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by Peter C. Vermilyea (Author)
A Rural Connecticut County and its Citizens
From the first sparks of revolution in the 1770s, Litchfield County played an important role in the War of Independence.
Roger Sherman of New Milford was on the five-member committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence. Oliver Wolcott of Litchfield signed the document and oversaw the transportation of a toppled statue of King George III from New York City to his hometown, where it was melted down and turned into more than forty thousand musket balls. Those musket balls were perhaps fired by hundreds of local militia, including Black residents, who served in the war, while many other residents helped furnish supplies and information for the army.
However, not everyone supported the Patriot cause, as the county was also home to those who remained loyal to the British King. Later years saw the Continental Army make a winter encampment in New Milford and several visits by George Washington.
Local author and historian Peter Vermilyea reveals how liberty, sacrifice, and resilience in a small corner of New England helped shape the destiny of a new nation.
Author Biography
Peter C. Vermilyea teaches history at Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village, Connecticut, and for the University of Connecticut. A graduate of Gettysburg College, he is the director of the teacher scholarship program at his alma mater's Civil War Institute and a Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History master teacher. Vermilyea is the author or editor of six books, including Hidden History of Litchfield County, which received the 2015 CultureMax Award; Wicked Litchfield County; and Litchfield County and the Civil War. He and his wife, Jill, have two adult sons.
