Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1876-12-05
Selette0 Storp.
Valley Forge, "A Centennial ItBm."
ny uoS j T. uE,DLY.

Na leT Forge was selected for the
winter cCcampment because from it
Washington could bes. protect the inIe-
rior oi .he S,Ae IRON the iLcursions Of
the enemy q3ar,ered in Pailsdclphia.
TIE army lef, Wbi,emarsh on the ilth Of
Dec, mber aad reached Valley Forge on
the 2O.h. The soldiers. many Of them
baretoo,ed aad il rags. hAd mlrchel
thi,her. leaving their bloody testimonials
on neatly every 100. OF ground they
traverset. The Gay before, on the bor-
ders ot The drearY regioa whore they
were TO pass he long winter, was spent
10 religious services. Congress had
directed it TO be observed rs day OF
thanksgiving aud praise. The ragged.
suffering army. weary With theic march
over The frozen ground, were rcq1ired on
this bleak day. with prospect lull OF
2 Dom before them. TO send mp their
voice in thanksgiving and praise. For
what There seemed need enough OF
f4,,iog and prayer, for Heaven looked
dowa fowu,ngy upon llem. IHey
could a>k-oh. how leyveally-.o DC de-
lv,red IRON suffering and want and des-
ti,u ion. and the gloomy. remorseless
winter before them; but 70 be thankful
Tor them. who was Cqlal to ihat' Sui
Washington ordered the brigades 10 be
assembled. wiki their chsp,aias, and re-
Isi.us services TO be performed Ba''
alas. three thousand OF them, or more
taaa a quarter OF the whole army. we're
either SEX. OF too shoeless and ragged 10
appear on parade. These, 10 the was-
ems that stretched over the dresrY fields
| lag suffering aud shiVering in the straw
thinking that. 20 them at least, thanks
giving was q mockery. Their enemies
we.e well fed and housed in the city near
by. while the bleak hillside mus; be their
home. Indeed, there was mo:e earnest
PRAYER that day than thanksgiving. by
the patriotic chaplaios who were 10 share
with the soldiers, The privations and
sunsriogs Of the coming winter. be-
seecbing, earnest prayer TO Him who
alone could help aud pour light on the
all euyeloping darkness.
Rwas solemn. not JOYFUL day. and
wh.u i, ended, The army Of eleven thou
sad strong. malcaed On The lrozen hills
where ,h,y we're 20 spend tie NIX, thee
months. amid scenes and trials never to
be forgotten while sioSle page OF his
to5y i lell Tor ibe record OF true patriot
ism. Ia Tie orders issued by Washing
ton. directing the work 10 b. done. be
told the soldiers he would share all then
priyalions. The whole army was divided
into groups ottwelye, who wsre TO 0nl q
a hut or pen tor themselves. l. 'ch one
was to be l6 by II feet, hued IN VIII
clay foot aad Il hall thick. The height
WAS 10 be six and half Thus il will be
seen hey were mere novels, barely blgt
enough 10 stand up 10. aud, with the hre'
place, accOutremenis, &c, would leave
barely room sufficient for twelve men &c
lis down iu. packed closely side by side
10 simulate the disheartened soldiers tC
ac.iyiig. Washington offered twelve dol!
lars reward for the lics, hut Guiii in each
regiment, and hundred dollors TO hin
who would discover the best substitute
for boards (Which were not 10 be haoJ
| for the roofs. Split oak slabs were So
lec,ed. whose irregular surfac,s coulC
furnish only partial protection from th'
snow aud rain. Il was cold, dreaIl
ldsv when the muskets were stacked, th'
lknapsscks thrown aside, and those
eleven thousand men, such as cou!(
work broke up into hundred group
and scattered themselves through th'
woods. Soon the rapid blows OF nearly
ion thousand axes and the iocessant crasl
Of falling trees echoed on every sli'
around. From early dawn until lh'
wssry uight shut in. The work went on
and then the tired host iay down behln'
their piles of logs to break the force 0
| the wind, or gathered, shivering' ronn'
their blazing camp fires that lit up viii
strange splendor the wintry forest
rbose was s small house near By. whicl
Washington had selected for bis owl