The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1876-02-02
VALLEY FORGE
By HON J. 7. HEADLEr

UK HON. j. T uEAAAh
Valley Forge was selected tor the
winter encampmeni because rom II
Washington could best protect n
interior of the States from the incur
sions Of the enemy quarteied IN Phii-
oSelnbia The army left Whitemarsb
on the 18th Of December and reach
"a Valley Forge on the 18th. The
soldiers. many Of them barefooted
and in rags, bad marched thIther,
eayinc their bloody testimonials on
nearly every foot Of ground they had
traversed. The day before, on the
borders Of the dreary region where
thew we're to pass the long winter,
was spent in religious rervices. Con
gress had directed il TO be observed
as a day Of thanksgiving and praise.
The ragged, suffering army, weary
with their march over the frozen
ground. were required on this bleak
dav. with a prospect full Of gloom
before them. to send up their voice
Of thanksgiving and praise. For
what There seemed need enough for
fasting and prayer, for Heaven look
ed frowningly down upon them.
They could ask-oh, how fervently
10 be delivered from suffering and
want and destitution, and the gloomy,
remorseless winter before them; but
10 be thankful for them, who was
equal TO that? Still, Washington or
dered the brigades 10 be assembled
with their chaplains, and religious
services to be performed But, alas,
three thousand Of them, or more
than a quarter Of the whole army,
were either sick or too shoeless aud
ragged to appear on parade. These,
in the wagons that stretched over the
dreary fields, lay suffering and shiv-
ering in the straw, thinking that, TO
them al lesst, thanksgiving was a
mockerv. Their enemies were well
led and housed in the city near by,
while the bleak hillside must be
their home. Indeed, there was
more earnest prayer, that day, than
thanksgiving, by the patriotic chap
lains who were to share with the
soldiers the p~rivations and ~sufferings
OF the coming understanding,
earnest prayer to Him who alone
could help and pour light on the all
e~nyeloping darkness.
1t was a solemn, not a joyful day,
and, when it ended, the army ofelev-
en- thousand strong marched on 10
the frozen bills where they were TO
spend the next three months, amid
scenes and trials never TO be forgot
ten while a single page in history is
left for the record OF true patriotism.
In the orders issued by Washington,
directing the work 10 be done, he
told the soldiers be would share all
their privations. The whole army
was divided into groups Of twelve,
who were to build hut or pen for
themselves Each one was TO be six.
teen feet, filed in with clay, with q
log fireplace lined with clay a foot
and q half thick The height was to
be six fee. and a half Thus il will
be seen they were mere novels, bare
" high enough to stand up in, and,
with the fireplace Announcements &c,
would leave barely room sufficient
FOR the twelve men TO lie down in.
packed closely side by side. To
stimulate the disheartened soldiers tC
activity, Washington offered twelve
dollars reward for the FIRST built ia
each regiment and q hundred dollar:
10 him who would discover the bes'
substitute for boards (Which wer,
not to be had for the roofs. Spill
oak slabs were selected, whose irreg
ular surfaces could furnish only par
tial protection from the snow an'
rain. Ii was a cold, dreary ea,
when the muskets were stacked, tn
~knapsacks thrown aside, and thos
eleven thousand men, such as coul
work, broke up into a hundred group
and scattered themselves through I'd
woods. Soon the rapid blows {
nearly ten thousand axes and the il
cessaDt crash offalling trees echoe
on every side FOR miles around. Fror
early dawn till the wintry night shU
in, the work went on, and then III
tired host lay down behind the.
piles oflogs 10 break the force of th
wind, or gathered, ~shivering, roun
their blazing camp FIRES that lit u
with strange splendor the wintry 70.
est. There was g small house nes
by, which Washington had selecte
for his own quarters, but he woul
not occupy il while his ragge
soldiers were uncovered, and S
pitched his tent in their midst on th
frozen ground. Streets were lai
out, and. foot by foot, the city /,
huts went up, till over q thousand
them stretched away over the su.
rounding bills. Into these the "sou
of liberty crept and lay down in th
straw.
What passed there for the ne,
three months history will never te
US. 1t was written with the pen
suffering on individual hearts, bl
never found outward expression. "
can only say that cold and sufferin
and starvation were there. Was
ington's wife Joined him, snd Ii
wintry field covered With novels pr
scented q sad spectacle as she car
upon H. TO share with her husban
bis privations and, if possible, Jesse
his cares through the long white,
Forage soon became scarce, an
Washington was compelled to us
the power conferred'on him and Of
dered all the grain within sevent
miles TO be thrashed out; but he wa
enyironed with Tories, who burne
Up theirs rather than let il fall int
his hands. The snow soon began 1
pile around them, while their cloihe
fell away in rags from their back:
Sickness increased from exposure
and, as If Heaven itself was deter
mined 10 augment their misery, ex
hsust Their heroic patience, and driv,
them 70 despair, the cold set in with
a severity unknown for years. Then,
were no more psrades, no more drills
for there were scarcely enough lef
ft to perform mere camp duty. Sick
ness or rags shut them up 10 thei
foul novels The drearv devs war