“Huzzah! Huzzah!” for 250th Anniversary Celebrations

Greenwich, a strategic ‘garrison’ town between British New York and patriotic New England, endured brutal guerrilla warfare and raids during the Revolutionary War. On February 26, 1779, General Israel Putnam’s daring horseback escape down Putnam Hill from British forces became a defining local legend commemorated on the town seal. This Fourth of July, we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our independence from British tyrannical rule.

Putnam’s Escape: from Lossing, 1913, History of the United States

According to the Greenwich Historical Society, after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the Revolutionary War quickly spread into Connecticut, especially particularly Fairfield County and Greenwich.

Known then as a ‘garrison’ town, Greenwich lay between British-held New York and patriotic New England. Its strategic location exposed residents to years of brutal guerilla warfare as supporters of American independence clashed with Loyalists who remained faithful to King George III. Farms were raided, crops plundered, homes burned, and neighbors divided in what often resembled a localized civil war.

The most famous Revolutionary War episode in Greenwich occurred on February 26, 1779, when approximately 1,500 forces under British Major General William Tryon launched a major raid to plunder the town and destroy its strategic salt works. Continental Army General Israel Putnam, surprised while staying at Knapp's Tavern—today's Putnam Cottage—escaped capture by dramatically riding his horse down the steep precipice now known as Putnam Hill. The pursuing British cavalry refused to follow. Putnam reached Stamford, rallied reinforcements, and returned to help drive the British from Greenwich. His daring escape became one of the defining moments in the town's history and is commemorated on the official Greenwich Town Seal.

This Fourth of July, as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we also remember the courage, sacrifice, and wisdom of those who secured our nation's liberty. Greenwich's own Revolutionary history reminds us that the ideals proclaimed on July 4, 1776, were preserved not only by famous statesmen, but also by ordinary citizens and soldiers whose determination helped forge the enduring foundations of the United States.