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Valley
Forge & Delaware Crossing |
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The next winter would find the Army encamped at Valley Forge, struggling to survive the elements and the effects of disease. "To see men without clothes to cover their nakedness, without blankets to lie upon, without shoes . . . without a house of hut to cover them until those could be built, and submitting without a murmur, is a proof of patience and obedience which, in my opinion, can scarcely be paralleled." --George Washington at Valley Forge, April 21, 1778. These humbling places are an important reminder of the sacrifices of so many who secured for us the freedoms we enjoy. It's a moving experience to imagine how horrible life was for the soldiers who served in General Washington's regiments. |
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Mr. Swan, curator of the Washington Crossing Museum, gave us a personal tour of the displays. He taught us about many rare artifacts, including a one-of-a kind U.S. seal, taken to Spain in the 1700s. |
The
Winter of Red Snow : The Revolutionary War Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart |
) Washington
Crossing - At this 1,000-foot-wide spot on the Delaware River, with
huge chunks of ice floating downstream, General Washington led his troops
in 16 boats (60 men each), bringing 18 cannon and many horses. It took 9
hours to complete the crossing, that caught the British off-guard and eventually
led to a victory against Howe at Trenton and later against Cornwallis at
Princeton. These victories gave hope to the Continental Army. |
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) When
the Continental Army arrived in Valley Forge in December of 1777,
nine out of 10 soldiers had no shoes. The first priority was building shelters
for the 12,000 troops. They lived in tents while they built cabins for a
month, while snow and bitter cold surrounded them. (This is replica of General
Peter Muhlenberg's Brigade camp.) |
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Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" pamphlet inspired George Washington so much that he had all of his generals and colonels read it to their troops. Many soldiers enlisted or re-enlisted because of Thomas Paine's writings. |
Common
Sense |
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In addition to the cold and hunger, more than 2,000 soldiers died that winter from diseases such as pneumonia, typhoid and dysentery. Dozens of "hospitals" were set up in village barns and churches to quarantine the sick. |
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And here is this place of sacrifice in this vale of humiliation of that death in this valley of the shadow out of which the life of America rose regenerate and free. Let us believe with an abiding faith that to them union will seem as dear and liberty as sweet and progress as glorious as they were to our fathers and are to you and me and that the institutions which have made us happy preserved by the virtue of our children shall bless the remotest generation of the time to come. --Henry Armitt Brown |
From the Dover coloring book Story of the American Revolution by Peter F. Copeland |
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Women played an important role at Valley Forge. They served as nurses, cooks and laundresses as they helped keep the Army on its feet. Many women traveled with the troops, some as wives of soldiers, others as mothers of drum and fife boys. |
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 Recommend
a Face |
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For Younger Readers |
For Older Readers |
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On
Christmas night 1776, General Washington led the Continental Army across
the Delaware River from Pennsylvania into New Jersey. This surprise
invasion led to the turning point battles of the Revolution.
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COLOR
ME
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Not
Rated. Stars Jeff Daniels )
The
Winter at Valley Forge : Survival and Victory 
If
You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution (If You)
Thomas
Paine : Collected Writings : Common Sense, the Crisis, and Other
Pamphlets, Articles, and Letters : Rights of Man : The Age of
Reason