Valley Forge a monument to sacrifice, fine leadership

April 13, 2008 04:00 am

— So you think you're impatient for the arrival of spring? Ponder the situation of George Washington's 12,000 troops at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777.
Perhaps not the ragtag army that history portrays, this was still a group on the defensive. The British had occupied Philadelphia as the weather turned cold. Washington needed a place for winter quarters, preferably one safe from surprise attack but one that could still serve to prevent further British incursions.
He selected this area by the Schuylkill River, 20 miles from Philadelphia, named for an iron furnace established nearby. The situation called for all of his leadership skills almost from the moment of arrival.
HYGIENE, MORALE
At Washington's decree, the soldiers began building huts to house themselves, plus earthen redoubts, trenches and bridges. He insisted on significant hygienic rules. And he ordered enough daily routine to keep the men in shape, both physically and emotionally. Morale was recognized as being equal in importance to more traditional conditioning.
Cattle raids sometimes became necessary to alleviate food shortages. It's one of those bitter ironies that Valley Forge has become surrounded by some of the largest malls in America! Washington's provision of spruce beer and vinegar water helped ward off scurvy. Many men benefited from primitive smallpox vaccinations. Still, 2,000 would die of disease.
The fledgling American army profited from the presence of Friedrich Von Steuben, a Prussian military officer. Before each soldier responded to the rules of his specific militia unit, Steuben insisted on standard training for everyone. Convinced the young Americans lacked experience in close combat, he stressed bayonet skills as well as marksmanship. In so doing, he melded the troops into a specifically American force.
LIFE OF THE SOLDIER
Our recent visit to Valley Forge National Historic Park solidified our appreciation for both the history and mythology of that momentous winter. A drive on the loop road through the park passes most of the significant sites. Biking is popular. There's also the 6.6-mile Joseph Plumb Martin Trail, named for a 15-year-old Connecticut boy who enlisted at the start in 1776 and served until peace in 1783.
An 18-minute movie in the Visitor Center provided context. Detailed time lines let us fit in events closer to our home area, such as those at Fort Ticonderoga, Valcour Island and Saratoga. Exhibits detailed the life of the soldier at Valley Forge.
Artifacts on display range from soldiers' personal effects, from a pocket watch and a wood canteen to important tools such as pocket telescopes and surveying chains to the gruesome instruments of surgery used to amputate limbs.
Combs were a necessity, not to make sure one looked good, but to sift out the ever-present lice that inhabited hair and beard. There's no more important single item than a 1779 first edition of Von Steuben's "Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States."
STURDY HUTS
Beginning our loop of the grounds, we came first to Muhlenberg Brigade with its cluster of replica huts. Sturdily built with log construction, and wood and mud chimneys, these would seem picturesque and appealing -- were they not linked with the privations suffered by the encamped soldiers. Each 14-by-16-foot cabin -- and there were about 2,000 of them -- housed 12 men.
For contrast, we looked at sturdy stone homes owned by local farmers, such as the 1711 home that housed General James Varnum. Some of Washington's generals found lodging in such places. The Americans always paid for the accommodations, a reaction to the negative feelings toward British soldiers who'd simply commandeered facilities during earlier occupations.
Washington established his headquarters in a gracious stone farmhouse belonging to Isaac Potts. Marble fireplaces and fine wood panelling graced his personal office. Nine aides, including Alexander Hamilton, worked from the adjacent room.
Costumed interpreters added insights, including Washington's need to continually write letters to Congress seeking money and logistical support.
MANY MONUMENTS
The impressive train station across the field looks surprisingly appropriate, though its construction dates to 1913. Tourists wanted to visit Valley Forge as early as the mid-1800s, and rail travel made such a pilgrimage easy. Builders worked hard to make the sandstone depot fit into the setting, and they clearly succeeded. An interpreter told us, "People think it's from the same era, because they did such a good job." Now the station awaits transformation into a newer role.
Monuments are sprinkled throughout the grounds. The grandest is the National Memorial Arch, dedicated in 1917 to the "patience and fidelity" of the soldiers at Valley Forge. A statue of Gen. Anthony Wayne portrays him on horseback looking in the direction of his nearby farm. Near Varnum's Quarters stands a statue of Gen. Von Steuben. Beneath, there's an impressive relief of him drilling troops at Valley Forge. Many of his training methods were modern, including his willingness to explain the rationale for drills, rather than just shouting "do this."
In his words, "The business is to give our troops a relish for their trade, to make them feel a confidence in their own skills."
GOTHIC CHAPEL
We gazed upon the Parade Grounds knowing how important they must have been during Von Steuben's training sessions. Now a quiet bucolic setting, this area saw activity that contributed immensely to American victory in the Revolution. One can look upon it as an important piece of soil from which this great nation grew.
The Washington Memorial Chapel merits a stop. Built in 1903 as a memorial to the patriots who camped at Valley Forge, the stalwart stone church currently serves as home to an Episcopal parish. The beautiful Gothic interior includes carved oak choir stalls, a ceiling with hand-carved seals of all the states, an altar cross donated by a member of Abraham Lincoln's family and a replica of the Liberty Bell. Three dozen scenes from our first president's life are featured in the George Washington window.
Our tour of Valley Forge was enhanced by instructive signage. Additionally, a unique system provides further information via cell phone. Whereas George Washington might have waited days or even weeks for important communication, we could simply dial in a code and hear all we wanted about a specific spot.
WELL PRESERVED
When George Washington revisited Valley Forge a decade after the war ended, he was surprised at how little of the winter encampment remained. Americans should be pleased that in the midst of suburban sprawl and commercial development, officials had the prescience to preserve this important historical site in its natural condition. It's on the list of places that every citizen should know about.
rbforiole@aol.com

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