The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1878-01-16
VALLEY FORGE.

How the American Army Endured the VIM
ter of I777-S-A Camp Of Huts at valley
FOrRe-SunerinE from Lack Of Food and
Clothing.
Hardly any name is more familiar to
the student, young or old, OF American
history than that of Valley Forge, One
still reads with pain Of the sufferings
undergone there by the sturdy Contin-
entail soldiers, and with pride of the
Spartan firmness with which those
dreary vicissitudes were encountered.
OF all the anniversaries which have so
numer0usly distinguished these centen-
nial years, none is more worthy of at
least quiet commemoration than that
of the establishment of Washington's
forlorn winter quarters in 1777. None
of the early years of the young Republic,
struggling for life against the greatest
odds, were darker than this. The slight
est glance at the situation will show that
it was indeed deplorable.
The battle of Brandywine had been
fought gallautly, and it had been lost.
Congress had fed from Philadelphia to
Lancaster. series of reverses had
opened way to that city for Sir William
! Howe, and Washington was too weak to
risk battle which might have saved it,
nor, with more than n thousand of his
men barefoot, could he undertake those
rapid and mastery operations which had
been so brilliantly executed at Trenton
and at Princeton. Meanwhile all efforts
of an impotent Congress and of rash
! generals to clamor and impOrtune him
( into military imprudence were vain.
Washington, that he might restrict
! the enemy within the narrowest possible
limits, established his winter quarters, on
the 18th of December, at Valley Forge,
about twenty miles from Philadelphia,
Oh the south side of the Schuylkill. Here
he would be able to keep q vigilant eye
on the city and also protect large ex-
tent of country. He had IL 900 troops,
but they were in very wretched con-
dition. Provisions were scant, clothing
worn out, and such was the want of
shoes, that all the late marches had been
tracked in blood. There was like want
of blankets, so that many of the soldiers
were forced to sit up all night by the
camp fires. Washington offered pre-
MUM for the best pattern of shoes made
of hides untanned. One-quarter of the
troops were unfit for duty. The com.
missariat was miserably managed, for at
this very time (says Gordon) "hogs-
heads of shoes, stockings and clothing
were lying at different places on the
roads and in the woods, perishing for
want of teams or of money to pay the
teamsters. Washington had deter
mined to hut the troops, and he took
particular pains to make the dwellings
as comfortable as possible. Among Other
expedients, he offered a reward of $12 to
the party in each which finished it's hut
in the most workmanlike and quickest
manner. The little town, with its regl-
lar streets and avenues, was soon built.
Each hat was fourteen feet by sixteen,
with walls of logs filled in with clay, and
a chimney of clay or wood rising foot
OF two above the roof, which vas single
sharp slope, constructed to shed easily
the coming snow. TO each hut was
assigned twelve non commissioned
officers and men. Each general officer
hal hut to himself, with two windows.
The huts of the soldiery fronted ON the
streets. Troops from the same State
were lodged III the same street or quar-.
ter. In shape, the whole was like tri
angle, with Valley creek forming itt
base, and the Schuylkill for its left side
1t had abbatis, redOubts, and pickets al
different points. Washington's quarters
were in the house of Quaker, Isaac
Potts, which is still standing.
But with all the sufferings of Valley
Forge, there was some social comfort
there. Lafayette wrote home that the
general officers were sending for theiI
wives: "and 1 envy them," he said
naively-" their wives, but the hap,
, ( of
them" Mrs. Washington was with hel
husband to cheer and encourage him.
There was no dancing. for the quarters
were too narrow ; cards were prohibited
because they led to gambling; but there
were tea parties and coffee parties, con
/ yersation and music. There were gallant
! gentlemen, too-Morris and Reed, anJ
Charles Carroll, when the Congress dele
CATION came dOwn-and Hamilton anC
! Laurens.
The ensuing May found Washington
still in his cant0nments, with an effective
force of about twelve thousand men. II
was impossible by any reinfOrcements tC
carry this number beyond twenty thou
sand. But rumors came of the evacuation
of Philadelphia, since the Delaware
would be in danger of being blocked M
by n French fleet. Washington busieC
himself in the formation of new system
for the army, and had asked Congress t.
send committee of arrangements, five
| in number, to the camp They remained
with him three months, and the recon-
mendations resolved upon were generally
adopted. On the 18th of June, the pre-
r parations for the evacuation of Philadel
Q phia having been completed, the Britisl
e army took up it's line of march through
Q the Jerseys. AS soon as he had informa
D ton of this, Washington broke camI
/ with his whole army, marching in pur
suit. And so ended the memorable sea
= son at Valley Forge. There was still Il
e be a short period of defeat and disap
a | ,,ointroant INIT hriobtar davs were clos