Forty-fifth Camp at East Hartford. 29 October - 5 November 1782. Twelve and a half miles from the preceding camp at Farmington. Owing to the extra séjour, or halt, the entire army was encamped here together, as shown, from 30 October through 4 November. The camp was east of the village and of the Hockanum River, on either side of the road to Bolton Center. When the army stopped here the previous year, only one regiment (Soissonnais) camped in this position. The other regiments had been west of the village closer to the banks of the Connecticut in an area not included on the present map; cf. No. 32.

It was here at East Hartford that Rochambeau announced that the army would march to Boston and embark there for the West Indies. Many had hitherto supposed that they would remain in winter quarters at Hartford; cf. Clermont-Crèvecœur's journal, p. 81. See also Von Closen, pp. 263-264, and Chastellux (4), II, 477.

Dr. Ezra Stiles, journeying westward with his wife, met up with the French army at this time. He noted in his diary (4 November) that he saw the First Division at Bolton (where General Rochambeau visited him at the Reverend Mr. Colton's house), and then, on 5 November, when proceeding from Bolton to East Hartford: "Met & passed the 2d. Div. of French Army, probably 1500 men. The whole sd. to be 4000, I judge 3000. We stopt our chaise near half an hour in passing the Troops, & afterwards above half an hour in passing 2 Divisions of Wagons, I judge 200. Some of them sd. they had 500 Waggons for whole Army. . . ."