History to March Through Bedford

A small band of seven living history re-enactors known as The Marchers will walk through Bedford on Saturday, just as 5,000 French soldiers did over 200 years ago.

They will make a stop on their 700-mile walk that re-enacts the travels of French troops who assisted the American forces during the Revolutionary War. Begun in Providence, RI, earlier this month, the journey runs through Westchester County and ends in Yorktown, VA, where the combined French and American forces once defeated the British army, winning America’s independence.

The marchers, wearing authentic clothing and camping in tents true to the size and style of the time, will stop for camping at Rochambeau Farm on Guard Hill Road, owned by Mary Ann Hawley and named for the connection to the Washington-Rochambeau route, which was recognized as a national historic trail in 2009.

“We follow the route according to the diaries of French soldiers so it’s historically accurate,” said one of the marchers, David Pergamit, an AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps member from Eugene, OR. He added that the purpose of the march was to celebrate the route's historic status and raise awareness of its significance in the War for Independence.

Town historian John Stockbridge said that at the time of the march, Bedford was scarred by British soldiers who burned the village on a raid in 1779. The French came through town in July 3, 1781, resting for a few days before heading to Mt. Kisco (the Leonard Park-Northern Westchester Hospital area) where American General George Washington conference with French Army Lt. Gen. Jean-Baptiste, Count of Rochambeau.

The Marchers will welcome visitors to their campsite on Guard Hill Road after 5:30 p.m. on July 2 and 3 (near the intersection of West Patent and Guard Hill Road). “We’d be happy to talk with anyone about our journey and answer questions,” said Pergamit. “In West Hartford, we had a drummer join us for a half mile, with his drum. That beat really lifted our spirits in a long day of marching.”

The group averages 12-17 miles a day, he said.

Bob Columbe of Chappaqua will also host the small band of patriots on his property on Old Farm Road in  Chappaqua. He is hosting the marchers for the second time in a row—last time, during the 225th anniversary of Rochambeau's march in 2006, was by chance.

"When the original encampment site was no longer viable, my wife happened to see the group in uniform standing by the road," he said. "We invited them to back to our place. My father-in-law, who was Revolutionary War history buff, sat outside with them until midnight. We had a great time, and now they're coming back."

Columbe's historical property (it used to be the home of a former president of the New York Central Railroad) can accommodate the marchers’ canvas tents, authentic in size and style to what the French army would have slept in. He plans to prepare a meal that soldiers may have had during the time period, including chicken, sweet corn, zucchini, mashed potatoes and strawberry shortcake.

This group of marchers will end their trip in Hartsdale, at the Odell House, where the French-American troops took a break for 6 weeks before heading North across the Hudson River before heading south to Yorktown, said Pergamit. A new AmeriCorps group carries on the march—and its mission of developing in others a passion for history—from there.

To follow the Marcher’s progress or learn more, click here for the group's Facebook page. To get an idea of what The Marchers do when they stop, on our sister site, Farmington Patch.

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