Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-10-24

have undergone, numbers having been
obliged for want OF blankets to sit up
all night ny fires instead of taking rest
in a natural and common way"
Traces OF the excavations where the
Continental troops built their huts are
to he found In the nearby woods, and q
few feet further on is the beginning Of
line OF earthworss that can be fol-
lowed for half mile along the slope of
the hill. In a little grove are the out
lines of Fort Huntington, which, like
Fort Washington about mile away,
has beet preserved largely because the
stony nature OF the ground makes it
undesirable for farming. Other forth
locations on more productive soil were
levelled lo1g ago by the plough.
1t 10 only short distance, too, from
the Waterman grave to the fat area OF
ground where Baron Steuben pursued
his task OF infusing discipline into the
new American troops. This scene of
much mixed profanity on the part OF
the irascible PIussian and of the de-
velopment Of body of troops that
proved themselves match for the
British was barren of vegetation for
many years after the Revolution, the
unending round of drills which Steuben
enforced apparently stamping all fer
tility out of the soil.
Most of the buildings occupied by
the generals of the Revolutionary army
are still standing. A stones throw
from the Waterman grave is the head.
quarters OF Gen. Varnum, commander
of the Rhode Island troops, and from
here he wrote in despair ON February
l4th, to Gen. Gieene, that ''in all
human probability the army must dis
solVe.o
Further away from the village of
Valley Forge is the house in which
Gen. Muhlenbsrg, the fighting parson,
was stationed, His birthplace, the
village of Trappe, where his father,
the Rev. Horny M. Muhlenberg, still
lived, was eight miles away and on
several occasions when he rode thither
alone he narrowly escaped capture by
the Redcoats.
Wayne was also amid familiar sur
roundings here, his headquarters being
but few miles from his home in Chess
ter county, The rotund Knox. In COM
mand OF the artillery; Duportail. the
engineer; young Lafayette, who was
there but short time, and Stirling,
the commander of the outposts, all
made their quarters with farmers
families at some distance from the
main army, and the buildings today
ara In almost the same condition as
when the clang of the officers swords
was heard 10 the low ceiled rooms.
Duportail, despite the multitude of in
oonvonienoes that he had to endure,
was SO delighted by the natural beauty
of the country that after the Revolution
he bought tract of land on the
Schuylkill below Valley Forge and
lived there until 1902, when he died
while on trip to France.
The staff of Washington, including
Greene, Steuben and Alexander Hamil-
ton, lived in a building that is now
part of the village INN. In the cellar
here bake ovens were built for the use
OF the army. This house was the home
Of David Potts, owner of the forge
along Valley Greek which gave the
name to the village. In the home of
his brother, IsaacsPotts, who operated
mill, Washington made his head
quarters after retiring from his tent ON
the hill.
The Potts family, although Quakers,
rendered substantial aid to the Ameri.
can cause; Darid's forge was burned
by band of Hessians because of his
sympathy with the patriots, and of his
brothers, Thomas was q colonel in the
army, Samuel cast cannon at his fur
mace and Jonathan was the director
general Of hospitals at Valley Forge,
his labors there resulting in his death
several years later.