Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1897-02-20
WASHINGTON AT VALLEY FORGE.

The seven years struggle of the col
onies for the deliverance from the
yoke of British oppression was
period of intense strain upon the COM
mander in chief of the American ar
mics. He was battling for a govern
ment that had no head, and was con-
stantly menaced or interfered with
by a congress. many members of which
were secretly. if not openly hostile to
him. The several states, too were in
a perpetual state of fault-findIng, and
their governors and legislatures SEEM
ed never so happy as when thev could
throw obstacles in his path.
a man naturally of high temper,
as was shown in his rebuke of Lee at
Monmouth. and in his righteous rage
at the cowardice of tine recruits at
Kipp's BaY, ia New York, ae held his
passion itf eellpl5ste -su5iection, calm
ly, digniiedly and silently disregard-
ing the adverse criticism of the carp
Ing. impelled by lofty patriotism,
which subOroiinated self to the cOun-
try. At ne time in ali the period of
the war did he have the hearty, unani-
nous support of congress and of the
states, but his lofty courage, high
sense of duty and invincibIe purpose
To make America free raised him to a
height from whence he could look
down with Indifference upon the fac
tiouiSts beneath.
Perhaps at no time in all the con-
test did his great soul undergo greater
travail than 1T Valley Forge, in the
winter OF lI.I-I11S. At this historic
point, but twenty miles from Phila-
delphia. on the picturesque Schuyl-
kill, his hungry and exhausted army
of ii 900 men arrived on bitter cold
day in December, and bivouacked
that night in the open air upon the
hard and frozen ground.
Two Thousand of these men were
absolutely shOeless, and left drops of
their blood along the paths trod by
their lacerated feet. An equal num-
ber were in tatters, the naked flesh
being exposed in many places to the
biting wind from the north. OF all
the command there was scarcely a
single company that presented re-
spectacle appearance, or one man that
was comfortably clad The army, in
deed, was horde of ragamuffins. held |
together. first, by the unfaltering de- |
votion to Washington, and, secondly, |
by their patriotism. When Baron !
Steuben saw these poor fellows he
cried aloud in astonishment and de- |
clared that no person upon earth save |
Washington could hold together such !
a motley band of sufferers
The privations of these men were !
intense. True, within a short time
they had built for themselves huts of |
logs and earth. but such was the in
tensity of the cold that many nights
they burst not lie down, being COM
PEELED to sit close by roaring blazes to
keep from freezing to death. 1
During many weeks there was not
an ounce of meat in camp, while the |
bread that was supplied the brave
fellows was totally inadequate to
their necessities. Their bodies vast
ed and their depleted physical condi- |
tion made them more keenly suseepti- |
BILE to the dread influences of the |
inclement weather.
The great sympathetic heart of the |
chief was moved as by a storm of /
trouble. Earnestly he turned to con-
gress and besought that body to re-
iieve the wants of the heroes who