific event, and the National Heritage Trail designation of the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route (W3R) is now under consideration by Congress.
The W3R survey in the State of New Jersey identifies the land and river routes that General Washington’s Continental Army and the comte de Rochambeau’s French forces took through New Jersey in August and September of 1781 on their way to Yorktown, and identifies associated sites and resources along those routes. The study develops recommendations for interpretation of these sites and resources and lays the foundation needed to begin the research for nominating identified sites to the National Register of Historic Places.
Click here to view Volume I (PDF)