Who we Are

In 1781, the 85ème Régiment de Saintonge and four other regiments of the French army marched south from Newport, Rhode Island to Virginia where they would join the American forces under General Washington and make the critical contribution to the final defeat of the British Crown forces at Yorktown. Today, we maintain the élan and esprit de corps that characterized these crack troops. Our faithfulness to that spirit has made the recreated Régiment de Saintonge widely known and respected both on and off the field.

In addition to the 85ème Régiment de Saintonge, we also portray the 4th Regiment of Militia (Middlesex County, Massachusetts), part of the colonial forces that contributed to the defense of the colonies as a complement to the regular army.

This page is designed to introduce you to the 85ème Régiment: its history and role in the American Revolution, as well as the activities of the recreated Régiment de Saintonge today. In addition to demonstrating military drills and tactics, the men and women of the Régiment de Saintonge perform demonstrations of 18th century camp life and crafts. Because we are a family-oriented group, we welcome the involvement of children as well as their parents, and our children are actively involved in the life of the regiment.

If you are interested in joining us, we are always interested in people who share our enthusiasm and interest in history, as well as high standards of authenticity and safety. To assist you in learning more about our activities, you can go to our pages of additional resources and related links, and look at our scheduled events. If you have any questions, you can contact us by email at info@saintonge.org .