Downtown Ridgefield looked like a scene out of a history book as the 5th Connecticut Regiment reenacted the only inland battle fought in Connecticut during the Revolutionary War.
The huge crowd of spectators who lined both sides of Main Street were transported back in time 245 years to the exact place where the Battle of Ridgefield raged.
The series of skirmishes between American and British forces looked real, with cannons fired, soldiers on horseback, and some who fell to the enemy.
There was even a barricade erected where American Militia, led by Generals Benedict Arnold and Gold Selleck Silliman met the British, hoping to keep them from retreating further south.
A cannonball fired by the British, a stark reality of the fierce battle, remains lodged in Keeler Tavern today.
The Battle of Ridgefield 245th anniversary events are highlighted by the fact that skeletal remains of Revolutionary War soldiers from the battle were found in the downtown area in 2019 and early 2020. [Read more about the skeletal remains on the Ridgefield Historical Society website.]
Tomorrow, Sunday, May 1, those remains will be part of a funeral procession and ceremony, rooted in the traditions of the late 1700s. The Battle of Ridgefield Ceremonial Salute begins at Ballard Park at 11:00am.
This weekend we, once again, are reminded of how fortunate we are to live in this great community. So much work has gone into recreating an event, so significant to our place in history.
Thank you to the Ridgefield Historical Society, the Town of Ridgefield and members of the 5th Connecticut Regiment and The Brigade of the American Revolution for all that you did to make the 245th Anniversary of the Battle of Ridgefield one for the history books.