The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-06-18

wAsHNeroN's HEADQUARTERS AT VALLEY
FORGE
errors Of the thirteen original states
have written that nothing short of i'll
ness or death will keep them away.
An address by President Roosevelt.
followed by military parade and re-
view, will occupy the morning and In
the afternoon Senator Henry Cabot
Lodge of Massachusetts will deliver al
Grafton.
Valley Forge, the camp where the ar
mics of General Washington endured
through a long, hard winter privations
of the direst sort and where the spirit
of 1I76 was tried more than in the
hardest battle or most prolonged earn
paign, will forever be n hallowed spot
Upon the keeping together of the pa,
triot forces at that critical time hung
the success of the Revolution.
The battle of Brandywine opened the.
way to Philadelphia for the British.
who entered that city Sept. &c, TIT
On the 9th of December following the
American army went into position al
Valley Forge There 1t remained until
June 10, ITS.
Washington's camp was strategicaIiy
well placed While distant enough from
Philadelphia to prevent the army be.
Ing surprised by the British, 1t was
near enough to protect the country
which lay between. The banks OF tie.
schuyikill, bending here to the east
ward, were precipitous, and the Valley
creek, cutting its way through deep
defile at right angles to the river
formed natural boundary on the
west. AT the entrance to the defile was
Mount JOY. which throws out spur
which runs parallel to the river for
about mile and then turns northward
and meets its banks. The camp was
surrounded by intrenchments. A re.
doubt on the east commanded the val
ley road. and other redoubts covered
the approach to the Schuylkill.
There were 11,09S soldiers In the
field at the time this encampment was
established, but because OF sickness
and destitution 2,Sos were unfit for
duty. Weeks and months of suffering
were spent in the miserable huts the
soldiers erected for their shelter. Cloth
Ing, fuel, blankets and food were sadly
wanting. Disease added It's terrors to
those of famine and cold. Smallpox In.
vaded the camp. The situation became
SO distressing that Washington wrote
to congress that unless some change In
the commissary department was made
his army must starve or dispense.
In May. TITS, General Wayne. who
commanded the Pennsylvania troops IN
the camp, wrote to the secretary OF
war: For Gods sake give us some
thing. Ii you can't give us anything
else give US linen that we may be able
to rescue the poor, worthy fellows from
the vernin which are devouring them.
Some hundreds we have thought fit to
put six feet under ground who, have
died of disorder produced by want of
clothing
Yet within two months after this
with these vermin covered troops Gen.
eral Wayne fought and won the most
brilliant affair of the whole war, the
capture of Stony Point
Toward spring Baron steuben came
to Valley Forge, bringing money and
supplies. Shortly afterward congress
authorized Washington to call upon
Pennsylvania. Maryland and Virginia
for 5000 men. On the 10th of MAY
news OF the alliance with France was
received and on June Is the news that
the British had evacuated Philadelphia
and retreated upon New York. On
June 10 the Continental army again
took the field
Washington's headquarters at Valley
Forge stands today almost as 1t did
when the Father of His Country slept
under its roof. The floors upon which
he walked are still there. and even the
bolts and locks which his hands
touched are In their original position.
The house was built by John Potts In
100. When Washington occupied 1t
t was owned by Johns son Isaac. who
had forge on the banks OF the creek
near BY. II was from this forge that
he place took It's name The old house
has been preserved by the Valley
Forge Anniversary association. which
has charge of the coming celebration.
CARROLL WALLACE ROSS
u