The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1889-12-07

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A HE most Joyous
~K~T Thanksgiving re-
corded in American
annals occurred in
May, ITS, when the
~ news arrived that
N|5 France had conclud-
N[ ed a treaty of friend
ship and alliance with
the thirteen states of the American
Union. 1t followed the winter OF
want and narrowing anxiety which
General Washington and his army
passed at Valley Forge, on the banks
of the schuylkill, twenty miles above
Philadelphia.
Five months before, there had been
a Thanksgiving which was far indeed
from being q festivalin Westinghouse
camp.
Philadelphia had fallen into the
hands Of the enemy, and, when winter
approached, the American general
knew not what to do with his shiver-
ing troops. There was no room for
them in the country towns of Penn
sylvania, which were filled to over
flowing with refugees from the cap,
tured capital. General Washington
after much reflection, made up his
mind to remain where he was, and
create a little town of his own for
the troops.
So, in his Thanksgiving Proc1ama-
ton of December II, 1777, he an.
nounced this intention, saying that
"With activity and diligence, huts
may beerected that will be YARN and
dry" in which the troops Twill be
more secure against surprises and at
hand to protect the country" But,
first of all, the army must comply
with the call of the Honorable Con-
gress TO render thanks for the bril-
liant successes ofthe recent campaign,
which had resulted in the surrender
of Burgoyne and his army.
"The generaidirects that the army
remain in it's present quarters, and
that the chaplains perform divine SER
vice with their several corps and bri-
gades, and earnestly exhorts all off,
GERS and soldiers, whose absence is
not indispensably necessary, to at
tend with reverence the solemnities
of the day"
All OF which was punctually OBJ
served by the army or the 18th o
December.
On the day following the building
of log cabins began, a work as famil-
lar to the men Of that day us was
ploughing the fields or swinging the
scythe. All the available tools were
brought together, and then fairly
distributed. The army was divided
into parties of twelve, and all set at
work building huts designed to lodge
that number of men, so that every
soldier had the feeling that he was
building his own winter home.
General Washington promised to
present twelve dollars as a reward
to the party in each regiment which
should finish it's house in the shortest
time, and in the best manner. He
also offered a reward of a hundred
dollars to the officer or soldier who,
in the scarcity of boards, should in
vent the best kind of available roof
ing for the cabins.
Each cabin was to be fourteen feet
by sixteen, with a good chimney and
fireplace, and all were to be conven-
iently arranged in streets. The COM
handing general himself occupied a
log cabin during the winter, as he
had publicly promised the troops
that he would "himself share in the
h%ardships, and partake of every in
convenience"
What a scene of activity the camp
must have presented during the
next few days! Some ofthe men had
their cabins habitable by Christmas,
six days after beginning them, and
by New Years the compact town of
log houses was substantially done.
But then came the starving time!
The country round about was sup
porting two armies, in addition to
its. ordinary population, and the
States were backward in sending
supplies. At one time q part of the
army went without meat of any kind
for a week; those who were most fav-
ored were without it for three orfour
days, and the whole army was so
short OF clothing that large numbers
of the men had not enough covering
for decency, to say nothing of com:
There was a time in January, 177S,
when the surgeons reported three
thousand and nineteen men on the
sick list, out of q total nominal force
of eleven thousand. The British at
Philadelphia, twenty miles away,
were living in luxury.
Washington never exhibited his
eminent qualities in a more striking
light than he did during the winter
at Valley Forge. He was then the
wholly great man. The patient en-
durance of the men due in great part
to his presence, to his manifest sym
pathy with them, and his known ac-
tivity on their behalf. The measures
which ended the famine, and brought
in abundant supplies of clothing and
food, were directly due to his fore
sight and energy. =,
Later in the winter when the men