MORRISTOWN, NJ — A new historical marker will be unveiled in Morristown next week, commemorating the route French troops took through Morris County on their way to one of the most consequential battles of the American Revolution.
The Morris County Park Commission will host a dedication ceremony for the New Jersey State Historical Marker, titled "French Forces Pivot to New Jersey," on Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, 353 East Hanover Ave. in Morristown.
The marker recognizes French General Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, and the French army's march through the area in August 1781 as the troops traveled south to support American forces fighting for independence.
On Aug. 29, 1781, Rochambeau's forces traveled through Morris County, including land that is now part of the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, according to the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Association.
The march was part of the larger Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route, which traces the movements of American and French forces toward Yorktown, Virginia.
The allied armies ultimately converged there and defeated British forces under Gen. Charles Cornwallis in October 1781, a decisive victory that brought major combat in the Revolutionary War to an end.
The dedication is free and is being organized by the Morris County Park Commission.
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