April 26, 2002

Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the town of Ridgefield, Connecticut, as it celebrates its rich historic and cultural heritage. Located in Southwestern Connecticut, Ridgefield was established by Norwalk settlers in 1708 on twenty-three square miles purchased from the Ramapoo Indian chief Catoohnah. A year later the town was chartered by the Connecticut General Assembly. At its founding, Ridgefield was a small town of farmers organized along a remarkable 8 mile long main street, then called Town Street. Slowly, shops and public buildings began to spring up on Town Street, including the Keeler Tavern, founded in 1772, which served as a meeting-place for the early Colonial settlers, and an inn for tired travelers. Indeed, the Keeler Tavern, which coincidentally still stands today as a museum, was a place for lively debate among Loyalists and Patriots in the nascent days of the Revolution, and became a meeting place for early Revolutionaries.

As Keith Jones, a town historian, has reported, on April 27, 1777, the Revolution arrived at the doorstep of the Keeler Tavern, as the village of Ridgefield became host to Connecticut's only in-land battle of the war. On that date, a small band of revolutionary colonists led by General Gold Selleck Sillman and General Benedict Arnold, before his traitorous switch to the British, arrived on Town Street shortly before noon with 500 Fairfield County men where they joined forces with Colonel Philip Burr Bradley and other troops from the Ridgefield-based 5th Connecticut line and the recently formed 1st Ridgefield militia. General Arnold quickly took command, and a barricade was formed on the north end of Town Street to await the British troops under General William Tryon who were advancing Southward from Danbury to retreat from the advancing Patriot Major General David Wooster who was closing in from the East.

The three forces engaged in what has now become commonly known as the Battle of Ridgefield. The fighting was fierce, with casualties on both sides, including the mortal wounding of General Wooster. In hours, British reinforcements joined Tryon's beleaguered forces, greatly outnumbering the Patriots while advancing on the barricade. Superior numbers carried the day, and the British stormed down Town Street, seizing the town. With 12 dead, and 24 wounded, General Arnold ordered the Patriots retreat. As he moved his troops back, Arnold's horse was shot out from underneath him, pinning him to the ground. He escaped and made it to rendevous with supporters the next day.

Despite the valiant efforts of the Patriots, the battle was a clear victory for the British who encamped South of town after burning six homes and the Episcopal church. On the way out of town, the British fired on the Keeler Tavern a few times, after having correctly learned that musket balls were being made in the basement. That day, a small cannonball was fired into the walls of the tavern, and today, the cannonball is still embedded in one of the corner posts of the Keeler Tavern. Word of the battle of Ridgefield spread quickly, and within six hours of the British army's departure, thousands of Patriot soldiers poured into the area to block future British attacks. They were successful in deterring new attacks, and no more inland battles were waged in Connecticut.

Beginning in 1877, Ridgefielders have held some form of ceremony remembering the battle every 25 years. This year, on the 225th anniversary of the battle, the town is planning an ambitious program called ``Patriot Weekend.'' This weekend will include Revolutionary war storytelling for children, historical fact scavenger hunts, special theatrical performances, and a period craft fair. In addition, the Keeler Tavern will host a special exhibit of battle artifacts. Capping off the weekend, a large-scale recreation of the Battle of Ridgefield, complete with black-powder musketry, will be conducted by the Brigade of the American Revolution.

Over 130 units representing all the various infantry, cavalry, artillery, artificers, and musicians of the war, will re-create the military tactics and maneuvers of the battle in painstakingly reproduced clothing, weapons, and gear. This will be a truly amazing spectacle, and one that brings the rich history of Ridgefield, and Connecticut, alive.

Ridgefielders are justly proud of their heritage, and I commend them for organizing this truly remarkable historic celebration. What began as a small farming town in the 1700's grew to become a weekend retreat for New Yorkers in the 1900's, and is now a vibrant town of 23,000. Historic Town Street, now called Main Street, still houses small shops and restaurants, and signs mark the locations of the key points of this exciting battle, while the world-renowned Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art looks forward to the future. Connecticut is fortunate to be home to such rich cultural treasures as the town of Ridgefield, and I would like to take this opportunity to publicly express my commendation for this weekend's activities.