The Westport Historical Society Presents…..The British Are Coming!

The Westport Historical Society will host a lecture on Saturday, April 26,
at 2 p.m. marking the 237th anniversary of Tryon’s Raid, the
Revolutionary War engagement that began with 1,500 British troops landing at Compo Beach.

As many Westport residents may know, the
four-day raid, which started on April 25, 1777, saw the British march to Danbury, where they
burned Patriot supplies, then return to their ships, two battles with Colonial
forces along the way.  The incursion was led by Maj. Gen. William
Tryon, Royal Governor of the New York
province.

The lecture will be given by Ed Hynes, a Merrill Lynch financial advisor in Westport whose interest in the American Revolution dates
to his childhood in Wilton,
where he lived next to a home that was partially burned by Tryon’s soldiers.
Hynes will look at the raid in the context of the war and discuss the
commanders on both sides and “things quite smart and not so smart” on both
sides, including how “the Brits outwitted” the Patriots on their return to
Compo. This incident took place in our own back yard and highlights an
interesting aspect of the war:  the extent to which local Colonists were
divided for and against the Revolution.

As his troops marched back to Compo, Tryon got wind that Patriots under
Brig. Gen. Benedict Arnold were waiting for him at a bridge at Kings Highway where
he had to cross the Saugatuck
River. Luckily for Tryon,
he was accompanied by a unit of Loyalists, one of whose members had lived in
this area. The Loyalist was able to lead the invaders across the river at a
ford upstream near present-day Red
Coat Road, helping the British avoid the ambush.
The site of that crossing is now designated by a historical marker.

The episode inspired the book “The Bridge Not Taken” by Wilton land surveyor Damon Greenleaf Duncan,
copies of which are available in the WHS’ gift shop.

Concerning the division of opinion among Colonists, Hynes notes that Ridgefield’s Town Council actually voted not to support
the Revolution, but later reversed their decision and that a Redding
militia linked to that town’s Anglican Church was disbanded by Connecticut’s governor
because it refused to support Gen. George Washington’s troops.

Hynes’ talk is an opportunity to learn about important historical events
that occurred right here in Westport.
He will speak for about 50 minutes, then take questions from the audience.
Copies of a map for the raid prepared by one of Tryon’s officers will be handed
out to attendees.

The cost of the program is $5