The Washington times., 1936-02-22
WASHINGTON
WAS FETED AT
VALLEYF0RGE
Tattered Soldiers and
Ragged Band Gave
Him Concert
By WILLIAM G. WEART
international News Service


VALLEY FORGE, Pa, Feb. %.
Washington's Birthday.
1t was here the ragged Cont
nentalS saw their blood ooze into
this historic ground as Jagged ice
and snow fragments cut through
their thinly blanketed feet.
It was here the homespun lads,
determined on liberty, starved,
froze and died-many of them.
during the rigorous winter Of 1777-
1873.
1t was here that the birthday
of George washington, the father
of their country-the idol Of his
troops-waS first publicly cele-
brated exactly 158 years ago to-
day.
Now preserved as a historic
memento to the men Of the Con-
tinental Army, Valley Forge Park
with all its picturesque Splendor,
little resembles today the barren
ground on which the emaciated
troops huddled around pitifully in
adequate campfireS in winter quar-
tiers more than a century and a
half ago.
Offered Selections"
Yet, pilgrims who came today
could well envision that first cele
bration which consisted chiefly in
the playing of a few selections"
by a band clothed in uniforms OF
shreds and patches and shod IN
rags because there was no better
clothing in the community.
Bare-headed, knee-deep in snow
they stood, with hands nearly
frozen and faces pinched with
cold, before an unpretentious
stone house-Washington's head
quarters - and played yankee
Doodle" and other tunes.
Standing on the steps Of the
stone house, now preserved that
all who come might see, was
Gen. George Washington, their
beloved Commander-in- Chief.
CoatleSS and with head barred
to winters blasts, Washington
listened in silent reverence to the
concert" his heart touched, not
only by sorrow at his troops
condition, but by pride at the
spirit that upheld them, for al.
though not a shot was fired, the
greatest battle of the Revolution
nevertheless was fought here. It
was a battle Of spirit from which
America emerged VIGOROUSLY as
a new nation.
Tells His Admiration
Perhaps it was on that very
day that Washington wrote:
NAKED and starving as they
are, we cannot enough admire
the incompatible patience and
fidelity Of the SOldiery."
The occupation of Valley Forge
came after the fall of 1777 dur
ing which the American army
suffered a series Of reverSalS; at
Chadd'S Ford, one division had
been routed; Wayne'S men were
surprised at Paoli. where the con-
duct of the Redcoat and HeSSian
troops was so brutal as to give the
name of the "Paoli Massacre" to
that engagement.
It was on December 10, 1777,
that the troops, numbering 1000,
5000 of whom were unfit for duty
into Valley Forge, Is miles
from the center of Philadelphia.
then the capital Of the Colonies.
The ill-fed, half-clothed army re-
mained here until June 10, 1778.
Acquires 1.5OO Acres
For a. century after the occupa-
tion little was done to commemor-
ate the Self-Sacrifice and devotion
Of washington and his men. In
1893, a commission was appointed
and authorized to acquire $50
acres of original encampment.
Since that time the Common
wealth CT Pennsylvania through
the Valley Forge Park Commission
has acquired $500 acres, compre-
hending the major part of the
area occupied by Washington's
troops.
Valley Forge Is yearly becoming
more popular as q historic shrine.
Any Saturday or Sunday after.
noon, especially in the summer,
can be seen a vast outpouring of
people from every part of the
United States from Maine to Cali
fornia, from Texas to the Can.
adian border.
A replica Of the genuine head
quarters flag, the emblem of Gen.
George Washington, flutters today
above Washington'S headquarters.
It is blue flag with 1S Six.point-
ed white stars arranged In q circle
On the field. It measures six by
six and one-half feet. Simple
in itself the flag repre-
sentS Is. years Of research by two
of the most eminent historians.
N. E. A.. Honor Paid