Valley Forge
Today we visited Valley Forge. It was interesting to see what the winter quarters were like. They were cozy, and well-built, with large fireplaces. They slept anywhere from 1-12 men depending on rank. The soldiers built their own quarters to army specifications.
Why is Valley Forge so notable?
- Disease and general exhaustion and weariness from traipsing all over the place throughout the damp, cold fall of 1777 on reconnaissance missions were main factors that had to be contended with here as the third winter of the war set in. 1700 of 12,000 died in four months from typhus, dissentery, pneumonia etc.
- Washington sought this area that was bordered by high ground and the Schuylkill river and easy to defend. It also appealed because it could block the British from moving westward toward the frontier of Pittsburgh and yet it was just far enough out of reach from Philadelphia that it would take a huge effort on behalf of the British to attack.
- French officers announced an alliance with the Americans here with the Marquis de Lafayette commanding troops here and we paraded about and this was celebrated with a feu de joie.
- Von Steuben arrives with the intent to pad his resume’ and winds up writing the first official military manual for our military and whipping our lads into shape.
- The mercantile system is bypassed earlier on by those rebellious colonists here as superior iron ore is forged here between Mt. Misery and Mt. Joy instead of back in England .
It was interesting today to note differences of opinion from one tour guide to the next ( one tour guide said over 1,000 cabins were built for 10,000 men another said for 12,000 men and the Park Service Website says 2,000 cabins were built) , variances from tour guide to the written displays (8-12 soldiers fit in winter quarters according to one guide, 1-12 according to the display in the visitor center), differences of perspectives of tour guides and professors (only married women followed encampments, vs married women and girlfriends and prostitutes followed encampments). It’s amazing that we can be accurate at all with so many different facts, ideas and opinions floating around just within one location some 240 years after the event.
History “facts” are amazing, huh, Sheila? I noticed quite a few discrepancies as well. I do start to question what really is the fact or what is opinion. When the ranger on the bus was telling us the story about Washington and how he was taking swigs of alcohol at all the regiments. When he returned to dinner, he had a hard time getting off his horse. I asked myself if that was a fictional story passed on through generations or if it was a “true” event. Oh well! I guess that is what makes history so interesting!
I agree that it is hard to filter out what is more acurate then other things. I was surprised at how cozy the cabins seemed as well, but I wonder if the winters would make it less comfy?!
Hi Sheila,
It is pretty easy to see why we can’t get our history stories straight, so to speak. I guess we retain what interests us and dismiss the other details, no matter how important they may be.
Dana
Hello, dearest.
I’m starting to wonder if that whole Valley Forge story was made up just to make Washington look tough and cool.
I guess this gives you latitude with your students when they come to you for “facts.”
Love, Yer Husband