Historic bookkeeping record suggests Washington's horse fell in water near iconic Bull's Covered Bridge

One of Gen. George Washington's horses may have fallen into the water at the site of an iconic covered bridge in Connecticut, according to a historical expense sheet kept by the first U.S. president.

News 12 Staff

Oct 20, 2020, 5:46 PM

Updated 1,444 days ago

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One of Gen. George Washington's horses may have fallen into the water at the site of an iconic covered bridge in Connecticut, according to a historical expense sheet kept by the first U.S. president.
There's a lot of history around Bull's Covered Bridge in Kent, Connecticut, according to local historian Peter Vermilyea.
"It was primarily used to get products across the Housatonic out to places like Poughkeepsie, and then during the Revolutionary War, it became very important to get supplies out to the Continental Army into Newburgh and the Hudson Highlands," he says.
Washington's horse allegedly fell into the river at Bull's Bridge during a late time in the Revolutionary War.
Vermilyea says Washington kept a very detailed expense book in what he paid for out of his pocket, and what he wished to be reimbursed for during the war. In the book, Washington writes as an expense that a horse was taken out of the river at Mr. Bull's bridge.
However, Vermilyea says the alleged incident involving the horse is not fully documented.
"Washington comes through the area a couple of times, but he is with the French Gen. Rochambeau and it's around the time of the battle of Yorktown," Vermilyea says. "But there's no documentation that says it was Washington's horse."
Today, Bull's Bridge attracts visitors from all over the area, especially during the fall, Vermilyea says.
"There are few things that speak to the charm of New England like covered bridges," he says.