The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1902-02-20
AT VALLEY FORGE.
Terrible Experiences of wRshiHgtsn
aad HIs Patriot Array DHriaE
che dismal NIntrr of I7TT-Ts.


A little below the Entertainments
were ;hc heavy rarihwork squares %
two fnris-onr commanding the ap.
proaches from the south, the other
from the east, An outer Inc ~ In
treHchmrnts was thrown mp about q
mile from those on the hills. bat they
lsy through The cultivated farm iauGA,
and have long ago disappeared BE
tween the TIVE lines Of ,arlhuurks tho
main army was stationed. ard there
The su'Lscrs put mp their little log
hut, Ou be- bleak December dane
while these were building md the
work ~ terrifying WIS going ON. writes
Clifton johnson Ion recent number 81
The Wugau's Home Companion. the
troops had no shelter save that Of
their tents. The hubs were 10 feet
long. ~ irtt wide and o. feet high
They were banked UP outside With
earth, and the cracks between the logs
we're chiukcG with clay. while the
roof We're ~ logs split into rude pIanks
or slabs. The buildings were regularly
arranged !u streets md each was the
hJmc 81 70 men. Every cabin had n
fireplace Of clJy.dauhrd logo al one
end. but with the bare earth floor I'M
der foot comfort muzf have been we'll
nigh impossible BESIDES. tho winter
IS repuird 10 have urgu uncommOuly
crld aud snowy. ard the men werc very
iuadrquntcly clothed and FED Some
times they were without meat. some
times even lacking bread Disease, too.
WIS rampant, aud smallpox r1yHE,d
the camp. Such priya'iuus made ihr
troops muiiuuus, and Of times 20
seemed q. " "tn all human probability
The army must dissolve" Thr actual
strength ~ The army was rrturrd 70
barely $3.50 soldier. who could b., de-
pruird upon for service. Washington
ailirms un Dccembc- % that more tian
1000 men were Ineffective. "bccausc
they are barefoot ara u'hcrw gua;
for duty" Scarcity - blankets. he
sltE. comp,l~ numbers 20 ut up al
night 10y fires instead ~ taking g0U;-
Portable rest In a natural way"
\ "uugry. Ioull committee which
visited The camp reported that many
lives were sacrificed Tor want Of straw
or other material Co raise the men
from ihr cid aud Vet earth when they
srpi Tho horses died 81 starvation,
aud tho m.u themselves often had to
do the work ~ beasts ~ burden, using
impruyiscd hand carts ar carrying
heavy load, on their backs The d.
Implicated suldirry were as badly m
with regard tn firearms a. they were
in other respects. Musk,!s. clrb.ucg,
fpw ,ng pieces and rife, were
tn he found in che anne company.
These were c",cr,d with rust. half II
thrm were without h7yuurt. and from
many not singh shot could be- fired.
The euud rtnH ~ the army was pri-
mariil due Gee the f'rhI,nrss NJ the
union uf states and the lack ~ power
on the part u congress to levy taxes
or 10 enforce i's cdfrf-. The states
were jealous ~ each other. and there
WAS fear that the army would assume
control Of the country ifjt was allowed
too much Eo~ri. Yet. even 49, the
hardship Of the troops were not all
necessity. Incompetence. rs usual,
played i;s part in the commissary de-
p1rtmcut; there we're supplies IN
plenty, II Is said but they we're in the
wrong place. and often Washington
could only obtain fCld hy foraging far
and vide among he farmer Many
Of these farmers Hcrc hostile. and 60
save th,jr grain from seizure they
stored it away, Huthr,shcd In ,hcayes.
II IL va. tu be- rnuhscatrh the ,ulkcrs
thcmsclyCs must w.rld the HaU. The
n Hers were equally F'rNorsr. and in
ono instance Ant 81 rlase was ground
into the hour. L was decided that the
guilty person WIS q Quaker tory ny
;he name ~ Roberts. \ detail 81
troops WAS sent To his mill, and they
hanged him 10 his orchard.
The rHCampmeut 81 Valley Forge
was virtually at Philadelphia back
donr. and an easy road along the banks
Of the Schuylkilliedd directly 20 thccity:
the patriots could easily have been
driven out, yet the British army, 1900
or 20.OOO strong, stayed IN the town
and pcnickcd all through The winter
aud spring. The only excuse uarFsd Is
that no spy ever got into he Amr -ican
camp, or II he did, be- Hsvrr succeeded
jn returning, and the British did not
know their enrmy's weakness Per
hans, too, they got an exaggerated !sea
Of the wilducss Of the country up the
Schuylkiil from the names Of some of
the risrr villages which interviewed be.
tween them and the patriots strong.
hold Manayunk aga CouAhohocktn,
for instance.
HE uAD TRIED 1T.