1. Provisions

DIRECTIONS: Use the organizer to take notes on at least THREE resources CT provided below.

Provision State Organizer

1. Ammunition

• From 1775 to 1780, iron worker in Salisbury made over 800 cannons. Salisbury Cannon Museum. The village of Salisbury was the seat of the most important blast furnace in Connecticut.

Connecticut History.org http://connecticuthistory.org/salisbury-iron-forged-early-industry/

• In 1768, the property was purchased by John Hazeltine, Ethan Allen and Samuel Forbes, When the war broke out, Congress took over the plant and it became one of the principal arsenals of the Continental armies. About 60 workmen were employed. Cannon up to 32 pounders were cast here, as well as cannonballs and shells.
• Summer of 1776 - a statue of King George was taken down in New York City and brought by ox cart to Oliver Wolcott's apple orchard in Litchfield. The women and children in the town melted down the statue. The statue produced 42,088 rounds of ammunition.

His Melted Majesty, Litchfield Historical Society

• In 1778, the Continental Army bought 2,360 pounds of bullets made in Rocky Hill.

2. Flour

• In December 1779, congress asked Connecticut to supply the army with 8,000 barrels of flour. Most of the flour came from towns in the northwest, like Litchfield.
• The following communication highlights the severity of the situation.

But at all events send on all the public Flour within your reach or we starve

• Read the text of the letter below the image. Click to enlarge the letter.

March 3, 1779

Sir

I have only time to acquaint you that a powerful Enemy is now before N. London, where it is expected they mean to make a decent_Our Militia are called out to the aid of the Conti- nental Troops there_ a large detachment is marched that way from Reding_ I expect the whole Camp must follow you will in this case see the necessity of sending forward Flour; lose not a moments Time_pick up every bush [bushel] of public Flour on the Road & send it forward_ and purchase all the Flour, Wheat Rye & Corn in your District every thing that will make bread is wanted_you will secure all you can, and in a silent Manner other ways people will take the alarms and disappoint you_If you find any Quantity that is hourded up, Seize it at once_ But at all events send on all the public Flour within your reach or we starve

yours

Peter Colt

Capt [Captain] Moses Seymour

Letter source:

http://www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org/museum/exhibit6.php

3. Beef

• In 1776, pork from Colchester fed George Washington's troops who were in Massachusetts.
• Throughout the winter and spring of 1778, cattle rounded up from eastern Connecticut were taken through New York and New Jersey to feed Washington's men at Valley Forge. the starving soldiers ate the first herd in five days!

From George Washington to Henry Champion, Sr., 9 March 1778.

From Henry Champion, Sr to George Washington, 28 February 1778

Henry Champion Fed A Starving Rebel Army

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=L-sgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3XEFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4577%2C408938

4. Additional Provisions

• The town of Stonington provided important food supplies, like cheese, to the army.
• Wethersfield was know for its plentiful crops of onions. The town contributed thousands of pounds to the Continental Army.
• Workers in Middletown made tents for the troops from a linen fabric called "tow cloth".
• In May 1775, Connecticut began to build ships for the navy in New London.

For teachers:

Harte, Charles R. "Connecticut's Iron and Copper Part 1." 60th Annual Report of the Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers. 1944. 131-166, 1944. Yale's Peabody Museum. Web. 10 March 2014. http://peabody.yale.edu/sites/default/files/documents/mineralogy/CT_Minerals_Pt1.pdf

Gordon, Robert B. A Landscape Transformed: The Ironmaking District of Salisbury, Connecticut. Oxford University Press, 2002. Google eBook. http://books.google.com/books?id=os9djCr_kcIC&pg=PA33&lpg=PA33&dq=connecticut+furnace+cannon&source=bl&ots=uAEYaETqBs&sig=NgDYwE0CNJ38GzxcDobTwwaIgdU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=DiAeU862FKOO0gHvz4CoBQ&ved=0CC0Q6AEwATgK#v=onepage&q=connecticut%20furnace%20cannon&f=false

George Washington's Letter to Henry Champion http://books.google.com/books?id=D_k7AAAAIAAJ&Ipg=PA54&ots=Aaqo9TEFnx&dg=Henry%20Champion%20cattle&pg=PA54#v=onepage&q=Henry%20Champion%20cattle&f=false