Battle of Ridgefield

Battle of Ridgefield. The Battle of Ridgefield was a significant engagement of the American Revolutionary War, fought on April 27, 1777, in the towns of Ridgefield and Compo Hill in Fairfield County, Connecticut. A British expeditionary force under William Tryon, the Royal Governor of New York, landed at Compo Beach with the objective of destroying a Continental Army supply depot at Danbury. Connecticut militia and Continental forces, led by Benedict Arnold and David Wooster, mobilized to oppose the raid, resulting in a series of skirmishes culminating in a pitched battle at Ridgefield. Although the British successfully burned the supplies and fought their way back to their ships, the spirited colonial resistance inflicted heavy casualties and demonstrated growing military capability.

Background

In the spring of 1777, British strategy in the New York and New Jersey campaign included raids to disrupt American supply lines and bolster loyalist sentiment. Governor William Tryon, operating from British-held New York City, planned a raid on the major Continental supply depot at Danbury, which was poorly defended. The depot contained crucial stores of food, uniforms, and ammunition for the Continental Army. On April 25, a fleet of transports and warships, including HMS *Swan*, sailed from Long Island Sound carrying approximately 1,800 British regulars from the 4th Regiment of Foot, 15th Regiment of Foot, and 23rd Regiment of Foot, along with several hundred loyalist volunteers from the Prince of Wales's American Volunteers. They landed unopposed at Compo Beach in Westport on April 26. News of the landing spread rapidly, prompting calls to the Connecticut militia and urgent messages to nearby Continental commanders, including Benedict Arnold at New Haven and General Gold Selleck Silliman in Fairfield.

Battle

The British force, commanded by Tryon and Brigadier General William Erskine, marched north to Danbury, reaching it by late afternoon on April 26. They met no organized resistance and spent the night destroying the vast supply depot, with the fires visible for miles. American forces began to coalesce under the overall command of Major General David Wooster, a veteran of the French and Indian War, and the recently arrived Brigadier General Benedict Arnold, a hero of the Battle of Quebec and the Battle of Valcour Island. On the morning of April 27, as the British column began its return march to Compo Beach, Wooster attacked its rear guard near Ridgefield with about 200 militia. In a sharp skirmish, Wooster was mortally wounded. Arnold, meanwhile, rallied nearly 500 men, including Continentals from the 1st Connecticut Regiment and fresh militia, and constructed a rudimentary barricade across Main Street in Ridgefield village. In the ensuing stand-up battle, Arnold's men resisted several British assaults, with Arnold famously having his horse shot from under him. The British eventually flanked the position using local loyalist guides, forcing Arnold to retreat. A final engagement occurred at Compo Hill near the landing site, where American forces harassed the British embarkation under fire from British warships like HMS *Asia*.

Aftermath

The British successfully re-embarked at Compo Beach on April 28, having achieved their primary objective of destroying the Danbury supplies. However, they suffered significant casualties, with estimates of British losses ranging from 150 to over 200 killed, wounded, or missing, compared to American losses of roughly 20 killed and up to 80 wounded. The death of General David Wooster was a notable blow to the Connecticut forces, and he was widely mourned as a martyr. Politically, the raid galvanized patriot support in Connecticut and discredited loyalist elements who had guided the British. Militarily, it demonstrated the effectiveness of rapid militia mobilization and the aggressive leadership of officers like Benedict Arnold, whose reputation was further enhanced. The engagement is considered a tactical British victory due to the destruction of the depot, but a strategic American victory for the heavy cost imposed on a superior professional force and the boost to colonial morale.

Legacy

The Battle of Ridgefield is commemorated as a pivotal event in Connecticut's role in the American Revolutionary War. The Ridgefield Battlefield site, including the area of the barricade, is marked by several monuments, most notably the Battle of Ridgefield Monument and a statue of Benedict Arnold—one of the few public memorials to him before his later treason. The Keeler Tavern, a museum that still bears a cannonball embedded in its wall from the battle, served as a field hospital for British forces. Annual reenactments are held in Ridgefield, and the event is featured in local histories and at the Old State House in Hartford. The battle is also noted in broader histories of the war, such as those by David McCullough and Benson John Lossing, for illustrating the brutal nature of coastal raids and the evolving combat effectiveness of American forces in 1777, a crucial year that also included the Battle of Saratoga and the Philadelphia campaign. Category:1777 in Connecticut Category:Battles of the American Revolutionary War in Connecticut Category:Conflicts in 1777 Category:April 1777 events