The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-05-31

creek, as it comes down from the high lands,
off toward the andywine, waving and
sparkling like silver ribbon flung out over
the brown vesture of the meadows.
We wandered leisurely up to the summit
of the hill on the South, at which elevation
the main part of the American army was
quartered. The lod,iug places Of the sol.
diers were nearly all rude cabins, hastily
built, and very low and small. The deep
SHOWS Of that terrible Winter so nearly COW
cred them altogether that they had the ap-
pearanco of mere burrows in the drifts. Just
on the spot where General Washington S
marquee was situated, there now stands a
beautiful observatory, about forty feet in
height.
Here we had general view of the entire
camping ground, and all the picturesque sur
roundings of Valley Forge. Here, in the
melancholy Winter of 1777-8 our forcfa-
theirs suffered the billings of the cold and te.
dious tortures Of famine. Poor soldiers !!
what trials they endured what liberties they
purchased for us! When the army marched
from Whitcmarsh to Valley Forge, it is said
that their bloody footprints were distinctly
visible in the snow for nineteen miles.
There is a peculiarly touching incident
connected with the history of Valley Forge
One day, when the disconsoIatc army were
almost ready to despair, when starvation
stared them in the face, and when thoir weary
bodies were well-nigh worn out with cold and
fatigue, [ssac Potts, who was a preacher of
the society of Friends, happened to pass
along through the camp, and heard the many
lamentations and beheld the many tears, but
could only sympathize with them in his heart,
and hope with them for the dawning of
better day. He passed ou, sorrowing and
thoughtful, into the dark forrest farther up
the creek where all was silent as the grave.
There were no birds to sing and futter
among the groves no insect to relieve the
deep quiet no breeze murmurcd through
the leatiess trees. There was not single
solitary sound in all the forest valley With
er he wandered, whon, suddenly, he noticed
Washingtons horse tied to the swinging limb
Of a tree. He paused to sten, when, 10
from a thicket Of evergreens near at hand
came voice, sad and solemn 1t was the
Commander in-chiot upon his knees, onga gcd
in humble, penitentiaI prayer. His eyes
were raised to heaven, and his checks suffused
with tears
Potts was much excited at 50 strange a
spectacle, and feeling that he had ventured
on holy ground, cautiously withdrew from
the place without attracting observation from
the Christian warrior. When he reached his
home below the camp, he burst into tears, and
remarked to his agitated wife, who had never
seen her husband so deeply affected, that,
8 If there is any one on this earth whom the
Lord will listen to, it is George Washirgto
and feel a prcsentlment that under such
commander there can be no doubt Of our es.
tablishing our independence, and that God in
His providence has willed it So"
What mighty power-borrowed strength
from the God Of battles And such was
Washingtons faith, that his influence was
vouchsated to him by the arm Of the AL
mighty. No wonder he conquered The
hosts of heaven were marshaled on the right
hand and on the left of the chief, and thus
our land was redeemed. And thus may it
ever be preserved from foreign aggression,
and from sectional strife Let disunionists
Valley Forge and Washiugton's
with the Great Father of US ALL"
o. ~hr