Connecticut – The “Provisions State”

With the exception of the raids along the coast and some British incursions into the interior, Connecticut remained free of major battles and was never occupied by the British. That, along with its rich farmland, meant the colony became a major supplier of food for Washington’s army.

In 1775, Joseph Trumbull, son of the governor, was appointed commissary general and tasked with overseeing supplies to the troops. His effectiveness at carrying out his duties proved to be pivotal to the army’s success, as hunger was a constant problem. Encamped at Valley Forge during a notoriously brutal winter, Washington desperately appealed to Trumbull for cattle to feed his men. When that herd finally arrived, it was supposedly “devoured within five days.”

“For the war as a whole, Connecticut’s total contribution of supplies greatly surpassed what could be expected from a state of such small size and population and earned it the title of “the Provisions State.” – The Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution

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