The following day (4-20) was less dreary than
forecast and I made an 80-mile ride (Newark to Doylestown, PA) with a
two-hour stop at Valley
Forge National Historical Park.
As the park brochure says, Valley Forge is perhaps
the best-known place name associated with the American Revolution.
There was no great battle fought here, but no site better conveys
the impression of suffering, sacrifice and ultimately triumph for the
soldiers of the Continental Army than Valley Forge.
George Washington’s Continental Army of 12,000 men
arrived at Valley Forge in December 1777, after having lost battles to Sir
William Howe’s British forces at Brandywine (September 17) and
Germantown (October 4). The
fighting had ended for the time being due to the oncoming winter, and
Howe’s troops occupied the colonial capital of Philadelphia.
General Washington wanted to camp somewhere nearby so he could keep
an eye on the British. Valley
Forge, just 18 miles northwest of the city afforded him the desired nearby
location, plus provided a very defensible position should the British
decide to attack.
| Click on thumbnails to see
full photographs.
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The army that marched into Valley Forge that December
was at best “rag-tag.” They
were weary, poorly fed and clothed, ill-equipped and inadequately
trained. Within days
of their arrival, the Schuylkill River was frozen and six inches
of snow blanketed the ground.
Shelter was the first priority, and within the first few
days, the soldiers constructed over 1000 huts. Food and clothing,
however, remained inadequate despite Washington’s urgent pleas
to Congress. Disease
ravaged the camp throughout the winter – typhus, typhoid,
dysentery and pneumonia were among the killers that took 2000
lives during the encampment here.
As obviously critical as it sounds, surviving the
winter wasn’t the only necessary objective for this army –
upgrading efficiency, morale and discipline were also vital to its
well being. This
challenge fell to Baron Friedrich von Steuben, the skilled
Prussian drillmaster who arrived at Valley Forge in February 1778
with a letter of introduction from Benjamin Franklin.
The Baron tirelessly drilled the troops and began to
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mold them into an effective fighting force.
By spring, the soldiers of the Continental Army had become confident in themselves
and their ability to succeed. New
supplies and equipment also arrived at the camp, new recruits joined the
army, and word reached Washington of an alliance with France.
By June, when the British marched out of Philadelphia toward New
York, the Continental Army was ready for battle.
They left Valley Forge on June 19, 1778 having already won a major
victory – a victory of will. The
“Spirit of Valley Forge” was now an integral part of this army, and
because of that, its prospects for final victory were significantly
brighter.
I rode the six-mile bike & hike trail through the
park past replicated huts, cannon, the National Memorial Arch and
Washington’s Headquarters.
Click
on thumbnails to see full photographs.
(Great
Adventures to Scenic Places)
