New Historic Display At New England Civil War Museum Shows Off Unique Part Of Connecticut's Heritage

VERNON, CT — As the America's 250th version of the annual July in the Sky fireworks celebration began to unfold below Vernon Town Hall, inside the building stood a tribute to a lesser-known part of the country's history that's nevertheless an interesting one

"Just in time for the 250th anniversary ... visit our new exhibit, "Legacy of the Revolution," New England Civil War Museum officials said. The museum is located on the second floor of Vernon Town Hall in a full preserved Grand Army of the Republic Hall.

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The display features a historic uniform of the "Putnam Phalanx," which was a ceremonial organization, similar to the Governor's Footguards, that escorted Connecticut troops as they left Hartford for the Civil War, and later welcomed them back home, museum officials said.

Members of the unit wore Revolutionary-era uniforms and also participated in events like inaugurations and monument dedications. Specifically, the Phalanx celebrated Connecticut's revolutionary heritage, bearing the uniform and namesake of Revolutionary War hero Israel Putnam.

Here it is:

The museum is open Saturdays and Sundays from 10 to 3.

Here is Gen. Putnam himself, as depicted during his famed getaway from British troops, on the Greenwich Police Department patch: