Valley Forge

One item on Ron's bucket list has been to visit Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, the site of the third winter encampment of the Continental Army.  We missed it the last time we were on the east coast so we made sure to plan for it this time.

Continental Army troops under George Washington's command were encamped at Valley Forge from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778.  Washington chose the site for the encampment because it was between the Second Continental Congress in York and supply depots in Reading, and close to Philadelphia, the revolutionary capital that the British occupied following the Battle of Brandywine and the city's fall.

The encampment was one of the most trying moments for the Continental Army during the war, but they also used the encampment to retrain and rejuvenate.  The shared hardship of the officers and soldiers of the Continental Army and the military training provided are considered a turning point in the Revolutionary War.

We spent some time in the Visitor Center for an overview of the area.

Quite a display on the medical tools used.  Can you imagine?

Amputation knives cut through the flesh of the limb to expose the bone for the amputation saw.  Amputation was often deadly due to infection and the lack of antibiotics.

Army surgeons used amputation saws to cut through arm or leg bones.  Surgeons removed limbs after battlefield injuries or to prevent spread of diseases like gangrene.

It was interesting to learn about smallpox and immunizations.

An extensive display of the weapons used in that time period.

And then we got in the truck and started our drive around the area.

On December 19, 1777, 12,000 soldiers and 400 women and children marched into Valley Forge and began to build what essentially became the fourth largest city in the colonies at the time, with 1,500 log huts and two miles of fortification.  The encampment was as diverse as any city, and was made up of free and enslaved African American soldiers and civilians, Indigenous people, wealthy officers, impoverished enlisted men, European immigrants and speakers of several languages.

It was time to move on the Washington's Headquarters, also known as the Isaac Potts House, which is one of the centerpieces of the Park.  The house was built by Isaac Potts, a Quaker who operated a grist mill nearby.  George Washington, and later his wife Martha, occupied this house from Christmas Eve 1777 until June 18, 1778.  

Washington conducted the army's business in an office on the ground floor during that period.

This room was used by his staff during that time period.

The bedroom that George and Martha used.  The majority of the furniture in the house is period pieces but not necessarily the original furniture.

And the other bedrooms.

As with many homes in that time period, the kitchen was separated from the main house in order to keep the heat out of the house in the summer and to eliminate the possibility of a house fire.

The house became part of a state park in 1893 which was given to the people of the United States by Pennsylvania in 1976.

Of course, there was a statue outside memorializing George Washington.

Another interesting statue was that of  Anthony Wayne.  During 1774 Wayne was the chairman of the Chester County Committee and the deputy of the Provincial Convention.  In 1787 he was a member of the Pennsylvania Convention that ratified the U.S. Constitution.  

During the encampment, George Washington relied heavily on Wayne's leadership, saying "In Wayne the spark of daring might flame into rashness, but it was better to have such a leader and occasionally to cool him to caution than forever to be heating the valor of men who feared they would singe their plooms in battle."  Wayne's duties included recruiting replacement soldiers and providing clothing for the men of the Pennsylvania line.

On to see the National Memorial Arch.  The monument honors the arrival of General Washington and the Continental Army.  Construction of the structure began in 1914 and was dedicated in 1917.

I loved seeing the American flag through the arch.

Next was the Washington Memorial Chapel.  The chapel was built in 1903 to serve two purposes.  The first is as a tribute to George Washington and his service to our country.  It currently serves as a wayside chapel for the visitors of Valley Forge National Historical Park.  The second purpose is as the home for the Episcopal parish that worships at the chapel.

The inside is beautiful.

The Justice Bell (The Women's Liberty Bell, also known as the Woman's Suffrage Bell) is a replica of the Liberty Bell made in 1915.  It was created to promote the cause for women's suffrage in the United States from 1915-1920.

This memorial caught my attention.

I scoured the plaques looking for "my" patriot, Ashbel Waller from Connecticut.

Darnit, he wasn't there :-(

A nice view of the lobby as we exited.

What wonderful history at Valley Forge.  I'm glad we were finally able to check this bucket list item off.