New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-24
VALLEY FORGE
Mr. Abbey's NeSc Decoration for the
Capitol at Harrisburg.
London. April 16-

eta,o l. nnroaehing completion The dome O: |
the Capitol at Harrisburg is already decorated |
with lunettes and circular canvases; and the !
panels for the House OF Representatives, the |
Senate and the Supreme Court are in various /
stages Of progress The large panel portTaylhs |
PENIS treaty with the Indians, which l de- /
scribed a year ago. has received its finishing |
touches and is about to be exhibited at the |
Academy. The corresponding panel representing |
the reading of the Declaration of Independence |
is also in an advanced stage. and will probably |
be finished in the autumn, with the immense |
canvas symbolizing the rise and triumph OF
Pennsylvania commonwealth and contain
ing muster of her greatest statesmen. soldiers
financiers and men of genius. The decoration
of the House of Representatives will be COM
pletcd with beautiful design OF the whlrllng
Hours for the ceiling The first of three panels
for the Senate chamber has been finished and
will he exhibited at the next Academy with
PENIS treaty. 1t is a snow scene at bleak.
desolate Valley Forge, and Gettysburg VIII be
a companion piece for it.
The Senate picture is timed for February.
177S when Washingtons army, defeated at the
Brandywine and at Germantown, was under
going terrible hardshps at Valley Forge 1t
was not the darkest hour Of the Revolutionary
War. for the surrender of Burgoyne's army in
the north had revived the courage of American
patriots and enabled Franklin to negotiate a
treaty of alliance with France during that
month. 1t was not until May that the joyful
It'd ngs Of the coalition were received in Wash
ing.on's camp, and he ordered a special thanks
Civ ng service with cannon fire and cheers for
the King of France, the friendly European
powers and the American states. That service
would have made brilliant subject for a mill
tary picture the eve of the evacuation of
Philadelphia and the battle Of Monmouth.
where the Americans remained at night in pos
session of a closely contested field: but ii would
not have expressed the tragic patIos of Valley
Forge. 1t was at Christmas time, Washing
ton himself wrote, that the remnant of the army
had taken mp winter quarters within n days
march of the enemy, without houses or huts
to shelter them until these could be built, with
out Clothes except ragged suits of many colors, |
without blankets to lie on, without shoes, so
that the stained with blood from
their feet and almost as often without provisions
with them. In the course of few weeks |
rough shelter had been found for the democrat |
lied disheartened soldiers, and impenetrable |
fortress had been formed by redoubts and in |
trenchments but in Washingtons own words |
there was little less than a famine in the !
camp
Baron Steuben. a veteran of the Seven Years |
War and a favorite in European courts, had |
landed in New England early in December and |
offered his services to Congress and to Wash |
ington. These had been accepted aud he had |
reported at Valley Forge when Washington was |
pursued by base intrgUers. hampered by mis- |
chievOus Congressional commissions and COM |
PEELED to write warnings like this to Governor !
George Clinton: "A part of the army has been |
a week without any kind Of flesh, and the rest |
three or four days. Naked and starving as they |
are, we cannot enough admire the incompatible |
Tatcnce and fidelity o. the soldiery. that they |
have not been this excited by their suffering |
TO Il general mutiny and dispersion. Strong |
symptoms. however Of discomfort have appeared |
in particular instances. and nothing but the |
most active efforts everywhere can long avert so
shocking catastrophe" a veteran who had |
served on the staff Of Frederick the Great and |
been promoted to the rank of adjutant gen |
eral after distinguished conduct in battle was |
naturally impressed with the urgent need of |
training and discipline among the militiamen |
and recruits. He obtained permission 10 drill |
the men a dozen at a time. and to teach them /
how to march and to load and fire their mus |
kets. SO successful was he in improving the !
morale and discipline Of the Disseminated SOL |
ders that he was ultimately appointed Com
ways successor as inspector general with the /
rank Of major general. and a manual prepared /
by him was subsequently, approved by Congress |
for general use in the army.
The urinary lCSS,,1S Of tba