Class __lL J-^L±^._ Book_J3iaj£_ CepyrightB°_JiaJb- CDEflSJGHT DEPOSEk Historical and Topographical GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE BY W. Herbert Burk. B. D. Rector of the Washington Memorial Chapel, Valley Forge. Dean of the Convocation of Norristown. Member of the Historical Societies of Pennsylvania and Montgomery County. Honorary Member of the Gloucester County Historical Society, N.J. FOURTH EDITION - REVISED AND ENLARGED ILLUSTRATED WITH PHOTOGRAPHS BY THE AUTHOR AND OTHERS NORRISTOWN, PA. TIMES PUBLISHING CO. 1916 COPYRIGHT, 1906. 1910. 1912. 1916 BY W. Herbert Burk DEC 27 1916 ©CI.A453856 PREFACE. In the following pages I have endeavored to supply that information which will be of most value to the visitor to Valley Forge. Without some such guidance much of the interest which belongs to the place is lost, as I know from personal ex- perience. My endeavor has been to connect the living per- sonality of the men of the Revolution with the objects which remain. Unfortunately no one has attempted this, and conse- quently much time and labor have been spent in gathering the information which would enable me to do it. Incomplete as the work is, I offer it to the American people in the hope that its pages may bring to them something of the enthusiasm which its preparation has brought me. I am indebted to Mr. Edson J. Weeks tor permission to use the picture of Washington's Headquarters and to Prof. Jesse E. Philips for the use of his copy of Peale's portrait of Washington. W. Herbert Burk. All Saints* Rector}), April 23, 1906. <3 PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. The development at Valley Forge, both in the Park and at the Washington Memorial Chapel, has been so rapid that a new edition of the Valley Forge Guide is demanded. In its preparation I have availed myself of the important re- searches made by Dr. John W. Jordan for the Valley Forge Commission for the brigade markers, and desire to express my gratitude for Dr. Jordan's work and my indebtedness to him. I also gratefully acknowledge the courtesy of Mrs. William Benton Greene, Jr., in allowing me to reproduce the portrait of General Greene owned by her. To Harper & Brothers, for the permission to copy Lossing's drawing of Washington's tents; to the Reading Railway Company, and to the Phoenix- ville, Valley Forge and Strafford Railway Company, for the use of maps, I am grateful for these important additions to the value and interest of the GUIDE. W. Herbert Burk. All Saints' Rectory, May 10, 1910. (4) HOW TO REACH VALLEY FORGE. Valley Forge is on the Reading Division of the Philadelphia and Reading Railway, 23.6 miles from Philadelphia. There are several trains each way, daily. The single fare is $0.59 and the round trip $1.18. The ten-trip ticket (good for parties) is $4.72. Special rates are made to organizations, Sunday schools, etc., from any point on the Reading System, on application to the General Passenger Agent, Reading Terminal, Philadelphia. The Headquarters and the entrance to the Park are near the station. The location of the stations and their relation to the encampment are shown by the small map. Valley Forge can also be reached by the Pennsylvania Railroad, from Broad Street Station. Betzwood is the station for the State Park. It is 21.7 miles from Philadelphia. The single fare is $0.54 ; the round trip $1.08, and the ten-trip $4.30. (good for parties). The Right Line Boulevard entrance is a little over a half-mile from Betzwood Station. The Head- quarters are two and a half-miles from Betzwood. The only trolley line to Valley Forge is that of the Phoenix- ville, Valley Forge and Strafford Electric Railway, connecting- Valley Forge and Phcenixville. The Phcenixville terminus is Bridge and Starr Streets. Cars run every hour on the hour. Fare, one way $0.10, round trip, $0.15. The company's map, showing actual and contemplated' lines, is on page 9. City Hall, Philadelphia, Broad Street, to Spring Garden, to Lemon Hill, to Girard Avenue Bridge, to Belmont Avenue, to Conshohocken Road, to Philadelphia, Bala and Bryn Mawr Turn- pike, through Bryn Mawr to Gulph Mills, Gulph Road through King of Prussia, road to right to Park entrance, or on to Port Kennedy, then right on River Road. City Hall, Market Street to Lancaster Avenue, over Lancaster Pike to Bryn Mawr, right to Montgomery Avenue, to Gulph Mills, Gulph Road through King of Prussia to Valley Forge. (5) 6 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. City Hall, Broad Street, to Vine, to Parkway, to Park Drive, to Ridge Avenue, to Norristown, to Jeffersonville, to Port Kennedy, to River Road to Valley Forge. City Hall, Broad Street, west on Spring Garden Street to Fairmount Park, right at Lincoln Avenue, to Girard Avenue, right under bridge, through Park to Belmont Avenue, to City Line, to Overbrook, to Lancaster Turnpike, to Devon, right to Valley Forge Park. Tourists using the Lincoln Highway should leave the High- way at Devon Garage, turning right, if going from Philadelphia, left if going to Philadelphia. A State Highway, steep with many curves, leads to the Valley Forge Park at the Washington Re- doubt. AUTOMOBILE LINES. Thk Brown Line. Passing through Fairmount Park to Overbrook, through Wynnewood, Ardmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Wayne, Straf- ford, Devon to Valley Forge, making the entire Park Drive; covering every point of interest. Returning by King of Prussia through the Gulph Mills. Fourteen-passenger touring cars are used on this trip. Fair, round trip, $2.00. Cars leave Gimbel Brothers store, 9th and Market Streets, daily at 10 A. M. Re- turn to Philadelphia at 5 P. M. Note. — In engaging any automobile visitors should stipulate that ample time is allowed to see the Valley Forge Museum. HOTELS. "The Washington Inn." near the Headquarters. "The Valley Forge Inn," near the Headquarters. "The Mansion House," in Valley Forge. "The Port Kennedy Inn," at Port Kennedy Station. "The King of Prussia Inn," King of Prussia. "The Globe Hotel," Centreville. TEA ROOM. The Camp Tea House, in a large grove opposite the Camp School, is open daily. On several farms in the neighborhood there are excellent accommodations for boarders. Address, Mrs. John W. Andrews, or Mrs. William M. Stephens, Port Kennedy, Pa. WHAT TO SEE AT VALLEY FORGE. Washington's Marquee. (Valley Forge Museum.) Washington's Headquarters. Open daily from 8 A. M. to 6 P. M. (Summer Schedule.) The Earthworks. The Washington Memorial Chapel. Open daily from 8 A.M. to 6 P. M. The Cloister of the Colonies. The Valley Forge Museum of American History. Open daily, except Sunday, from 8 A. M. to 6 P. M. The Soldiers' Hut. (Reproduction.) The Camp School. The Waterman Monument. The Wayne Monument. The Muhlenberg Monument. The Delaware Marker. The Maine Marker. The Massachusetts Monument. The New Jersey Monument. The Pennsylvania Columns. The Monument to the Unknown Dead. The Brigade Hospital. (Reproduction.) Headquarters of Commanding Officers. (No admis- sion.) View from the Observatory on Mount Joy. The Defenders' Gate. (8) HOW TO SEE VALLEY FORGE. Those who have only a limited time should visit the in- trenchments, Huntington Redoubt, the Star Redoubt, Varnum's Headquarters, the Defenders' Gate, the Soldiers' Hut, the Waterman Monument, the Cloister of the Colonies, the Wash- ington Memorial Chapel, the Valley Forge Museum, Washing- ton's Marquee and Washington's Headquarters. This can be done hurriedly in two hours. Those who can spare more time should turn back after visit- ing the Museum, turn to the left at Washington Lane, visit the Old School, go up the Gulph Road to the Camp Road, follow this to Washington Redoubt, go over the Inner Line Boulevard, and then to Washington's Headquarters, either by the River Road or the boulevard. This book describes the tour of the entire encampment and a visit to Lafayette's Headquarters. AUTOMOBILES AND CARRIAGES. As there are five miles of boulevard and three miles or so of other roads over which one must pass to see all the points of interest in the encampment, most people will prefer to make the tour in automobiles or carriages. Automobiles meet the trains. They may be engaged at the Valley Forge Garage, Washington Inn, or the Garages in Nor- ristown, Phcenixville or towns on the Main Line, For large parties H. O. Dengler. Norristown, can supply White Auto- mobile Busses, and J. H. Jarrett, Norristown, Packard Motor Coaches holding from twenty to thirty passengers. Carriages, coaches or brakes mav be secured from the same reliable firms. do; Map Showing how Points of Interest at Valley Forge may be Reached by the Phoenixville, Valley Forge and Strafford Railway. By courtesy of the Company "Valley Forge" The Washington-Burk "Memorial, by Franklin Simmons, Rome, in the Washington Memorial Chapel. THE PLACE OF VALLEY FORGE IN AMERI- CAN HISTORY. THE year 1776 was a disheartening one for the American patriot, despite the boldness of the Declaration of In- dependence. The British had seized New York, and Washington, unsupported by Lee, was compelled to re- treat through New Jersey. Congress, terror-stricken at the thought of the approach of the British army, had fled to Balti- more, and it seemed to many as if the cause of Liberty had been lost. Washington felt that "no man had a greater choice of difficulties, and less means to extricate himself from them." Certainly no man could do more with little. In ten days by a master stroke he wrested from Howe almost all the fruits of a long summer campaign. With only a portion of his small army he crossed the Delaware and pierced the British center, eluded Cornwallis at Trenton and struck another blow at Princeton, forcing the British to evacuate New Jersey, reani- mating his disheartened troops, giving new courage to Con- gress, reviving patriotism and discouraging Toryism. The British plan of action for 1777 was to subdue New England by separating it entirely from the other States. To this end Burgoyne was to lead an army down from Canada, capturing Ticonderoga on the way, St. Leger was to seize Fort Stanwix, and to march down the Mohawk Valley, and Howe was to ascend the Hudson, all finally concentrating at Albany for a descent upon the Eastern States. The plan was not carried out. St. Leger's expedition was an absolute failure, largely due to Herkimer's bravery and Arnold's strategy, and Burgoyne, deprived of the support of St. Leger and Howe, lost his army at Saratoga. For Howe, instead of ascending the Hudson, as planned and as Washington expected, sailed for the Delaware, then on to the Chesapeake, and landed at Elkton, August 25th, x to advance against the "rebel capital." On the last day of July, Washington learned that the fleet was off the (13) 14 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. Delaware capes and at once hurried to protect Philadelphia, passing through that city on his way to the Chesapeake. The first engagement took place at Chadd's Ford, on the Brandywine, where one division was routed, and the main body of the American army was compelled to retreat, the defeat being largely due to Howe's Tory guides, whose intimate knowl- edge of the country made it possible for him to make the detour by which he surprised Sullivan's right wing. Washing- ton fell back to Philadelphia for one day's rest, and encamped at Schuylkill Falls. Howe attempted to cut off his retreat, but Washington moved up the Schuylkill Valley and crossed the river at Matson's Ford (Conshohocken), on the 15th of September. The next day he hurried along the old Lancaster road in order to prevent Howe from taking a position be- tween him and Swedes' Ford (Bridgeport). That night the army encamped between Warren Tavern and White Horse Tavern. Here a battle was imminent. The American picket was driven in by the British, and this seemed to be the pre- lude to a sharp engagement, as the enemy had marched from Concord with the evident intention of turning the American right flank. The rain, which began about the time of the first fire, increased in violence, and the American ammunition was soon useless. Washington, therefore, retreated to Yellow Springs and Warwick Furnace, at which latter place cannon were cast for the army, leaving Wayne at Paoli. Wayne was surprised, and sustained such a brutal attack as to win for it the title of the "Massacre of Paoli." Recrossing the Schuylkill at Parker's Ford, the Americans passed through Trappe on the Reading turnpike, to Perkiomen Creek. On the 21st the British made a feint of marching against Reading, a depot of supplies, so Washington hastened to Pottsgrove (Pottstown), near which place the army was encamped for several days. Instead of doing what Washington expected they 'encamped along the road from French Creek (Phoenixville) to Valley Forge. It was at this time that the Valley forge was de- stroyed. On the 23d the British army crossed Fatland Ford VALLEY' FORGE IN AMERICAN HISTORY. 15 and encamped that night on Stony Creek (Norristown), march- ing thence to Germantown. On the 26th Lord Cornwallis took possession of Philadelphia. Fatland Ford, where the British Crossed. During all these movements Washington's men suffered severely, being poorly clad and having but few blankets. At least one thousand men made these marches with bare feet. Undaunted by their sufferings the Americans marched to Penny- packer's Mills (Schwenksville), and after a brief rest, on to Skippack and Worcester. From thence the army moved at seven o'clock on October 3d to attack the British at Ger- mantown. That brilliant attempt ended in failure, and Wash- ington retreated to the camp on the Perkiomen. After three days' rest the army was again on the march, 1 6 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. moving toward Philadelphia. On October 8th it was at Towa- mencin, where a week was spent. The next stop was at Wor- cester, where the army received the joyful news of the sur- render of Burgoyne. Whitpain was the next halting place. During this halt General Wayne was tried by a court-martial on the charge of neglect of duty at Paoli and was "acquitted with the highest honor." On November 2d the army went into camp at Whitemarsh. While encamped there Howe marched out from Philadelphia (December 4th) to make a night attack on the American army. News of this plan was brought to Washington, by Mrs. Lydia Darrah, some say, and conse- quently the army was on the alert. After manoeuvring for a few days Howe returned to the city without attempting to attack Washington. This practically ended the campaign of 1777. On December nth the army evacuated the camp at White- marsh and marched to Matson's Ford. The first division had crossed and part of the second when a force under Lord Corn- wallis was discovered on the heights on both sides of the Gulph Road. Under the impression that the British had again left Philadelphia the troops recrossed the river and the army moved up to Swedes' Ford (Ford street, Norristown), where it crossed during the night of the 12th and the morning of the 13th, and then took position at Gulph Mills. This seems to- have been considered as a site for the winter encampment, but the army remained there less than a week, suffering severely from exposure. The final march of the year was from Gulph Mills to Valley Forge, the site selected for the winter quarters of the army. It is supposed that Valley Forge was selected on the recommendation of General Wayne, whose home was near at hand, and who well knew the country. Here six months were spent, from December 19, 1777, to June 19, 1778 — the most critical period of American history. Dark as were the days at Morristown, when Paine wrote, "These are the times that try men's souls," those at Valley Forge were darker, indeed the darkest that America has seen. The short enlistments, largely due to the terrifying vision af a standing army, were a constant source of weakness and ex- pense. The depreciation of the paper currency made the poor VALLEY FORGE IN AMERICAN HISTORY. 17 pay of the soldier only a starving wage, and officers were com- pelled to resign because they had not the means to eke out their expenses. Congress held out no hope of a future recog- nition of services rendered such as have at other times re- lieved the soldier of concern for his future or for that of those dependent upon him. The foolish arrangement by which each State was to have its quota of promotions deprived the army of the advantage of officers of the highest merit and was a con- stant source of irritation. The Overhanging Rock on the Gulph Road. The poor soldiers were the helpless victims of a meddling Congress and an incompetent commissary department. While the whole country was fairly prosperous the men at Valley Forge starved. While they froze to death "hogsheads of shoes, stockings, and clothing were lying at different places on the I 8 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. roads and in the woods, perishing for want of teams, or of money to pay the teamsters." On the 23d of December, Wash- ington reported to Congress that "Two thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight were unfit for duty, because barefoot or otherwise naked. Only eight thousand two hundred men were present for duty." It is estimated that three thousand men perished on these hills during the six months of the encamp- ment, while in the twenty-six principal engagements of the Revolution the number of killed and wounded did not greatly exceed nine thousand! During these months the cause of American independence was endangered by a diabolic plot to supplant Washington. The "Conway Cabal," as it was called, had eager supporters in Congress and the army, and for awhile it seemed as if its evil design would be accomplished. It was an added burden for Washington to bear. "The intrigue against him he watched in stern silence till it was ripe and evident, then he crushed it with sudden exposure, and turned away in contempt, hardly so much as mentioning it in his letters to his friends." The weakest point was Congress. Its best men were in the army, or at home busily engaged in the effort to establish State governments. A mere handful of men gathered in York, often not enough for a quorum. These had little power and often less judgment. They could only advise the States and their advice was not much heeded. There was in fact no central government. If these were the darkest days theirs was the darkness which precedes the dawn. The first sign of this was the realiza- tion on the part of the American people of the character of Washington. "As the silly intrigues against him recoiled upon their authors, men began to realize that it was far more upon his consummate sagacity and unselfish patriotism than upon anything that Congress could do that the country rested its hopes of success in the great enterprise which it had under- taken. As the nullity of Congress made it ever more apparent that the country as a whole was without a government, Wash- ington stood forth more and more conspicuously as the living symbol of the union of the States. In him and his work were VALLEY FORGE IN AMERICAN HISTORY. 19 centered the common hopes and the common interests of all the American people." While this change was being made in the minds of the people, Washington, with the help of Steuben, was making the army ready for its greater deeds. The days at Valley Forge were busy with preparation. New tactics were introduced, the arms were improved, and the discipline made more strict. Here the little State armies were welded into the army of the United States. Finally, upon these hills the patriots of America beheld the sunrise of national glory. On February 6, 1778, the treaties of amity and commerce between France and the United States were signed. As the late Secretary Hay has happily expressed it : "The act of France gave us a standing abroad which we had hitherto lacked. A man's character is made by himself; his reputation exists in the minds of others. Our Declaration asserted our independence, the French alliance proved it. Even before 1776 we were a nation; but until our treaties with France the world regarded us as a rebellion." Cheque for $120,000 Paid to Lafayette for His Services in the War of the Revolution. Original in the Valley Forge Museum of American History — 3 . < D-i > _ THE VALLEY FORGE PARK AND RIVER ROAD. The Entrance to Valley Forge Park. — The State of Pennsylvania, through the Valley Forge Park Commission, has acquired the land adjoining the Valley Forge station of the Philadelphia and Reading Railway and has made a driveway from the station to the intrenchments. This is the most direct route to the points of interest and affords some beautiful views of the river. Those who do not expect to return to the station should visit Washington's Headquarters before going to the intrench- ments. It can be seen some four hundred feet to the west of the entrance to the Park. Others will find it more convenient to visit it after seeing as much of the encampment as their time permits. The road follows the line of the river and by easy grades surmounts the hill on which the fortifications were built. The hillside to the right is historic ground, for there once stood the huts of the Life Guard. The Life Guard. — This body of men had been organized in 1776, soon after the siege of Boston, and consisted of a major's command. Caleb Gibbs, of Massachusetts, was the first chief and bore the title of "captain commandant." He was also the disbursing agent for Washington's military family, as may be seen by referring to the reproduction of Washing- ton's accounts on page 22. The Guard consisted entirely of Virginians, but while here it was increased by the addition of one hundred men chosen from the troops of the different States. This augmented body was made a model corps for the execution of the manoeuvres of Baron Steuben. The first ex- hibition drill was given on April 6th. The men carried muskets and side arms. The uniform consisted of a blue coat with white facings, a white waistcoat, and breeches, black half-gaiters, and a cocked hat with a blue and white feather. A few of the (21) Vj ^> J%L< &?z^t? i^Ze^..__ /77Z 4 Tttt ^ &^&*& cr?Zy%JZ <&zn^y J&-&?*- , 7Z^42s^^C^JLj£L *ff? /Zaszsi, £r^9*S€*sz^~ Washington's Accounts ^fi££&/(/|/ //2f*/$~ /o\ *&~y£c4. .^JV 12J2& 7* 20 6 /o >'o '33. ./33 S JL VALLEY FORGE PARK AND RIVER ROAD. 23 men were mounted. One of the rosters of the Life Guard and other relics are on exhibition in the Valley Forge Museum, and the standard is carved on the screen of the President's Pew in the Washington Memorial Chapel. It is well worth stopping at this point to enjoy the view across the valley. In the near foreground the house with a cupola is the "Washington Inn," formerly the Mansion House of the Potts estate. Across the valley, perched on the steep slope of Mt. Misery, is the summer residence of Gen. B. F. Fisher. Near this is the famous Colonial Spring, the waters of which are so justly celebrated. The road winding toward the summit is used by the teams which haul stone to the crusher beyond the creek. Looking now toward the northeast the old Gulph road can be traced as it ascends the hill. It is crossed by the boule- vard almost at the point where the edge of the woods seems to cut it off. The only troops encamped on this side of the ridge, with the exception of the Life Guards, was General Mc- intosh's brigade. The site of the huts was about one thousand feet east of the reservoir. A good view of the river may be obtained by going out on the promontory only a few feet beyond. The striking structure of red brick in the near distance is the Roman Catholic Pro- tectory, founded by Archbishop Ryan as a reformatory for boys. Something over a half-mile down the river is the head of Jenkins Island, across which ran the old Colonial road, the river at that time being fordable on both sides of the island. This was the Fatland Ford by which the British crossed on September 23, 1777, on their march to Philadelphia. Just below the island the American troops built a bridge. The line of intrenchments begins on the crest of the hill. On the right of the boulevard is the Delaware Memorial, erected by the State of Delaware in memory of the Delaware troops at Valley Forge. This is not the site occupied by them, as that is not owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The memorial is a granite marker in the face of which is cut the following inscription : 24 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. THE STATE OF DELAWARE ERECTS THIS MARKER IN MEMORY OF HER GALLANT SONS WHO ENDURED THE HARDSHIPS AND PRIVATIONS OF THE MEMORABLE WINTER OF I77/-I7/8 ON THE HILLS OF VAT. LEV FORGE THE STATE OF DELAWARE 21" THIS MARKER IN MCMORY OFHCRCALtAHTSO.SWHODiDUREO THE HARDSHIPS AND PRIVATIONS 0F THE MEMORABLE WINTER OF |77? J77B ON THE HILLS OF VALLEY FORCE. A.D.I9I3 The Delaware Memorial. VALLEY FORGE PARK AND RIVER ROAD. 2$ The Pennsylvania Militia Memorial. — On the left of the boulevard the State of Pennsylvania has placed a modest memorial of the Pennsylvania Militia and its commander, Major General John Armstrong, who defended the eastern approaches to the encampment. A plain granite marker bears a bronze tablet with the following inscription : MAJOR GENERAL JOHN ARMSTRONG IN COMMAND OF THE PENNSYLVANIA MILITIA GUARDED THE ROADS FROM PHILADELPHIA AND THE APPROACHES TO SULLIVAN'S BRIDGE AND THIS CAMP The boulevard now follows the line to the road, only a few hundred feet away. It crosses the road and follows the line of intrenchments to Washington Redoubt. To the right the road leads to the village of Valley Forge. To the left it leads to the Star Redoubt, Defenders' Gate, Waterman Monument, Cloister of the Colonies, Washington Memorial Chapel, Patriots' Hall and the village of Port Kennedy. Those desiring to make a tour of the camp should, therefore, turn to the left upon reach- ing the road. On the hill overlooking the road is one of the picturesque guardhouses built by the Valley Forge Park Commission for the protection of the guards. These men patrol the boulevards and preserve order throughout the Park. They are glad to give visitors information about the points of interest. The road was defended by two rifle-pits, which are plainly marked on the hillside. Farther down the road, on the right, is a battery, consisting of reproductions of the cannon of the period of the Revolution. Beyond on the slope of the hill are the remains of Huntington Redoubt. These can be better visited by taking the path from the boulevard, as described in the account of the Inner Line Boulevard, and need not detain the visitor at this point. This hillside has been the scene of two notable celebra- tions of the Evacuation of Valley Forge. The first and most imposing was that which took place in 1878. An early morn- ing reception given by Governor Hartranft and Major-General 26 GLIDE TO V ALLEY FORGE. Winfield S. Hancock was followed by a memorial service and a review of the troops. In the afternoon Col. Theodore W. Bean read a long historical paper and Prof. W. Newton Meeks read Mrs. Mary E. Thropp Cone's Valley Forge Centennial Poem. The feature of the day was the masterly oration of Mr. Henry Armitt Brown, of Philadelphia. The celebration of the one hundred and twenty-fifth anni- versary was on a much smaller scale. It consisted of a memo- rial service in the morning, the laying of the corner-stone of the Washington Memorial Chapel at noon, and a patriotic service in the afternoon. At the morning service Rabbi Joseph Krauskopf made the address. In the afternoon addresses were made by Mr. Walter S. Logan, of New York; Miss Adaline W. Sterling, of New Jersey; Mrs. Donald McLane, of New York, and the Hon. C. Emory Smith, of Philadelphia. Poems by Mrs. Cone and Miss Margaret B. Harvey were read by Francis L. Ly- Darger. The musical part of the program was under the direction of Mr. John O. K. Robarts, of Phcenixville, Pa., who had served in the same capacity in 1878. Washington Lane. — Fifteen hundred feet from the boule- vard the River Road is crossed by the Washington Lane. This is the most direct route to the Camp School, the Artillery Park, Washington Redoubt, the Inner Line Boulevard, the Right Line Boulevard, Centreville and Devon. The Grand Parade, after June nth, was located in front of Conway's Brigade, the second from the River Road. The lane to the left is no longer a thoroughfare. This is to be regretted, as it is historic ground and should be open to the public. It was the old road leading to Fatland Ford, which crossed the river to Jenkins Island, and thence to the eastern bank. Along this road the British Army passed in September, 1777, on its march to Philadelphia. Sullivan's Bridge. — The road was continued down to the military bridge which General Sullivan built 750 feet below the ford. The site of the bridge is marked by a stone on the bank, having the inscriptions : VALLEY FORGE PARK AND RIVER ROAD. 2J Site of Sullivan's Bridge. (Date destroyed) SULLIVAN BRIDGE. A. D. I778. SPENCER BRIDGE. The Historical Society of Montgomery County has erected a more appropriate monument on the other bank. This society has also appointed a committee to carry into effect the sug- gestion of the Hon. Irving P. Wanger, that a memorial bridge be erected at this point. This project ought to commend itself to all patriotic Americans, and both the National and State Gov- ernments ought to co-operate in its erection. 28 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. The military bridge was not built upon pontoons, as is sometimes stated, but on piles. I am told that portions of these were in position a few years ago. The flooring was made of split logs, the round to the water, held in place by wooden pegs. It is sometimes stated that General Sullivan did not take into consideration the masses of floating ice brought down by the spring freshets and that the roadway was not built far above the water, and consequently the bridge did not long survive its The Last of the Hut: use by the army. As a matter of fact the bridge was so well constructed that it endured for some time, and might have been a permanent structure if the Assembly of Pennsylvania had followed the advice of General Sullivan. When the Assembly was ready to act, it was too late, as the bridge was partly de- stroyed. But it had served its purpose, for upon it the Amer- VALLEY FORGE PARK AND RIVER ROAD. 2 9 ican army crossed to intercept the march of the British to New York. Across it, too. came the welcome supplies for the starving soldiers. Every Monday and Thursday after February 8th a market was held, near the end of the bridge, and on those days the soldiers went a-marketing, or rather those who were Varnum's Headquarters. the proud possessors of spare money. A picket guarded the pas- sage of the bridge and ford, and prevented boats from going by. A guardhouse was built on this side of the river early in March. A little below the site of the bridge, but on this side of the railroad, were, as late as 191 1, the mouldering remains of what is said to have been one of the huts used by the picket. Up to a few years ago, when it was set on fire, it was in a fair state of preservation, having been used as a tenant house. o VALLEY FORGE PARK AND RIVER ROAD. 31 Five hundred feet beyond Washington Lane, on the right, are a stone barn and house. Tradition declares that this barn was used as a hospital. General Varnum's Headquarters. — This house was the headquarters of Gen. James Mitchel Varnum, the brigadier- general commanding a brigade of Rhode Island and Connecticut troops. At that time the house was much smaller, the eastern The Star Redoubt. part and the third story having been added later. On the night of January 17th the brigadiers met here to consider how to ex- change raw hides for shoes, and whether to arm the soldiers with bayonets and the officers with espontons or pikes. Here, too, at another time, the rations of the soldiers were decided. On that happiest of Valley Forge days, when the French Al- liance was celebrated, Washington stopped here, then the Or- 32 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. derly Office, to make the day complete by pardoning two men then in the provost guard under sentence of death for de- sertion. Star Redoubt. — The next point of interest is the site of the Star Redoubt, a few hundred feet beyond on the left. As late as 1850 its outlines were plainly marked. The present redoubt was constructed in 1916 by the Valley Forge Park KfillJil The Defenders' Gate Commission. The original redoubt with the Huntington and Washington redoubts completed the defenses of Mount Joy. The guns of this redoubt were intended not only to co- operate with those of the other redoubts in repelling an attack on the front, but also to command the approach from the other side of the Schuylkill by the Fatland Ford. The redoubt became of supreme importance when Sullivan's bridge was completed. Of course the erection of the dam when the canal was built has altered the river lines. Varnum's Brigade. — General Varnum's Brigade lay to the east of the redoubt on both sides of the road. The Park VALLEY FORGE PARK AND RIVER ROAD. 33 Commission has erected the brigade marker on the slope of the old earthwork. It bears the following inscription : CONTINENTAL ARMY VALLEY FORGE, DECEMBER IQ, I777 JUNE l8, I778 DIVISION varnum's BRIGADE BRIG. GENERAL JAMES M. VARNUM COMMANDING 1ST REGIMENT RHODE ISLAND INFANTRY, COL. CHRISTOPHER GREENE 2D REGIMENT RHODE ISLAND INFANTRY, COL. ISRAEL ANGELL 4TH REGIMENT CONNECTICUT INFANTRY, COL. JOHN DURKEE 8TH REGIMENT CONNECTICUT INFANTRY, COL. JOHN CHANDLER The Defenders' Gate. — Beyond the Star Redoubt is the lodge of "The Defenders' Gate/' a national monument to the defenders of the Union — the heroes of three wars and the patriots of the Republic. This is at the entrance to the Wash- ington Memorial Cemetery, a part of which will be devoted to the interment of veterans of the Civil War and the War with Spain. The Defenders' Gate, when completed, will correspond with the "Cloister of the Colonies/' a short distance away, and will be one of the noblest monuments on this sacred spot. It will in- clude the gateway, waiting room and superintendent's lodge. The piers to the east of the lodge are a part of the "Lincoln Arch" which is being erected by the Grand Army of the Re- public, contributions being made for this purpose by the Posts throughout the country. That such a memorial as the Defenders' Gate is fitting no one can question who knows what Valley Forge is in Amer- ican life and progress. At the time of the Albany Congress, as far back as 1754, Benjamin Franklin was working for the union of the Colonies. In his Pennsylvania Gazette appeared a rude cut of a snake whose dissevered parts represented the Colonies, and under this were the words, "Unite or Die." When the American soldiers marched up the Gulph Road to Valley Forge they were the armies of Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, etc. When they marched across Sullivan's Bridge they were the 34 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. Army of the United States of America. Here the Declaration of Independence which proclaimed a new empire was realized first in a united army. The Gate occupies a commanding site in full view of the course taken by that united army, whose efforts resulted in a free and united people. President Roosevelt's Valley Forge Address. — One phase of the relation of the men of Valley Forge to the defenders of the Union was set forth in the address made by President Roosevelt in the temporary Washington Memorial Chapel on Evacuation Day, 1904. He said : "If the men of '61 had failed in the great struggle for national unity it would have meant that the work done by Washington and his associates might almost or quite as well have been left undone. There would have been no point in com- memorating what was done at Valley Forge if Gettysburg had not given us the national right to commemorate it. If we were now split up into a dozen wrangling little communities, if we lacked the power to keep away here on our continent, within our own lines, or to show ourselves a unit as against foreign aggression, then, indeed the Declaration of Independence would read like empty sound, and the Constitution would not be worth the paper upon which it was written, save as a study for anti- quarians." The Washington Memorial Cemetery. — The Park Commission has located so many graves that there is no longer any doubt that these hills are a vast cemetery in which lie the remains of the martyrs of '77 and '78. Associated in loca- tion and thought is the Washington Memorial Cemetery — conse- crated as God's Acre. This is the property of the congre- gation of the Washington Memorial Chapel, for the interment of its members, but it will be conducted as a general cemetery on modern lines. Most generously the congregation has devoted one acre for the interment of veterans of the Civil War and their widows, and another for the veterans of the Spanish- American War and their widows. This provision for the sol- diers' widows is as beautiful as it is unusual. VALLEY FORGE PARK AND RIVER ROAD. 35 To keep the cemetery in the best of order perpetually a large percentage of all the money received from the sale of lots will be added to the Endowment Fund. Information in regard to the lots in the cemetery may be obtained at the Lodge. A driveway has been made from the Gate to the Chapel, passing under the Virginia Bay in the Cloister of the Colonies. This is open to the public, and affords a pleasant detour. Company Street and Hut. Soldiers' Huts. — The woodland, presented to the Trustees of the Washington Memorial Chapel by the Hon. William Uhler Hensel, is one of the most interesting spots in the whole encamp- ment. At the beginning of the wood turn to the left and follow the woodland road. In a few minutes you will reach a depres- sion in the earth. This is the first of the hut-holes or "cellars" as they are called. It is the site of one of the huts which were $6 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. built by the soldiers, and still shows the outline and size of the building. You are now standing on one of the company streets, and to the right and left as you advance other hut-holes will be seen. Almost at the end of the street, there being only two holes beyond, stands the hut erected by the Daughters of the Revolu- tion. Above the door is a tablet bearing the following inscrip- tion : on this spot stood one of the huts occupied by the soldiers of Washington's camp during the winter of i777-i778. this reproduction was erected by colonial chapter of philadelphia, daughters of the revolution, MAY, I905. SITE WAS PRESENTED BY I. HESTON TODD. It was dedicated on June 24, 1905, at which time a prayer was offered by the Rev. W. Herbert Burk, and addresses were made by Mrs. O. La Forrest Perry, Mrs. Nathaniel Seaver Keay, State Regent of the Daughters of the Revolution, and Mr. I. Heston Todd. The soldiers who occupied the original hut belonged to the 4th Connecticut Regiment, as proven by the buttons found in the hut-hole, and now on exhibition in the Museum. This hut gives an excellent idea of what the huts of the soldiers at Valley Forge were, for explicit directions were given for their erection. "The quarters must be fourteen by sixteen feet each," say the orders; "the sides, ends and roofs made with logs ; the roof made tight with slabs, or some other way; the sides made tight with clay; a fire-place made of wood and secured with clay on the inside, eighteen inches thick; this fire-place to be on the rear of the huts; the door to be in the end next the street; the door to be made of split oak slabs, unless boards can be procured; the side walls to be six feet and a half high. The officers' huts are to form a line in the rear of the troops, one hut to be allowed to each general officer; one to the staff of each brigade; one to the field officers of each VALLEY FORGE PARK AND RIVER ROAD. 2>7 regiment, and one to every twelve non-commissioned officers and soldiers." The soldiers were divided into squads of twelve, and Wash- ington offered a reward of twelve dollars to the squad in each regiment which finished its hut in the quickest and most work- manlike manner. He also offered a reward of one hundred dollars to the officer or soldier who would invent a cheaper covering than boards. The inventors were to report their plans to Generals Sullivan, Greene and Lord Stirling. Temporarily the huts were covered with the tents. As large quantities of straw were needed for beds or for thatching the huts, if this plan were adopted, Washington ordered the farmers to thresh at once or the straw would be taken with the grain and paid for as straw. Broadsides to this effect were printed and posted throughout the neighboring country. Dr. Waldo has left us a description of the huts, but the one described in his lines was probably built for a hospital, such as that so admirably reproduced by the Park Commission near the Wayne Monument, as these were larger than the huts of the soldiers and had more windows. Dr. Waldo was a surgeon in General Huntington's brigade, and gained quite a reputation for his success in inoculating the soldiers against small-pox. "Of pondrous logs Whose bulk disdains the winds and fogs The sides and ends are fitly raised And by dove-tail each corner's brac'd : Athwart the roof, young saplings lie Which fire and smoke has now made dry — Next straw wraps o'er the tender pole, Next earth, then splints o'erlay the whole ; Although it leaks when show'rs are o'er, It did not leak two hours before. Two chimneys plac'd at op'site angles Keep smoke from causing oaths and wrangles. Three windows, placed all in sight, Through oiled paper give us light; One door, on wooden hinges hung, Let in the friend, or sickly throng." 38 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. On the whole the huts were very comfortable, as is testi- fied in numerous letters written from Valley Forge. When the weather grew warmer the soldiers were ordered to open the chinks to let in more air, and later the army abandoned the huts and pitched their tents. In huts such as this and upon this ground were encamped the Rhode Island troops under the command of Col. Christo- pher Greene, the hero of Fort Mercer. He and his four hun- dred men, behind unfinished earthworks, repulsed a well-dis- ciplined and well-equipped force of two thousand Hessians on the twenty-second of October, 1777, at Red Bank, N. J. The battle lasted less than an hour, but in that time these men added to the honor of the American soldier by making "one of the most glorious stands ever made by patriots fighting for home and country." Visitors will find interesting relics of these heroes in the Valley Forge Museum, including a letter reporting the action to Governor Wharton, of Pennsylvania. Steuben's Kitchen. — On some of the maps this part of the encampment is designated as the sites of officers' huts, and tradition has placed "Steuben's Kitchen" in this grove. It is said that when the Baron entered the American service he was accompanied by a very expert chef. Upon reaching Valley Forge the great general was assigned to one of these huts. The next morning, in order to prepare for his master's breakfast, the chef asked to be shown the kitchen in which his labors were to be performed. He was taken to a spot under the trees where an iron pot was suspended from sticks above a fireplace of stones. When he was assured that this was the kitchen, he promptly took leave of his master to return to a less barbarous mode of life than that offered at Valley Forge. Be this as it may, his master remained to do noble service in the cause of human liberty. By his skill and perseverance order was brought out of chaos, discipline was established, a uniform system of tactics was adopted, and a mass of untrained men made into that splendid army which thwarted the treachery of Lee at Monmouth and there and elsewhere won those victories which culminated at Yorktown. Only those who know what he VALLEY FORGE PARK AND RIVER ROAD. 39 did for the cause of Liberty can appreciate the debt of honor which the American people owe to Frederick William Augustus Henry Ferdinand von Steuben, aide-de-camp to Frederick the Great, who voluntarily placed at the disposal of Congress his great gifts and his wide experience. Whether Major-General Nathanael Greene occupied a hut, as his biographer states, or the residence of Isaac Walker, as Mr. Wm. John Campbell declares, I am unable to determine. If he did occupy a hut it was here. In a letter to his brother he says : Waterman's Grave. "We are all going into log-huts — a sweet life after a most fatiguing campaign." Mrs. Greene came to camp in January and helped to dispel the gloom of the dreary winter. Know- ing some French and being a woman of bright parts and a gay manner she attracted to her husband's quarters Lafayette and the other foreign officers, including Steuben, Duponceau, de Kalb, Fleury, Duplessis, and the gallant Pulaski. Often Wash- ington and his wife were the guests of honor. The Waterman Monument. VALLEY FORGE PARK AND RIVER ROAD. 4 1 In one of his letters General Greene says : "Colonel Greene and all his officers are coming home to recruit a negro regiment. Will they succeed or not?" This movement had been sug- gested by General Varnum, and in it Col. John Laurens took the keenest interest. The movement was entirely successful. The slaves who enlisted received their freedom, and their bravery and heroic service during the war proved the wisdom of General Varnum's plan. Their owners were compensated for the loss of their service. In March, Greene, who commanded the division consisting of Muhlenberg's and Weedon's brigades, was made Quarter- master-General, but retained his right to command in the field. The good results from this appointment were set forth a few months later by Washington in a letter to the President of Congress. Gen. Alexander MacDougall was another officer to make his winter home in one of these huts. His patriotism had been tried by twenty-three weeks of imprisonment before it was tested here, that being the penalty which the New York As- sembly imposed upon him for his address, "A Son of Liberty to the Betrayed Inhabitants of the Colony," published when the Assembly failed to protest against the usurpations of the Crown. As his imprisonment took place before the famous shot at Lexington he is sometimes called "the first martyr to the patriot cause." He became colonel of the first New York regi- ment, and was later made a brigadier. Two months before the army came to Valley Forge he was made a major-general. A Soldier's Grave. — Among those who occupied these huts was Lieut. John Waterman, whose death is announced in this characteristic soldier's letter: "Camp Valley Forge, Apl. 24th, 1778. "Dear Sir: "Captain Tew and myself arrived safe to post the 226. in- stant, found the encampment in perfect tranquility and the enemy peaceable in their quarters. Am sorry to inform you that yesterday died of a short illness that worthy gentleman John Waterman Esqr. Commissary of our brigade. "Humble servant "William Allen. 42 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. "N. B. — Have returned yaur bill to Capt. Olney, as it would not pass in Pennsylvania. "Theodore Foster, Esq." So frequent had been the deaths in camp, three thousand dying in six months, that a few days before Lieutenant Water- man's death the following order had been issued : "The Funeral honours at the Interment of officers, are for the future, to be confined to a solemn procession of officers and Soldiers, in Numbers suitable to the Rank of the Deceas'd, with revers'd arms. Fireing on these occasions is to be abolish'd in Camp." If we follow that silent procession across the road, and down the path to the monument we will find where his comrades laid his body. Some one erected the rough stone and cut on it the initials, "J. \\\, 1778," thus making it the only named grave at Valley Forge. The Waterman Monument. — The monument which rises above it is one of the conspicuous landmarks at Valley Forge. It is an imposing granite shaft, fifty feet high, erected by the Daughters of the Revolution in memory of the martyrs of Valley Forge. It stands on a piece of ground thirty by thirty-three feet square, with an approach from the road ten feet wide and three hundred and sixty-one feet long, given by Mr. I. Heston Todd. Mr. Todd later deeded to the Society additional ground on which are placed the historic cannon loaned by the Girard Estate. The obelisk rests upon a base ten feet square, raised upon a plinth with three gradations. On the face of the plinth is the following inscription : TO THE SOLDIERS OF WASHINGTON'S ARMY WHO SLEEP AT VALLEY FORGE, IJ/J-I'/'/S. ERECTED BY THE DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. Set in the base is a large bas-relief in bronze representing the Valley Forge encampment. Above this is a bronze seal of the Society. The Colonial flag is carved on the obelisk. 44 WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. The dedication took place on October 19, 1901. Mr. Todd made the presentation of the deed, and addresses were made by the Hon. William A. Stone, Governor of Pennsylvania ; the Hon. Boies Penrose, Mr. Peter Boyd and Miss Adaline Wheelock Sterling, President-General of the Daughters of the Revolu- tion. As Governor Stone unveiled the shaft he said : "On behalf of the Daughters of the Revolution I dedicate this monu- ment to the heroic dead of Valley Forge." On the south side of the plinth is another inscription, as follows : NEAR THIS SPOT LIES LIEUTENANT JOHN WATERMAN. DIED APRIL 23, I778, WHOSE GRAVE ALONE OF ALL HIS COMRADES WAS MARKED. Huntington's Headquarters. — The house in the valley was for many years the residence of the late Mr. I. Heston Todd, at one time a member of the Valley Forge Park Commission, and at all times deeply interested in the preservation of these historic spots, as is attested by his gifts of the ground for the Waterman Monument, the Washington Memorial Chapel, and the Soldiers' Hut. To the west of the present building stood the headquarters of General Jedidiah Huntington, a native of Norwich, Conn. He graduated from Harvard when he was twenty years old and was associated with his father in business. An active Son of Liberty he raised a regiment of which he became captain and joined the army at Cambridge. On May 12, 1777, he was appointed brigadier-general. He served in the court-martial which tried Gen. Charles Lee for misconduct at Monmouth and in that which condemned Major Andre to death. General Huntington is described as a man "small in stature, but of great energy, steadiness and dignity, very neat and precise in his personal appearance, and polished, though reserved in his demeanor." He was very religious, liberal and charitable. While at Valley Forge he formed a strong friend- ship for Lafayette, Steuben and Pulaski, who in later years were his honored guests. THE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL THE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL, CLOISTER OF THE COLONIES, PATRIOTS' HALL AND WASHINGTON MEMORIAL LIBRARY. RETURNING to the road the next objects of interest are the Cloister of the Colonies, the Washington Memo- rial Chapel and Patriots' Hall. In the course of studies in the history of the Church in America the writer was impressed with the religious character of the men who made the Nation. This led him to a more careful study of the religious character of Washington, and on Sunday, February 22, 1903, in a sermon in All Saints' Church, Norristown, on "Washington the Churchman," he spoke of Washington's wor- ship at Valley Forge and said, "Would that there we might rear a wayside chapel, fit memorial of the Church's most honored son, to be the Nation's Bethel for all days to come, where the American patriot might kneel in quest of that courage and that strength to make all honorable his citizenship here below, and prove his claim to that above !" The sermon was printed in The Norristown Daily Herald, and the suggestion was commended by the press throughout the country. From that day the writer has striven to give permanence to his conception. The Sunday School Association of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, to which the subject was referred, recommended the establish- ment of a Sunday school, and after some delay this was done, the first service being held in the Valley Forge Hall on May 17, I903- Mr. and Mrs. I. Heston Todd and Mr. and Mrs. John Hallman offered sites for the building, and the Rt. Rev. Alex- (46) ffl s 48 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. ander Mackay- Smith, D. D., Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, selected the one on which the chapel stands. The laying of the corner-stone formed a part of the program of the one hundred and twenty-fifth anniversary of the Evacua- tion of Valley Forge. Mr. Todd presented the deed for the ground, which was accepted by the Rt. Rev. O. W. Whitaker, D. D., Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, who then laid the stone. This was the gift of the Rt. Rev. Alexander Mackay- Smith, D. D., Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese. The purpose of the Washington Memorial Chapel was set forth in the words used by the Bishop in laying the corner- stone, "In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen. I lay the corner-stone of an edifice to be here erected by the name of the Washington Memorial Chapel, to be devoted to the service of Almighty God, agreeably to the principles of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, in its doctrine, ministry, liturgy, rites and usages; and in memory of George Washington, communicant and lay reader of this Church, and the patriot churchmen and churchwomen who served their God and Country in the struggle for Liberty." The Rev. C. Ellis Stevens, LL. D., D. C. L., Rector of Christ Church, Philadelphia, in which Washington was a frequent worshipper, delivered an able address on "The Christianity of Washington." About two hundred clergy and choristers took part in the service. Perpendicular Gothic was selected as the style of archi- tecture for the chapel as being the best adapted for the object and use of the building. Dr. Charles C. Harrison, Provost of the University of Pennsylvania, requested Prof. Warren P. Laird to act as the representative of the Department of Archi- tecture of the University and to pass judgment upon the de- signs submitted. In his report Professor Laird thus speaks of the successful design, that of Field and Medary, Philadelphia: "Its ensemble expresses truthfully the theme of the com- petition; a memorial chapel with auxiliary structures. The chapel dominates the group while not overpowering it, and the tower, higher than the chapel and sufficient to its purpose as WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 49 an observatory, is placed at the right point to complete the balance of the group. This is as simple in plan as it is effective in mass. The chapel, while pure in historic character and fine in proportion, has an expression of dignity, repose and strength, which it would be difficult to carry further toward harmony with the sentiment of Valley Forge. In its wall and win- dow treatment t^ere is presented, as nearly as possible in a place intended for worship rather than defense, the mediaeval approach of the church to fortress building. The other por- tions of the group are true in character and in proportion with the chapel. The plan arrangement of this group combines more of simplicity, compactness and economy, both of con- struction and administration, than any other in the competi- tion. In architectural quality it is scholarly and tasteful to an unusual degree and possesses real charm and distinction." The design was the work of Mr. Milton B. Medary, Jr., to whose great ability and painstaking care the Nation is indebted for the dignity and beauty of this remarkable memorial group. Mr. Medary is now a member of the firm of Zantzinger, Borie & Medary, of Philadelphia, under which the work has been continued. Unfortunately the money required to carry out the plans was not secured, and the work was retarded. In order that the building might be used while the funds were being secured a temporary roof was put in place and the interior stone work finished up to the sill lines. At last, in 1912, work on the walls was resumed, and the window tracery set to the transom bar. A new impetus was given to the work by the appointment by the Rt. Rev. Thomas J. Garland, D.D., Bishop Suffragan, of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, of a large and influential committee, through whose efforts several thousand dollars were raised. Finally, on March 3, 1914, Dr. and Mrs. Charles Custis Harrison organized the following Committee through whose untiring efforts the Chapel has been completed : Stevens Heckscher, Esq., Chairman; the Rt. Rev. Thomas J. Garland, Dr. Charles Custis Harrison, Mrs. Charles Custis Harrison, George A. Elliott. Esq., the Rev. W. Herbert Burk, Mr. Milton B. Medarv. Tr., and 50 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. Mr. Joseph M. Rogers, Secretary. The contract was awarded April 13, 1915. The First Service. — On Washington's Birthday, 1905, the first service was held in the partly built chapel. The service was made notable by the presence of the Rt. Rev. Robert At- kinson Gibson, D. D., Bishop of Virginia, in whose diocese are the two parishes of which Washington was a vestryman. In the course of an eloquent sermon on the character of Wash- ington the Bishop declared that he was the genius of this place — "the crowning glory of Valley Forge." The Cloister of the Colonies.— The "Cloister of the Colonies" is a unique monument of patriotism and the most beautiful memorial at Valley Forge. Each of the thirteen Colonies will be represented by a bay. The cloister forms a porte cochere to the chapel and one of the entrances to the Washington Memorial Cemetery, but its most important use will be in connection with the open air services, for which it is the chancel. The beautiful Open Air Pulpit faces the grove where already more than three thousand have gathered for a patriotic service. In time rows of oaks will form a great woodland cathedral for these services, while connected with it will be an evergreen chapel containing a bronze statue of Washington at prayer. Beginning at the front of the chapel the bays are New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia (the archway), Maryland, Massa- chusetts, Delaware, New York and Connecticut. New Hamp- shire is the first bay, architecturally, and it forms the entrance to the Chapel and the choir. Adjoining it is the South Carolina Bay. The Rhode Island, North Carolina and Georgia Bays are required to complete the Cloister of the Colonies. The Bays are built of Holmesburg granite and Indiana limestone. The floors are of Knoxville marble, and in the center of each is a large copy in brass of the Colonial seal. The ceilings, are of oak, hand-carved, and on the central boss of each are emblazoned the State arms. Over the arch of the Virginia bay are the arms of the Virginia Company, consisting WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 51 of the arms of England, Scotland, Ireland and France, and the motto : "En dat Virginia quintam." The motto is set between symbols representing the gifts of the English Church to Amer- ica, the arms of Canterbury and York, symbolizing the English Church ; the mitre, crozier and keys, the ministry ; the font and Facade of the Cloister. chalice, the sacraments ; the two books, the Bible, and Prayer Book. This bay, erected in 1907, marks the three hundredth anni- versary of the founding of Jamestown and the establishment of English life and institutions in America. Above the inner arch are the arms of Washington, the great Virginian. The New York Bay, the gift of the Society of the Colonial Dames of America, contains the open air pulpit. Above this are carved the 'arms of the Washington Memorial Chapel. 52 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. The donors of the bays, and the dates of the dedications, are as follows : New Jersey Bay — Miss Sarah R. Chew, 1905. Pennsylvania Bay — Mr. T. Broom Belfield, 1906. Virginia Bay — Mr. George C. Thomas, 1907. Maryland Bay — Mr. James E. Mitchell, 1908. Massachusetts Bay — Massachusetts Society, Sons of the American Revolution, 1909. Delaware Bay — George A. Elliott, President of the Dela- ware Society, Sons of the American Revolution, 1912. New York Bay — The Society of the Colonial Dames of America, 1912. Connecticut Bay — The Patriotic Societies of Connecticut, The Order of the Cincinnati, The Sons of the Revolution, The Sons of the American Revolution, The Society of Colonial Wars, The Order of Founders and Patriots of America, The Military Order of Foreign Wars. New Hampshire Bay — Mr. Arthur E. Pearson, 1915. South Carolina — Two Families Prominent in the Colonial History of South Carolina, 1916. INSCRIPTIONS. New Jersey. TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN APPRECIATION OF THE PATRIOTISM AND DEVOTION OF THE SOLDIERS OF NEW JERSEY IN THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION AND IN LOVING MEMORY OF STILLE CHEW AND REBECCA D. TURNER, HIS WIFE, OF WOODBURY, N. J., THIS BAY IS ERECTED BY SARAH R. CHEW, I905. WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 53 Pennsylvania. TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND. IN HONOR OF THE BRAVE PENNSYLVANIANS WHOSE LIVES WERE GIVEN FOR THE BLESSINGS WE ENJOY, AND IN LOVING MEMORY OF HIS PARENTS, WIFE AND CHILDREN, WHO NOW REST FROM THEIR LABORS, THIS BAY IS ERECTED BY T. BROOM BELFIELD, JUNE 19, I906. Virginia. TO THE GLORY OF GOD, JN HONOR OF THE UNFALTERING HEROISM OF THE FATHER OF HIS COUNTRY AND THE BRAVE VIRGINIANS WHO SO FAITHFULLY STOOD BY HIM IN THIS VALLEY, AND IN SINCERE APPRECIATION OF THE DEVOTION OF THE CHURCHMEN OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA TO THE MISSIONS OF THE CHURCH, AND ESPECIALLY IN GIVING THEMSELVES TO THIS GREAT CAUSE, THIS BAY IS ERECTED BY GEORGE CLIFFORD THOMAS, JUNE 19, 1907 54 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. Maryland. TO THE GLORY OF ALMIGHTY GOD IN HONOUR OF THE BRAVE TROOPS OF MARYLAND WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY, AND IN LOVING MEMORY OF ABRAHAM DAVID MITCHELL, OF MARYLAND, AND JANE THOMPSON EVANS, HIS WIFE, THIS BAY IS ERECTED BY THEIR SON, JAMES EVANS MITCHELL, I008 Massachusetts. TO THE GLORY OF GOD, IN HONOR OF THEIR ANCESTORS AND IN LASTING MEMORY OF THE SOLDIERS OF MASSACHUSETTS ENCAMPED AT VALLEY FORGE DURING THE WINTER OF I J J J- 1 778, THIS BAY IS ERECTED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY, SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1009. WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 55 Delaware. TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN HONOR OF THE MEN OF DELAWARE, WHO, BY PATIENT ENDURANCE. CHEERFUL SELF SACRIFICE AND FEARLESS DEVOTION TO DUTY IN CAMP AND BY BRAVERY ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE, HELPED WIN FOR US A COUNTRY AND FOR THEMSELVES A DEATHLESS FAME THIS BAY IS ERECTED FOR THE DELAWARE SOCIETY, SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION BY GEORGE A. ELLIOTT PRESIDENT OF THE SOCIETY 1912. New York. TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF THOSE HEROIC MEN WHO HERE ENDURED GREAT HARDSHIPS IN THE WAR OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE THIS BAY IS ERECTED BY THE COLONIAL DAMES OF AMERICA 1913 WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 5/ Connecticut. TO THE GLORY OF GOD AXD IN MEMORY OF THE CONNECTICUT MEN IN THE CONTINENTAL ARMY AT VALLEY FORGE AND OF THOSE PATRIOTIC CITIZENS WHO MINISTERED TO THEIR NECESSITIES AND MITIGATED THEIR SUFFERING THIS BAY IS ERECTED BY THE PATRIOTIC SOCIETIES OF CONNECTICUT THE ORDER OF THE CINCINNATI THE SONS OF THE REVOLUTION THE SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION . THE SOCIETY OF COLONIAL WARS THE ORDER OF FOUNDERS AND PATRIOTS OF AMERICA THE MILITARY ORDER OF FOREIGN WARS The Porch. The porch was built by All Saints' Sun- day School, Norristown, which pledged the first one hundred dollars toward the erection of the chapel. On the corbels at the entrance are carved the arms of the Diocese of Pennsyl- vania, on the right, and, on the left, those of the Washington Memorial Chapel. The Porch Gates. — The Porch is closed by iron gates given by Dr. Charles Custis Harrison and Mr. Alfred C. Harri- son in honor of their ancestors, Colonel Samuel Waples and Major Thomas Custis, of the Continental Army. The gates were wrought by Mr. Samuel Yellin, in the best spirit of the greatest iron workers. At the entrance the effort has been made to emphasize the religious character of Washington. The inscrip- s8 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. tion cut in the wall on the right is taken from the General Orders at Valley Forge, in which in arranging the hour of Divine Service for the army he said: "While we are zealously performing the Duties of good Citizens and Soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher Duties of Re- ligion. To the distinguished Character of Patriot it should be our highest Glory to add the more distinguished Character of Christian." The inscription on the left is taken from the Farewell Ad- dress, and is as follows : "Of all the Dispositions and Habits which lead to political Prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable Supports. In vain would that Man claim the Tribute of Patriotism who should labor to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the Duties of Men and Citizens." In the windows has been placed Washington's valedictory prayer for the people of the United States : "I commend the interests of our dearest country to the protection of Almighty God, and those who have the superintendence of them to His holy keep- ing." In each window there is an ecclesiastical seal, the four symbolizing the communion of the Anglican Church, of which Washington was a member and from which he received his re- ligious training. Following the order of the inscription they are : York and Canterbury, representing the Church of Eng- land; London, under whose bishop were the English communi- cants in the American Colonies, and the House of Bishops of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of Amer- ica, which, after the Revolution, succeeded to the property and rights of the English Church in this country. Interior of the Washington Memorial Chapel. 60 GL T IDE TO VALLEY FORGE. The carved oak ceiling bears the arms of Washington, from which it has been claimed that the American flag has been derived. The arms appear also in the seal of the Wash- ington Memorial Chapel, which is set in the marble floor. The Washington Memorial Door. — The porch door is the gift of Colonial Chapter, Daughters of the Revolution, and is one of the handsomest memorials at Valley Forge. On the top rail are seven shields with armorial bearings. In the center are the Washington arms, and to the right those of the United States, Virginia, and the insignia of the Daughters of the Revolution. To the left are those of the Protestant Epis- copal Church, the Diocese of Virginia, and the seal of the Washington Memorial Chapel. On the inner side are the arms of the Washingtons and the English families with which they intermarried. The door is the gift of Colonial Chapter, Daughters of the Revolution, and was dedicated May 13, 1910. It bears the fol- lowing inscription, carved in the upper stiles : TO THE GLORY OF GOD, OUR NATION'S HONOUR AND THE MEMORY OF GEORGE WASHINGTON, THIS DOOR IS GIVEN BY COLONIAL CHAPTER, PENNSYLVANIA SOCIETY, DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. The Commander-in-Chief's Door. — The Door opening into the Cloister of the Colonies bears the arms of the thirteen original States and the insignia of the Colonial Dames. Cut in the oak is the following inscription : In Gratitude to God for His Guidance in the Election of George Washington, Commander-in- Chief of the Continental Forces, this Door is given bj* The Colonial Dames of America, Chapter II, Philadelphia. The Washington-Sullivan Font. — To the right of the doorway stands the beautiful Washington-Sullivan font, of In- diana limestone. On each face of the octagonal bowl are carved the Washington arms, and on the angles shields bearing the The Washington-Sullivan Font. 62 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. Crusader's cross, symbolizing the Christian's warfare against the world, the flesh and the devil. The font was the gift of Mr. and Mrs. William M. Sullivan, in memory of their son, Ralph, and in commemoration of Washington's baptism. The inscrip- tion of dedication is on the base: "To the Glory of God and in loving Memory of Ralph J. Sullivan, 1890-1903. The Gift of his Parents." The inscription on the wall back of the font is most inter- esting, as it includes the record of Washington's birth and bap- tism as recorded by him in his mother's Bible. His baptismal robe is preserved in the National Museum at Washington. The inscription : "George Washington was made a Member of Christ, the Child of God, and an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven, in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism Ministered according to the Use of The Church of England, whereof this Font is a Memo- rial, and this the Record: George Washington, Son of Augustine & Mary, his Wife, was Born ye nth Day of February, 173^2 abDut 10 in the Morning & was Baptized on the 3th of April following, Mr. Bev- erly Whiting & Cap't Christopher Brooks God- fathers and Mrs. Mildred Gregory Godmother." The font was dedicated by the Rt. Rev. Robert A. Gibson, Bishop of Virginia, June 19, 1907. Pews of the Patriots. — The pews are known as the "Pews of the Patriots," and are said to be unequaled in America. They were designed by Mr. Milton Bennett Medary, Jr., the architect of the chapel, who has designed all the furnishings, and great care has been exercised to make them worthy memo- rials. On the base of each pew are carved either the family arms, the insignia of a patriotic society or the Colonial seal or State arms. The inscriptions are well worth studying. WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 63 The Presidents' Pew bears the arms of the United States, the seal of the President and the Pearson arms. It is given in memory of Washington and Monroe, who were at Valley Forge and later became Presidents, and commemorates the ad- dress of President Roosevelt, the first President to visit this sacred ground. The seats in the chapel are all free, as it is a House of Prayer for all people. It is maintained by the voluntary con- tributions of the worshippers. The Major-Generals' Screen. The Pew Screens. — In front of the Pews of the Patri- ots are elaborately carved screens. That in front of the Presi- 64 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. dents' Pew was given by Nancy Delia Benjamin Pearson in honor of Washington and his Major-Generals at Valley Forge, and in memory of her parents, Benaiah Benjamin and Eliza- beth Noyes. That in front of the Shippen Pew was given by Elizabeth Swift and Sarah Swift Zulich in honor of Washing- The Brigadier-Generals' Screen. ton and his Brigadier-Generals at Valley Forge, and in memory of their parents, Samuel Swift and Mary Ann Swift. As Wash- ington spoke so frequently of the Providence of God as direct- ing the destiny of the American patriots, this is symbolized by angels at prayer. These are carved in oak and kneel on the WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 55 buttresses. Below in the panels are thirteen flags of the Revo- lution, carved and colored. On the Major-Generals' screen, from left to right, they are: The flags of the 3d New York, 1st Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Light Horse, Commander-in- Chiefs Life Guard, Commander-in-Chief's standard, the Grand Union, the National standard, an earlier form of the National The Presidents' Pew. standard, the Rattlesnake flag, flag of the Floating Batteries, the Eutaw standard, the Pulaski standard, and the flag of the Bedford Minute Men. On the base of the screens are thirteen shields, that in the middle inscribed with the name of Washing- ton, to the left the arms of the United States, and to the right the Washington arms. The names of the generals are in the following order: Lee, Sullivan, Greene, De Kalb, St. Clair, Lafayette, Steuben, Duportail, Sterling and Knox. 66 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. General Charles Lee was a traitor when Washington wel- comed him to Valley Forge, so his name on the shield has been partly obliterated. The other screen bears the following flags : The flag ot the 2d Rhode Island Regiment, the Westmoreland County Bat- talion (Pa.), two flags of the 2d New Hampshire Regiments, 2d Regiment Light Dragoons, the Rattlesnake flag of South Carolina, the Pine Tree flag of New England, the Fort Moul- trie flag, flag of the Bucks of America, Webb's Connecticut Regiment, Talmadge's Dragoons, 2d Regiment 2d Connecticut Battalion and the 1st Rhode Island Regiment. The following Brigadier-Generals are commemorated: Mc- intosh, Maxwell, Poor, Glover, Patterson, Wayne, Varnum Woodford, Muhlenberg, Weedon, Scott, Learned and Hunting- ton. The following scheme shows the arrangement of the pews and screens and the patriots commemorated : Altar. A. The Major-Generals' Screen — Nancy Delia Benjamin Pearson. B. The Brigadier-Generals' Screen — Elizabeth Swift and Sarah Swift Zulich. 1. The Presidents' Pew — William Henry Pearson. 2. Joseph Shippen Pew — William H. Swift, Elizabeth Swift, Sarah Swift Zulich and Joseph Swift. 3. Samuel Runk Pew — Emma Ten Broeck Runk, Louis Bar- croft Runk. 4. Thomas Cummings Pew — Sarah Swift Zulich, Mary J. Rinek. Thomas Cummings Zulich, Thomas Cummings Zulich, Jr. S- Benjamin Franklin Pew — His descendants. 6. Christopher and Christinia Pechin Pew — Lilla Sellers Pechin, Mary Pechin Bliss. 7. Col. Patrick Anderson Pew — His descendants. 8. Col. William Dewees Pew — W. Dewees Wood, Alan Wood, Jr., Howard Wood, Thomas Roberts, William M. Potts, Francis Potts. 9. Jacob and John Kingsbur} r Pew — Frederick John Kingsbury. WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 67 10. Continental Army Pew — Colorado Society, Daughters of the Revolution. 11. Richard Currie Pew — His descendants. 12. Gen. James Potter Pew — Alan D. Wilson. 13. Col. Clement Biddle Pew — His great-grandchildren. 14. The Hussey Pew — Edward Hussey Binns. 15. Rev. Robert Blackwell Pew— Elise W. Balch. 16. Rev. Stephen Bloomer Balch Pew — Elise W. Balch. 17. Col. John Nixon Pew — Ellen Wain Harrison. 18. Capt. Timothy Corey, Caleb Gardner and John Downing Pew — Lizzie G. Corey Gerry. 19. Col. James Livingston Pew — Margaret Wilkeson Corson. 20. John Morton Pew — Delaware County Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. 21. Capt. John Douglas Pew — Ellen Douglas Carpenter Bennett. 22. Betty Washington Pew — Fannie B. Lovell. 23. Dr. James Hutchinson Pew — His descendants. 24. Continental Navy Pew — Liberty Bell Chapter, Daughters of the Revolution. 25. Capt. James Hunter Pew — Anna Wills Baugh. The Litany Desk. — At the head of the aisle is the Litany Desk, given in memory of the late Stephen Greene by his son Dr. William H. Greene. The Memorial Tablets. — The tablet on the left wall is of carved brass, and was given by Miss Rhoda Augusta Thomp- son, in memory of her father, who came to Valley Forge as a drummer boy when only sixteen. Inscription : "To the Glory of God and in Memory of Thad- deus Thompson, of Connecticut. Born March 5, 1762; Died June 16, 1829. Who faithfully served his Country as Drummer-boy and Bombardier during the Revolution, enduring the hardships of Valley Forge, and being wounded at Yorktown. This Tab- let is erected by his Daughter, Rhoda Augusta Thompson, in grateful Remembrance of a loving Father, a loyal Patriot, and a devout Churchman." 68 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. The tablet was dedicated on the 19th of December, 1906, the one hundred and twenty-ninth anniversary of his coming to Valley Forge with the American army. The tablet on the right is in memory of John Benjamin, bombardier, and was given by his great-granddaughter, Mrs. William Henry Pearson. Its dedication took place on June 19, 1908. It bears the following inscription : m^ mmmmftfflmmms&m&Bmi^m leEiTnmiTgnFiiiirriTgrjffiCETmm^^ --V^- _- The Thaddeus Thompson Tablet. "With Thanksgiving unto Almighty God and in loving Memory of John Benjamin, of Massachusetts, February 5, 1758; died December 2, 1814. Artillerist in the Continental Army, giving to his beloved Country a Service of Seven Years and sharing the Privations of Valley Forge, this Tablet in tribute of his Honor, his Valor and his faithful Life, is erected by his Granddaughter, Nancy Delia Benjamin Pearson." The plaster casts were made by Miss Martha M. Hovenden, the talented daughter of the famous American artist, Thomas Hovenden. The tablet near the font commemorates the Signers of the Declaration of Independence. The Spirit of Liberty holds the scroll on which is inscribed the message of the Liberty Bell : "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof." WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 69 In the upper corners there are medallion portraits of George Mason, the author of the Bill of Rights, and Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence. Below these are the names of the Signers. The second tablet bears the figure of the Spirit of Unity, holding the great seal of the United States encircled with an olive wreath. The medallions contain the portraits of James Madison, "the Father of the Constitution," and Alexander Hamil- ton, its exponent. The names of the Framers are arranged by States, each marked with the State arms. The John Benjamin Tablet. It is hoped that the money required to cast these tablets in bronze may be secured in the near future, that they may be given enduring form. The Door of the Allies. — On the right, opening into the Porch of the Allies is the Door of the Allies, given by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Daughters of Founders and Patriots, in honor of the foreign soldiers who aided the Amer- ican patriots in their struggle for Independence. It was dedi- cated October 20, 1914, by the Rt. Rev. Thomas J. Garland, D.D. Mrs. Sarah P. Snowden Mitchell, President of the Chapter, made the presentation, and addresses were made by Bishop Garland and the Rev. Andrew Fleming West, D.D., Dean of the Graduate School, Princeton. On the inner side of the door are the arms of Rochambeau, DeGouvion, Duportail, D'Estaing, Lauzum and Pulaski, with the arms of the Society in the center. JO GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. On the outer side are the arms of the following: DeGrasse, Lafayette, French Monarchy, Washington, United States, Steuben and De Kalb. The inscription reads: "In Gratitude to God for all Allies who gave Help and Hope to Washington and His Soldiers, this Door is Presented by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America, A. D. 1914." The Inauguration Door. — The door on the left, opening into the Cloister of the Colonies, was given by the Society of New York State Women in memory of Washington's Inaugura- tion as first President of the United States. It bears the arms of the thirteen States, and the insignia of the Society. The inscription cut in the oak is : "In Gratitude to Almighty God for those Provi- dential Aids by which Our Government was Insti- tuted and George Washington Inaugurated the First President of the United States, this Door is given by the Society of Xew York State Women." The Washington-Wood Pulpit, Lectern and Per- close. — At the entrance to the choir is the Washington- Wood memorial, consisting of the pulpit, lectern and perclose, all of Indiana limestone, the gift of Mrs. Alan Wood, Jr. The in- scription of dedication is carved on the steps as follows : "To the Glory of God and in Memory of Alan Wood, Jr. July 6, 1834; October 31, 1902. And in Commemoration of George Washington, Warden of Truro Parish, Virginia, and Lay Reader in the French and Indian War." The pulpit follows the lines of the Washington-Sullivan font, and is remarkable for its grace and dignity. It bears the arms of Washington and the Crusaders' cross, both of which are used most effectively in the decoration of the sermon desk of cast bronze. The buttresses, and the deep-cut canopies, with their groined arches and carved corbels, are used with excellent effect. The inscription on the base is : WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. JI "George Washington was first appointed Church Warden in Truro Parish, October 3, 1763." The lectern is the only monument at Valley Forge to a British soldier. It commemorates Washington's service as Gen- eral Braddock's aide-de-camp in his ill-fated expedition against the French, and especially his last tribute to his dead chief, as recorded in the following words : "George Washington read the Prayer Book Office for the Burial of the Dead at the Interment of Major-General Edward Braddock, July 14, 1755." 1 ■ 1 m 1 The Pulpit and Lectern. The Washington arms are carved on the center of the desk. On the left is an eagle holding the Bible, symbolic of the Church, while on the right is another holding a shield bearing the arms of the United States, symbolic of the State. >J2 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. This handsome memorial was dedicated on Washington's Birthday, 1909, when for the first time in history a representative of the King of England made an address at Valley Forge. His Britannic Majesty's Consul, the Hon. Wilfred Powell, grace- fully acknowledged the honor paid to the English nation in the memorial of Washington, the British soldier, and spoke of the Washington Memorial Chapel as the American West- minster. The Rt. Rev. Cortlandt Whitehead, D. D., Bishop of Pitts- burgh, in whose diocese Washington acted as an English chaplain, delivered an able address on "General Washington as a Church- man." The Washington-Burk Memorial. — On Easter Day, 1912. was dedicated the Washington-Burk Memorial, given in memory of the late Abbie J. Reeves Burk, wife of the Rev. W. Herbert Burk. The memorial is the bronze statuette "Val- ley Forge," the work of the famous American sculptor, Frank- lin Simmons, and was cast by G. Nisini, in Rome. It is pronounced the finest statue of Washington since Houdon's wonderful work preserved in the capitol at Richmond. The statuette sets in a richly carved canopied niche by the lectern. Engraved on the statuette is the following inscription: in thankful remembrance of god's gracious support of his servant george washington in his days of trial at valley forge and in loving memory of abbie j. reeves burk whose patriotism and devotion are embodied in this chapel this statuette is given by her friends EASTER, 1912 As this chapel was inspired by Washington's Prayer at Valley Forge it will be an appropriate place in which to read WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 73 the story as it has been preserved in the traditions of the de- scendants from Isaac Potts, who first told it. This account is taken from a paper in the handwriting of Ruth Anna, his daughter. The incident evidently occurred before Washington made the Potts home his headquarters, so the place of prayer was probably somewhere on the slopes of Mount Joy. "In 1777, while the American army lay at Valley Forge, a good old Quaker by the name of Potts had occasion to pass Washington at Prayer at Valley Forge. through a thick wood near headquarters. As he traversed the dark brown forest, he heard, at a distance before him, a voice which as he advanced became more fervid and interested. Ap- proaching with slowness and circumspection, whom should he behold in a dark bower, apparently formed for the purpose, but the Commander-in-Chief of the armies of the United Colonies on his knees in the act of devotion to the Ruler of the uni- verse ! At the moment when Friend Potts, concealed by the 74 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. trees, came up, Washington was interceding for his beloved country. With tones of gratitude that labored for adequate expression, he adored that exuberant goodness which, from the depth of obscurity, had exalted him to the head of a great nation, and that nation fighting at fearful odds for all the world holds dear. "He utterly disclaimed all ability of his own for this arduous conflict ; he wept at the thought of that irretrievable ruin which his mistakes might bring on his country, and with the patriot's pathos spreading the interests of unborn millions before the eye of Eternal Mercy, he implored the aid of that arm which guides the starry host. Soon as the General had finished his devotions and had retired, Friend Potts returned to his house, and threw himself into a chair by the side of his wife. " 'Hegh ! Isaac !' said she with tenderness, 'thee seems agi- tated; what's the matter?' 'Indeed, my dear,' quoth he, 'if I appear agitated 'tis no more than what I am. I have seen this day what I shall never forget. Till now I have thought that a Christian and a soldier were characters incompatible ; but if George Washington be not a man of God, I am mistaken, and still more shall I be disappointed if God do not through him perform some great thing for this country.' " (Isaac Potts was then 27, having been married at the age of 20, at Plymouth Meeting, 6th December, 1770, to Martha, daughter of Samuel and Mary (Livezy) Bolton, born May 28, 1750.) The Choir. — Beyond the Washington-Wood Memorial Pulpit, Perclose and Lectern is the Choir of the Chapel. This will be furnished with richly carved choir stalls. The canopied stalls are intended to represent the military organizations which date from the War of the Revolution. The Prayer Desk. — The Prayer Desk is the gift of the Valley Forge Chapter, D. A. R., in memory of Mrs. Anna Morris Holstein, its first Regent and Founder, to whom the Nation so largely owes the preservation of Washington's Headquarters. It was dedicated June 19, 1916. At its dedication addresses werr WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 75 made by Mrs. William Cumming Story, President-General of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Rev. W. Herbert Burk. The presentation was made by Mrs. Irwin Fisher. The inscription is cut in brass and inlaid with pewter, and bears the arms of Washington, the Washington Memorial Chapel, the Diocese of Pennsylvania, and the insignia of the Daughters of the American Revolution : ''To the Glory of God and in Memory of Anna Morris Holstein, who in War served the Nation as Nurse and in Peace Preserved the Washington Headquarters, this Desk is given by the Valley Forge Chapter, D. A. R., of which She was the Founder and First Regent, 1916." The Memorial Organ. — The Memorial Organ is the gift of Mr. William L. Austin, of Philadelphia, in memory of his ancestor, Lieutenant David Snyder, of the Light Dragoons. The Organ was built by the Haskell Organ Company, of Phila- delphia. It is a three manual pipe organ, electro-pneumatic action, and has twenty stops. The General Huntington Door. — -The door on the right, leading into the clergy vestry is a memorial of General Jedediah Huntington and was given by his descendants. General Huntington commanded a brigade of Connecticut troops, which was encamped near Fort Huntington. The hardware on this door is notable both for design and workmanship, and won a prize at the Americanization Exhibition. The Sanctuary. — At the entrance to the Sanctuary is the beautiful Sanctuan* Arch. Carved in its deeply cut moulding are forty -four shields bearing the arms of those States which were in the Union when the corner-stone of the Chapel was laid. The Altar and the Reredos.— The Altar and Reredos are the gift of Mr. Rodman Wanamaker in memory of George Washington. The Altar is one block of Indiana limestone weigh- ing ten tons. In the face is set the plate from Washington's 7 6 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. overbox. This fell on the floor of the vault and was overlooked when the sarcophagus was sealed. It bears the following inscription : GEORGE WASHINGTON BORN FEBRUARY 22, 1 732 DIED DECEMBER II, 1 799 Name-Plate from the Outer Case of Washington's Coffin. The inscription on the Altar is : TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF GEORGE WASHINGTON AND HIS FELLOW PATRIOTS WHO ACHIEVED OUR INDEPENDENCE AND GAVE LIBERTY TO OUR COUNTRY RODMAN WANA MAKER A. D. I916 WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. J J Cut in the steps leading to the Altar is the following tribute paid by Alfred Tennyson to Washington: "his work is done; but while the race of mankind endure, let his great example stand colossal seen of every land, and keep the soldier firm, the statesman pure, till in all lands, and thro' all human story, the path of duty be the way of glory." Above the Altar is the following prayer of Washington for the American Nation : "I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would have the United States in His holy protection; that He would incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for their brethren who have served in the field; and finally, that He would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mere}-, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humil- ity and pacific temper of mind, which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy nation." The Altar Cross. — The Altar Cross is a memorial of Abraham Lincoln and is the gift of "A Descendant of a Penn- sylvania Ancestor of President Lincoln." The Credence. — The Credence on the right bears the insignia of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the following inscription : Dedicated to the Glory of God and in Memory of its First Regent, Minnie Murdoch Kendrick, this Credence is Erected BY THE Quaker City Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution September 5, 1916. JQ GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. It was dedicated September 5, 1916, when Murdoch Ken- drick, Esq., made the presentation on behalf of the Chapter, and addresses were made by the Hon. Morris S. Barratt, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia, and T. Lane Bean, Esq., of Xorristown. Seal of the Washington Memorial Chapel. The Sedilia. — The stone sedilia, or clergy seats, with their richly carved canopies, commemorate Washington's Rectors and thus tell of his religious life. The first on the right, next to the Credence, is the gift of Philadelphia Chapter and bears the insignia of the Society and the following inscription: to the glory of god and in memory of the reverend thomas davis soldier in the continental army I/75-I778 UNDER GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 79 RECTOR OF CHRIST CHURCH, ALEXANDRIA, VA. 1792- 1806 OFFICIATED AT THE FUNERAL OF GEORGE WASHINGTON PLACED BY THE PHILADELPHIA CHAPTER DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION I9l6 The central sedile on the right is the gift of Mrs. John Harrison in memory of an ancestor who served in the War of the Revolution. The first sedile on the left commemorates the faithful serv- ices of the Reverend Francis Thompson Howell Finn, the first Assistant Minister of the Washington Memorial Chapel. Next to the bishop's sedile is that given by the Pennsylvania Society of New England Women. Below the insignia of the Society is the following inscription : TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF REV. DAVID GRIFFITH RECTOR OF CHRIST CHURCH ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA, 1 779- 1 789 AND OF REV. WILLIAM MONTAGUE RECTOR OF CHRIST CHURCH BOSTON, MASS., I786-I792 WHO IN HIS YOUTH FOR HIS COUNTRY AND IN OLD AGE FOR HIS CHURCH VALIANTLY FOUGHT PRESENTED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA SOCIETY OF NEW ENGLAND WOMEN I9l6 The Bishop White Sedile.— The Bishop's Sedile was given by Mrs. Charles Custis Harrison in memory of the Rt. Rev. William White, D.D., a Rector of Christ Church, Phila- 80 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. delphia, Chaplain of the Continental Congress, Chaplain of Congress, and first Bishop of Pennsylvania. During Washing- ton's residence in Philadelphia he made Christ Church his church home, and Bishop White his friend, pastor and almoner. The Martha Washington Window. — The United States has long neglected to pay the honor due to Martha Washington for her part in the Nation's struggle for inde- pendence. She shared with her husband the trials of faith and courage and in many a dark hour cheered him by her presence and ministry. At Valley Forge she shared his privations and strove to lighten his burdens. In appreciation of this the Colonial Dames of Pennsylvania will give the window over the altar as a tribute to Martha Washington. As St. Mark's, Venice, is the Bible in Stone, so the Wash- ington Memorial Chapel is the Republic's History. With a thoroughness never before attempted the story of the rise and progress of the American people has been told in this beautiful fane, whose fabric and furnishings are works of art, and records of heroic self-sacrifice. From the porch to the altar is written in font, and lectern, pulpit and sedilia, the religious life of the Commander-in-Chief which consecrated these hills with prayer, and exalted the ideal of patriotism. The Pews of the Patriots are memorials of men and women through whose efforts our independence was won. The windows will tell in a wondrous way the westward wandering of the peoples, and the building of the Nation. Above all rises the Roof of the Republic. The Roof of the Republic. — The crowning glory of the Chapel is the Roof of the Republic. The trusses of the Roof are supported by carved oak angels with outstretched wings to s} T mbolize the Providence of God and pelicans to symbolize self- sacrifice. Every State of the Union is represented by a State Panel in which the arms are carved and colored. The Panels follow the order in which the States entered the Union, begin- ning with Delaware and ending with Arizona. In the floor under each bay of the Roof will be a bronze tablet with the arms of the States represented above, the names of the States, and the names of the donors. WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 8l The State Panels. — The following State Panels in the Roof of the Republic have been given: Delaware — Mrs. T. P. Chandler, Jr. Pennsylvania — Mr. Richard L. Cadwalader. New Jersey — Mrs. Erastus Gaylord Putnam, in memory of Ellen Mecum, State Regent and Vice-President General, D. A. R. Connecticut — Miss Edith Kingsbury, in memory of Frederick John Kingsbury, 1823-1910. Massachusetts — Mr. S. W. Colton, Jr. South Carolina — Mrs. Francis G. du Pont. Virginia — A Great-Granddaughter of Edward Randolph. New York — Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt. Rhode Island — The Patriotic Societies of Rhode Island. Ohio — The Ohio State Society, Daughters of the American Revolution. Louisiana — Mrs. Charlotte H. C. Houston. Maine — Mr. Henry D. Moore. Missouri — Missouri Society of the Sons of the Revolution. Texas — Mrs. Thomas S. Maxey. Oregon — Miss Failing. The Porch of the Allies. — Along the front of the Patriots' Hall will be the Porch of the Allies, a noble memorial of those soldiers of the old world who strove to win the freedom of the new. Two of the bays, those in memory of De Kalb and Steuben, have been promised by the National German-American Alliance. The central bay will form the entrance to the Patriots' Hall and will be in memory of Lafayette. The others have not been named. Architecturally the Porch of the Allies will correspond with the Cloister of the Colonies. It will terminate in the Thanks- giving Tower. The Thanksgiving Tower. — The Thanksgiving Tower will be the most prominent feature of the Valley Forge memo- rial, and will be seen from all parts of the encampmentt. It will be 24 feet square and 100 feet high. Its entrance will be at the end of the "Porch of the Allies" farthest from the 82 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. chapel, and will form the approach to the large assembly hall and museum in the second floor of the Patriots' Hall. The tower will be built of Holmesburg granite to correspond with the other buildings, and the cut stone will be Indiana limestone. It will be lined with the latter material, and will contain memorial tablets. The stairway to the second floor and to the bell floor will be of granite with a railing of bronze. Each step will be a memo- rial of an American patriot. The memorial tablets will be set on the risers, and these "Steps of Fame" will be of the deepest historic interest. There will be thirteen bells in the chime, each representing one of the original colonies, and bearing an inscription of dedi- cation cast in the bell. It is probable that all these bells will be memorials. The roof of the tower will be used as an observatory, and will be surrounded by a turreted wall. Surmounting the whole structure will be the staff for the flag, and the tower and flag will form one of the landmarks at Valley Forge. The Patriots' Hall. — A very important part of the group of buildings which has been planned in connection with the Wash- ington Memorial Chapel is the Patriots' Hall. The ever-growing interest in Valley Forge, and the enlargement and improvement of the Park, annually increase the number of patriotic pilgrims who find inspiration in the hills and valleys consecrated by the struggle of Washington and his starving troops. Patriotic and historical societies desire to hold their meetings on this sacred soil. To make this possible, and at the same time to provide for the comfort and convenience of large gatherings, was designed the Patriots' Hall, memorial to the patriots of the past, the common meeting-place of the patriots of the present. This will be connected with the Washington Memorial Chapel, and will contain on the first floor the vestry and choir rooms, etc., for the use of the clergy and choirs of the Chapel. The public rooms will be a banquet hall and museums. The former will be connected with ample kitchens on the floor below, and will be at the service of such societies as choose to spend a day at Valley Forge. Thanksgiving Tower, Patriots' Hall, Porch of the Allies and Washington Memorial Library. 84 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. On the second floor there will be a hall arranged to accom- modate several hundred people. Its windows will be memorials of those whose patriotism was worthy of emulation. Around its walls will be the cases for a collection of objects illustrative of American history. The Porch of the Allies and the Thanksgiving Tower will form the entrances to the Patriots' Hall. During the summer of 1908 the first room of the Patriots' Hall was built, with a kitchen and dining-room in the basement below it. It is fireproof, and for the present is used for the Museum and Library. The great need to-day is the money with which to complete this building which is so essential to the educational and patriotic work for which it is planned. The Valley Forge Museum of American History. — The Valley Forge Museum of American History was formally opened to the public on Washington's Birthday, 1909, and has steadily grown in value and historic importance. The collec- tions are divided into the following groups : The Aboriginal Period — The Rev. Jesse Y. Burk Collection of Indian Relics. The William S. Green and William L. Fox Collection of Indian Relics. The Colonial Period. Collection of Pennsylvania German Stove Plates. The War of the Revolution — Washington's Marquee. Washingtoniana. Valley Forge Collection. The Mary Regina Brice Collection of Documents. The Period of Construction. The Civil War. The Dr. Louis W. Read Collection. The S panish- American War. The Spear Collection. The Marie E. Moore Collection. THE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 85 General. The Lilla S. Pechin American Stamp Collection. The Mary Elizabeth Schofield Collection. The Reginald L. Hart Collection of Military Buttons. "The Lilla S. Pechin Stamp Collection" is one of the most complete collections of the stamps of the United States in the country. The Flag of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army of the United States. Original in the Valley Forge Museum of American History. "The Valley Forge Collection" is not large, but additions are frequently made to it. "The Washingtoniana" is admirably representative. There are several letters of Washington; a lock of his hair pre- sented to Alexander Hamilton; a button presented to James 86 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. Wilson Peale, who painted his portrait at Valley Forge; frag- ments of his first tomb and coffin ; piece of molding from Pohick Church, which he built, etc. ; his medicine chest, and rifle; a tumbler given him by Lafayette; and other relics. The needle book which Martha Washington made of pieces of her wedding dress, her husband's waistcoat and the damask curtain of the room in which he died is a remarkable memorial of her devotion and patriotism. The greatest relics of Washington are his marquee and headquarters' flag. Among the treasures of the museum are the original cheque for $120,000, paid to General Lafayette for his services during the Revolution, a fragment of the Liberty Bell, Patrick Henry's silver hot-plate holder, a Continental uniform, a Valley Forge musket, Andrew Jackson's leather stock, relics of the "Maine," etc. The donor of the Mary Elizabeth Schofield Collection is constantly adding articles of historic value. The most recent acquisitions are from the Howard Pyle collection — original uni- forms and costumes used by the artist in his studies of Colonial life. The museum is intended to illustrate the development of the American nation, and every effort is being made to increase its educational value. It is used by teachers to illustrate and im- press the lessons in American history. The museum is supported by contributions from three classes of contributors : Perpetual patrons, who give $200 or more ; life patrons, who give $50, and benefactors, who give $1 or more annually. Perpetual Patrons. Miss Sarah R. Chew. Mrs. Ann Hunter Wood (Mrs. Alan wood). In memoriam. Life Patrons. Mrs. Erastus Gaylord Putnam, New Jersey. Mr. William Henry Pearson, Massachusetts. Mrs. Hervey C. Gresh, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Alan Wood, Jr., Pennsylvania. THE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 8? Washington's Marquee — The First Valley Forge Headquarters. — By far the greatest relic of Washington at Valley Forge is his marquee, or office and sleeping tent, in which he spent his first week upon these hills. George Washington Parke Custis, Washington's adopted son, counted Washington's tent the greatest treasure of Arling- ton House and the most precious heirloom of the Father of his Country. This "Pretorium of Valor," as it has been called, has had a remarkable history, which may be briefly summarized as follows : The sleeping tent and larger dining-tent were made in Philadelphia, 1775, and first set up on Dorchester Heights. Copyright by Harper & Brother. Washington's War Tents, 1852. Throughout the War of the Revolution these tents were used in the campaigns, and even when Washington occupied a house as his headquarters the sleeping-tent was set up for his private use. Within it he planned his campaigns, consulted with his officers, wrote letters and drafted despatches, slept and prayed. After the war the tent was first stored in the garret at Mount Vernon. Later, when Mr. Custis built Arlington House, the tents were carried there and stored. Before his death Mr. Custis presented the dining-tent to the Government. SQ GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. At the death of Mr. Custis the sleeping-tent with the other relics of Washington and the Arlington estate were inherited by his daughter, Mrs. Robert E. Lee. Upon the breaking out of the Civil War Lee resigned his commission in the United States army, and became commander- in-chief of the Confederate army. Mrs. Lee left Arlington House, and later the estate was seized by the Union army. The tent and other relics of Washington were removed to Wash- ington, and by order of Secretary Stanton were transferred to the Interior Department and placed on exhibition in the Patent Office. Mrs. Lee appealed to President Johnson in 1869 for the restoration of these personal relics of Washington, and the order for their transfer was given, but the House of Repre- sentatives interfered. The tent and other relics were removed to the National Museum in 1883. Under the administration of President McKinley, the relics were restored to the family. On May 27, 1907, the Rev. W. Herbert Burk, Minister in Charge of the Washington Memorial Chapel, secured from Miss Mary Custis Lee, the daughter of Mrs. Robert E. Lee, and the owner of the tent, an option for its purchase at $5000, and on August 19, 1909, made the first payment of $500, contributed by friends of the chapel, and received the tent, minus one-half of the side wall, from Miss Lee's representative and the curators of the National Museum. The following day, one hundred and thirty-one years after it was carried from Valley Forge, it was set up in the Valley Forge Museum of American History. By the terms of the contract the balance of $4500 is to be paid within five years, the tent to be exhibited for the purpose of raising that amount. Miss Lee will devote the proceeds to the support of the "Old Confederate Woman's Home," in Rich- mond, of which she is the president. Washington's Headquarters' Flag. — Miss Fannie B. Lovell has loaned the flag of the Commander-in-Chief of the American Army, — the flag that went with the marquee through the conflicts of the Revolution. It is of faded blue silk, with THE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 89 thirteen white stars, six-pointed, instead of five, and has the original homespun linen heading. The stars follow the lines of the crosses of the King's colors, the flag carried by every British regiment. The Maine Marker. — At the request of General S. K. Zook, Post No. 11, G. A. R., the Government gave the Valley Forge Museum a memorial tablet in memory of the "Maine." It represents America mourning the loss of her heroes on the "Maine." She bears a circular shield on which are the national arms surrounded by a circle in which are the words Patriotism and Devotion. She holds the palm branch symbolizing the Christian belief in the eternal victory. Below her arm are the wreck of the Maine and the following inscription: u. s. S. MAINE DESTROYED IN HAVANA HARBOR FEBRUARY I5TH, 1898 Along the base of the tablet is this legend: THIS TABLET IS CAST FROM THE METAL RECOVERED FROM THE U. S. S. MAINE The tablet was designed by O. C. Hecks. When the Patriots' Hall is completed this tablet will have an honored position. The Washington Memorial Library. — In connection with the Washington Memorial Chapel and the Valley Forge Museum of American History a great library has been planned as a memorial of Washington the Booklover. As its volumes will represent the nation's development, and will contain the record of its progress, it will be a fitting memorial of the Father of his Country. Each State is to be represented by books of history and biography. It will be a library of reference for historical research. Three of its features are worthy of notice. The first is its Collection of Association Books. These include volumes owned by the Washingtons, George Mason, author of the "Bill of Rights"; James Wilson, Signer of the Declaration of Independ- ence; Gen. Philip Schuyler, Peter S. Du Ponceau, Francis As- bury, James Madison and others. 9 o GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. In this collection is the library of the Rev. Andrew Hunter, who preached the sermon when the French Alliance was cele- brated at Valley Forge. The second feature is the Collection of Authors' Presenta- tion Copies, presented to the library in honor of Washington, and forming the American Au- thors' Memorial of Washington. This collection includes gifts from such well-known authors as Presi- dent Wilson, Admiral Dewey, Captain Mahan, Lyman Abbott, Cyrus Townsend Brady, Andrew Carnegie, Samuel Clemmens, Mar- garet Deland, Horace Howard Furness, Albert Bushnell Hart, Hamilton W. Mabie, Edwin Mark- ham, Kate Douglas Wiggin Riggs, James Whitcomb Riley, Clinton Scollard, Henry Van Dyke, and many other notable writers. To dedicate the product of heart and brain to the memory of the Father of His Country, has become already a privilege and an honor, and this collection with its individual expressions of the author's personal appreciation of Washington, will become one of the most notable and valuable The Washington Memorial collections of books in the world. Library Book-Plate. The third distinctive feature will be the State Alcoves. These will be distinctly marked with the names and arms of every State in the Union. Here in locked cases will be kept the State and county histories, biographies of the leading citizens, and such books as are most frequently consulted by students of history. These Alcoves may be endowed as memorials and THE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 91 the Endowment Fund thus formed will be used for the purchase of books relating to the State, and the balance each year will be added to the maintenance fund. The Washington Memorial Library was begun a few years ago by the Rev. W. Herbert Burk with a few volumes. To-day more than thirteen thousand volumes await a proper home. The Endowment Fund for the support of the library now amounts to nearly one thousand dollars, this whole amount having been secured by George Barrie & Sons through the sale of the Washington Memorial Edition of "The History of North America." The First Chapel. The First Chapel. — The little frame chapel has become famous as the place in which President Roosevelt made a notable speech on the one hundred and twenty-sixth anniversary of the 92 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. evacuation. This was the only time that a President of the United States visited Valley Forge. The President spoke on the lessons of Gettysburg and Valley Forge, and in the course of his address said : "It is a good thing that these great historic landmarks of our country, Gettysburg and Valley Forge, should be pre- served ; that one should commemorate a single tremendous ef- fort, and the other what we need, on the whole, much more — much more commonly — and which is a more difficult thing — constant effort. Only men with a touch of the heroic could have lasted out that three days' wrestle at Gettysburg; only men fitted to rank with the great men of all times could have beaten back the mighty onslaught of that gallant and wonderful army of Northern Virginia, whose final, supreme effort failed at the stone wall, on Cemetery Hill, on that July day, now forty-one years ago. "But, after all, hard as it is to rise to the supreme height of self-sacrifice at a time of crisis that is brief; hard as it is to make the single, great effort, it is harder yet to rise to the level of a crisis when it takes the form of a need of constant, patient, steady work, month after month, year after year; when, too, it does not end after a struggle in a glorious day of victory; when, too, triumph is wrested bitterly away at the end. "Here at Valley Forge, Washington and his Continentals warred, not against foreign soldiery, but against themselves ; against all the appeals of our nature that are most difficult to resist; against discouragement, discontent, the mean envies and jealousies and heartburnings sure to arise at any time in large bodies of men, but especially when defeat and disaster have come to them; when the soldiers who carried our national flag had suffered from cold, from privation, from hardship, knowing that their foes were well housed, that things went easier with the others than they did with them; and they con- quered because they had in them the spirit that made them steadfast, not only on an occasional great day, but day after day, in a life of endeavor to do their duty well." The other speakers on this occasion, one of the most memorable in the history of Valley Forge, were the Rt. Rev. THE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 93 Leighton Coleman, Bishop of Delaware; the Hon. Wayne Mac- Veagh, and the Hon. Irving P. Wanger. On September 10, 1905, the little chapel was again honored when Vice-President Fairbanks made an eloquent address on the "Value of Prayer," instancing the prayers of Washington, Lin- coln and McKinley. The last noted speaker heard here was the Rt. Rev. James Heartt VanBuren, D. D., Missionary Bishop of Porto Rico, who spoke of Valley Forge as "the Holy of Holies of the American people." The chapel was first used for service on September 27, 1903, when the sermon was preached by the Rev. Herbert J. Cook, Dean of the Convocation of Norristown. Since February 22, 1906, the building has been used by the Sunday School. The Grounds. — The "Betsy Ross" flag is one of the most popular memorials at Valley Forge, and was first raised on the morning of June 19, 1903. On the staff has been placed the following inscription : THIS FLAG AND STAFF ARE A MEMORIAL OF BETSY ROSS A MEMBER OF CHRIST CHURCH PHILADELPHIA WHO MADE THE FIRST FLAG OF OUR NATION PRESENTED BY ALL SAINTS' SUNDAY SCHOOL NORRISTOWN, PA. From the happy suggestion made by the late Mrs. Abbie J. Reeves Burk, wife of the founder, came the practice of flying the flag at the times of service. At first this was the only form of announcing the services, and even after the bell was given by St. Andrew's Sunday School, Philadelphia, the practice was continued. The cannon at the entrance to the grounds have seen service. The larger ones are King George pieces, bearing the broad arrow and the rust-covered monogram. 94 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. An attractive picnic ground will be found back of the Chapel, and is free to the public. Beyond the grove is a campground, free to camping parties who secure a permit from the Rector of the Chapel. The Cannon Park. — Along the driveway is the Cannon Park. Here has been placed one of the most interesting collec- tions of antique cannon in this country, including several guns used in the War of the Revolution, and loaned by the Estate of Stephen Girard to add to the educational value of the exhibit. The Martha Washington Log Cabin. — The Martha Washington Log Cabin is one of the most attractive buildings at Valley Forge. It was built by the Guild of the Washington Memorial Chapel in 1916. Col. H. C. Trexler, of Allentown, generously gave the cement required in its construction. The cabin is used for the Sunday school and other parish work, in which the kitchen often plays an important part. The large stone fireplace is the gift of a friend of the parish, and is a memorial of John and Mary L. Schofield. The Valley Forge. — A small smithy has been built for the exhibition of an old wooden portable forge known to have been used on the Stewart farm above Valley Forge over eighty years ago. It is the gift of Mr. Samuel T. Reeves. The old sled was used on the Stephens farm during the encampment and was given by Mr. Frank Quigg. The other antique articles help to give an idea of an old time farm smithy. The Coach House. — Beyond the smithy is the coach house, containing among other things a reproduction of Wash- ington's coach. This was designed and made for use in the pageant given by Philadelphia under the able direction of Dr. Ellis Paxon Oberholtzer. Next to the Chapel is the handsome estate of Mrs. Sarah Swift Zulich. The River Road below the Chapel affords beauti- ful views of the river, the rich farmland, and in the far dis- tance, Norristown. Rising above the trees beyond the bridge are the red tile roofs and tower of the summer residence built by the late John F. Betz, of Philadelphia. The picturesque boat- house at the dam is also a part of the estate. On the right in THE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 95 the valley are quarries and limekilns and the large building used by the "Ehret Magnesia Manufacturing Company." The Provost Guard. — The only other point of interest on the road is the site of the provost guard. The guardhouses stood back of a small stone house on the right of the road, but nothing marks their location. During the encampment these houses were crowded with those who had broken the laws, many of the offenders being led out to receive their punishment in stripes, disgrace or death. The punishments were brutal in the Colonial Seals in the Cloister. extreme, "one hundred lashes on the bare back" being an ordi- nary penalty for theft. In the diary of Lieutenant McMichael we have this descrip- tion of one of the distinctively camp punishments : "March 15. I this morning proceeded to "the grand parade, where I was a spectator of the drumming out of Lieutenant Enslin, of Colonel Malcolm's regiment. He was first drum'd from right to left of the parade, thence to the left wing of the army; from that to the center, and lastly transported oyer the Schuylkill with orders never to be seen in the camp in the future. This shock- ing scene was performed by all the drums and fifes in the army — the coat of the delinquent was turned wrong side out." 9 6 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. It is a little over a mile from the chapel to the entrance to the Right Line Boulevard. The distance is almost the same to Betzwood, the station on the Pennsylvania Railroad, and somewhat less to Port Kennedy, on the Reading. To reach the stations, turn to the left at the track, which runs to the quarries, and pass through the village. The Port Ken- nedy Station adjoins the Port Kennedy Inn. Betzwood is on the other side of the river, and to reach it turn to the right near the inn and cross the bridge. The River Road makes a pleasant route to Bridgeport and Norristown. Those intend- ing to make the tour of the camp should turn to the right at the track at the foot of the hill and follow the road toward King of Prussia. The distances as given on the signpost are Bridgeport, 6 miles ; King of Prussia, 2 miles, and Valley Forge, 2 miles. Relics of the Revolution. Valley Forge Museum. The National Arch to the Officers and Private Soldiers of the Continental Army. THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. THE Right Line Boulevard. — Just beyond the village, at the top of the hill, the boulevard is reached. This fol- lows the line of the encampment, which was defended by a breastwork, of which now there are few traces. In the held to the left may still be seen the depression which marks the site of a redoubt, and another will be passed on the line of the boulevard. The house beyond the boulevard and near Trout Creek is the residence of Senator P. Frank Croft. It was the office of the commissary and at times the headquarters of Col. Daniel Morgan, whose military history is a series of brilliant achieve- ments. He took part in the defeat of Burgoyne, who being introduced to him is said to have exclaimed : "My dear sir, you command the finest regiment in the world !" Morgan and his men reached Whitemarsh in November, Gates only allowing them to come to the support of the main army after Wash- ington had sent Hamilton to him with a special message. During the months here Morgan and his men were actively employed in scouting and foraging. Muhlenberg's Brigade. — The entrance to the Valley Forge Park is on the crest of the hill. Within a short distance of the King of Prussia road are the remains of what was locally known as "Mordecai Moore's Fort," so called from being on his land. The commission has placed a battery on the faintly marked redoubt, over which the plow had so often passed. At this point the first huts of the encampment stood, being those of Muhlenberg's Brigade of Vir- ginia and Pennsylvania regiments. Their brave commander, John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg was born only a few miles away, at Trappe, and was the son of the famous Rev. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg. He was prepared for the ministry and served as pastor of Lutheran congregations. In 1772 he went to Virginia, following the large German immigration from Pennsylvania and other middle states. He went to England in order to receive (98) THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. 99 Episcopal ordination and on his return was rector of Wood- stock. Washington asked him to accept a colonel's commission, and when it was received he preached his farewell sermon, in the course of which he said: "There is a time for all things — a time to preach and a time to pray — but there is also a time to fight, and that time has now come." Pronouncing the bene- diction he threw back his preacher's gown, disclosing the Con- tinental uniform. Proceeding to the door he ordered the drums to beat for recruits, the response being the enlistment of about three hundred. Read's description of the scene may well be re- called on such a spot as this : A moment there was awful pause — When Berkley cried, "Cease, traitor ! cease ! God's temple is the house of peace !" The other shouted, "Nay, not so, When God is with our righteous cause ; His holiest places then are ours, His temples are our forts and towers, That frown upon the tyrant foe ; In this, the dawn of Freedom's day, There is a time to fight and pray !" And now before the open door — The warrior priest had ordered so — The enlisting trumpet's sudden roar Rang through the chapel, o'er and o'er. Its long reverberating blow, So loud and clear, it seem'd the ear Of dusty death must wake and hear. And there the startling drum and fife Fired the living with fiercer life; While overhead, with wild increase, Forgetting its ancient toll of peace, The great bell swung as ne'er before : It seemed as it would never cease ; And every word its ardor flung From off its jubilant iron tongue Was "War! War! War!" IOO GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. "Who dares" — this was the patriot's cry, As striding from the desk he came — "Come out with me, in Freedom's name, For her to live, for her to die?" A hundred hands flung up reply, A hundred voices answered "I !" Under such a man as that it is no wonder that his regi- ment, the 8th Virginia, gained a reputation for discipline and bravery, nor that he rose to honor in the service. While the army lay here he often rode over to the Trappe to visit his family, and stories are told of his narrow escapes from capture by the British on these occasions. The marker placed by the State of Pennsylvania bears the following inscription : continental army valley forge, december 19, 1/7/ — june l8, ij/8 greene's division major-general nathaniel greene Muhlenberg's erigade brigadier-general j. peter g. muhlenberg commanding 'german regiment," pennsylvania line, lieutenant-colonel lewis weltner raised july 12, i776— mustered out january i/8l 1st regiment, virginia infantry, colonel richard parker 5th regiment, virginia infantry, colonel abraham buford 9th regiment, virginia infantry, lieutenant-colonel burgess BALL I3TH REGIMENT, VIRGINIA INFANTRY VIRGINIA STATE REGIMENT OF INFANTRY, COLONEL GEORGE GIBSON The Commission has named this part of the boulevard in honor of the soldier-preacher "Brigadier-General Muhlenberg Avenue." Muhlenberg's Headquarters were within easy reach of the brigade, and the old house still stands by Trout Creek, a half mile or so across the fields to the east. The present owner, THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. 1 01 Mr. Edward H. Binns, of Pittsburgh, cherishes the picturesque farmhouse, and finds real pleasure in its associations with the distinguished patriots who have enjoyed its hospitality. Weedon's Brigade. — The next brigade was also from Virginia. It was commanded by Gen. George Weedon. He and his men had won distinction in the gallant support which they had given to General Greene in the battle of Brandy- wine, helping to check the British pursuit and enabling the The Old Smithy. Americans to rally. General Weedon occupied the house which stood almost on the site of that which stands to the south of this point, but nearer Trout Creek. When the army moved from Gulph Mills the people in this neighborhood had no notice of the intention to place the winter camp here. Their first intimation was the approach of the army. An officer hastily rode up to the farmhouse of Abijah Stephens and chalked on the door "Headquarters of General Weedon," and ordered the family to make ready to receive its uninvited guests. Mrs. 102 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. Stephens had a large quantity of buckwheat and at once mixed a tub full of batter. While others baked cakes she prepared soup, roast beef, etc. Much to the rage of the General those who first reached the house did not stand upon ceremony, but satisfied their hunger before he arrived. He remained in camp only a short time, resigning on account of a question of rank with General Woodford. General Weedon's Orderly Book is preserved in the library of the American Philosophical Society, and is one of the greatest authorities on the affairs in this camp. It has been published by the Hon. Samuel W. Pennypacker un- der the auspices of the Society. Baron DeKalb, a brigadier in the French service, afterwards made the house his headquarters. At the crossroads beyond the house is an old blacksmith shop built of logs, and said to have been used as a smithy by the soldiers. The Commission has placed upon the marker the following record of the officers and regiments of this brigade : continental army valley forge, december ip, 1777 june l8, i778 Greene's division major-general nathaniel greene weedon's BRIGADE BRIGADIER-GENERAL GEORGE WEEDON COMMANDING I3TH REGIMENT INFANTRY, PENNSYLVANIA LINE, COLONEL WALTER STEWART (RAISED AS "STATE REGIMENT OF FOOT," MARCH I, 1777, ATTACHED TO PENNSYLVANIA LINE AS I3TH REGIMENT INFANTRY, NOVEMBER 12, 1777 J CONSOLIDATED WITH 2D REGIMENT INFANTRY, JULY I, 1 778) 2D REGIMENT, VIRGINIA INFANTRY, LIEUTENANT-COLONEL CHARLES DABNEY 6TH REGIMENT, VIRGINIA INFANTRY, COLONEL JOHN GIBSON IOTH REGIMENT, VIRGINIA INFANTRY, COLONEL JOHN GREEN I4TH REGIMENT, VIRGINIA INFANTRY, LIEUTENANT-COLONEL WILLIAM DAVIS THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. IO3 Greene's Division. — The division to which these brigades belonged was commanded by the "fighting Quaker," Major- General Nathanael Greene. He was only thirty-six years of age when he came to Valley Forge. Upon the news of the Battle of Bunker Hill the Rhode Island Legislature raised three regiments and made Greene a brigadier-general. He was selected by the Major-General Nathanael Greene. From the original portrait owned by Mrs. William Benton Greene. soldiers to welcome Washington, the commander-in-chief, and the two men became firm friends, Washington quickly recognizing his sterling abilities. He was made a major-general on the 9th of August, 1776, and while at Valley Forge became quartermaster- general, but reserved his right to command on the field of battle, for he was pre-eminently a soldier. "He began his serv- 104 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. ice at the breaking out of the war, and was never out of the harness until the end. He and Washington were the only general officers present at the siege of Boston who remained in the army until the British withdrew from the United States in 1783. He fought in every battle in which Washingotn com- manded, except one, until he went South, with ever-increasing success and skill, and although he had no previous military ex- perience whatsoever, he developed himself, by observation, study and reflection, not only into the strategist which he naturally was, but into a brilliant tactician as well — strategists are born, tacticians, largely, made. His tactics on the field of battle were as great as was his strategy in his campaigns. He was a man of impetuous, dashing nature, yet he schooled himself and so checked his natural impulses that he became the incarnation of caution. It, isr difficult to find anything to blame in his military work from' the. beginning, and impossible in those years in which he exercised independent command. His plans and his methods were molded largely after those of Washington himself. No man could be more wary, more prompt or more bold than he, when the exigency demanded the one course or the other." For his splendid work at Eutaw Springs, Congress pre- sented him with "a British stand of colors'' and a gold medal. Two years later it resolved to present him two pieces of field ordnance taken from the British army, at the Cowpens, Augusta, or Eutaw, engraved with the substance of the commendations of the resolution. Upon his death, Wayne wrote, "My dear friend, General Greene, is no more. He was great as a soldier, greater as a citizen, immaculate as a friend." De Kalb's Division.: — The next division of the Ameri- can army, consisting of the brigades of Patterson and Learned, was commanded by Major^General Johann de Kalb. Baron de Kalb had won distinction in the .'Seven-Years War, and at the request of Franklin and Deane came to America to aid in the struggle for liberty. Congress made him a major-general in the Continental army on the 15th of September, 1777, four days after the Battle of Brandywine. : In the Battle of Camden, i-n THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. IO3 which he commanded the Delaware and Maryland troops, he fought with a courage that was inspiring, but fell at last with sixteen wounds to die shortly after the battle in the hands of the British. Patterson's Brigade. — Beyond Weedon's Brigade was that of John Patterson, a native of Connecticut, but a citizen of Massachusetts. Within eighteen hours after the news of the Battle of Lexington had been received he was on his way to Boston with a regiment of minute-men which he had quickly enrolled and equipped. In the trenches of Charlestown and in the woods of Canada these men proved their heroism. Of the 600 men that left New York on the latter expedition only 220 returned. This remnant took part in the battles of Tren- ton and Princeton, and the movements that followed, and came to Valley Forge to add another chapter to the account of their sufferings. Colonel Patterson had well earned the promotion which came to him on February 21, 1777, when he was made brigadier-general. The marker bears the record of four Massachusetts regi- ments, as follows : IOTH MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY-, COLONEL THOMAS MARSHALL IITH MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY, COLONEL BENJAMIN TUPPER I2TH MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY, COLONEL SAMUEL BREWER I4TH MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY, COLONEL GAMALIEL BRADFORD Among all the men encamped at Valley Forge there was no more picturesque group than that of the members of the 14th Regiment, nor any destined to become as famous. They were immortalized by Irving's apt description of them as "Colonel Glover's amphibious Marblehead regiment." Most of them were ''Marblehead fishermen and sailors, hardy, adroit and weather- proof; trimly clad in blue jackets and trousers." In the famous retreat from Long Island it was these men upon whom Washing- ton relied for the success of his plan to extricate the army from its perilous position, and they shared with him the glory of that achievement. In that dark, tempestuous Christmas night when Washington and his little army crossed the Delaware and at- 106 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. tacked the British at Trenton it was again this amphibious regi- ment which manned the boats, forcing them through the drift- ing ice, thus making that victory possible. On land they won their laurels, too. In the second battle of Freeman's Farm "even the stolid Hessians expressed their amazement when they saw these brave Marbleheaders dash through the fire of grape and canister and over the dead bodies of their comrades, through the embrasures, over the cannon, with the same agility with which they formerly climbed to the main-top or traversed the backstays, bayoneting the cannoneers at their posts . . . Glover's troops evinced the coolness and agility of their attack, and showed that they could use the bayonet with as much skill and effect as the marline or handspike on board ship." After this they had to endure the more severe test of endurance upon these hills, but here again they proved themselves heroes by their patient suffering and indomitable spirit in the face of all discouragements. The Maine Marker. — The State of Maine was the first outside of Pennsylvania to erect a memorial of its troops at Valley Forge. At the time of the Revolution its territory was included in the Colony of Massachusetts, but from it many men entered the ranks of the Continental army. The marker was dedicated October 17, 1907, being received on behalf of the State of Pennsylvania by William H. Sayen, President of the Valley Forge Commission. Inscription : TO COMMEMORATE THE OFFICERS AND MEN FROM THAT PART OF NEW ENGLAND NOW KNOWN AS THE STATE OF MAINE, WHO SERVED IN MASSACHUSETTS REGIMENTS IN THE CONTINENTAL ARMY UNDER WASH- INGTON AT VALLEY FORGE IN THE WINTER OF 1777-8, SHARING THE HARDSHIPS THERE ENDURED. THIS MEMO- RIAL IS ERECTED BY THE STATE OF MAINE, UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE MAINE SOCIETY OF THE SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, I907. From this point there is a fine view of the hills upon which the army was encamped. Across the valley to the right, with its woodland setting, is the Washington Memorial Chapel, THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. IO7 then the Soldiers* Hut, and the Waterman Monument. At the end of the woodland stands the castle-like Defenders' Gate. Farther up the road is the Star Redoubt and General Hunting- ton's headquarters. To the left of this is Huntington Redoubt. Between the redoubt and the Gulph Road were the huts of Hunt- ington's and Conway's Brigades, while to the left of the old road was Maxwell's. Mount Joy, surmounted with the observatory, rises almost directly in front of the spectator. On its left slope is Washington Redoubt. On the hill farther to the left were encamped Wayne's and Scott's Brigades. LearnecTs Brigade. — Next to Patterson's Brigade was Learned's Brigade of Massachusetts regiments. Wounded at Dor- chester Heights, Ebenezer Larned or Learned, the son of a cap- tain of rangers, was out of the service for nearly a year. In April he had been made a brigadier-general and as such com- manded a brigade at Saratoga, where he and his troops distin- guished themselves by their great bravery. The marker bears the following inscription : CONTINENTAL ARMY VALLEY FORGE, DECEMBER ICj, I/// ; JUNE l8, I//S DE KALB'S DIVISION MAJOR-GENERAL BARON DE KALB LEARNED'S BRIGADE BRIGADIER-GENERAL EBENEZER LEARNED COMMANDING 2ND MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY, COL. JOHN BAILEY 8TH MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY, COL. MICHAEL JACKSON QTH MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY, COL. JAMES WESSON Glover's Brigade. — The last brigade on this ridge was commanded by Brigadier-General John Glover, after whom this part of the boulevard has been named. This is the third brigade of Massachusetts troops encamped here, and consisted of four regiments. One misses in these the old 21st, with whom Colonel Glover won fame, as the 14th this was now under the command of Patterson, as previously stated. I08 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE, . Gen. John Glover was one of the best drillmasters in the army. Despite his small stature he was able to inspire men with profound respect for his authority, and his tireless energy was used to advantage in perfecting military movements. At the outbreak of the Revolution he raised a thousand men and joined the army at Cambridge. General Glover's Brigade consisted of four regiments, given on the tablet as follows : 1ST MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY, COLONEL JOSEPH VOSE 4TH MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY, COLONEL WILLIAM SHEPARD I3TH MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY, COLONEL EDWARD WIGGLESWORTH I5TH MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY, COLONEL TIMOTHY BIGELOW The Massachusetts Monument. — To the left of the boulevard stands the exedra erected by the State of Massa- chusetts in honor of her sons who served in the brigades on this crest. It is built of Barre granite. Above the seat is the legend : ENSE PETIT PLACIDAM SUB LIBERTATE OUIETAM On the ends are unsheathed swords with the dates 1777 and 1778. The arms of Massachusetts are in bronze on the face of the granite tablet, and below them is the following inscription: THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED BY A GRATEFUL COMMONWEALTH IN MEMORY OF THE SOLDIERS OF MASSACHUSETTS WHO SERVED AT VALLEY FORGE 10, DECEMBER I777- 19 JUNE I778 The exedra was dedicated November 18, 191 1, the exer- cises being held in the Washington Memorial Chapel. These were in charge of Mr. Thomas Franklin Pedrick, Sergeant- at-Arms. After prayer by the chaplain of the day, the Rev. W. Herbert Burk, Air. YV. H. Sayen, President of the Valley Forge Park Commission, made the address of welcome, which was responded to by the Hon. Arthur S. Adams. The orator of the day was General Philip Reade, U. S. A., through, whose zealous efforts the monument was erected. A bronze tablet on the back of the exedra gives the names THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. 109 The Massachusetts Monument. and rank of one hundred and fifty-six officers of Massachusetts of the rank of captain or higher, who served at Valley Forge. This record was secured by General Reade, who spared neither time nor money in his efforts to make it complete. The inscription is given in full : MASSACHUSETTS SOLDIERS WHO SERVED AT VALLEY FORGE, PA., UNDER HIS EXCELLENCY, GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON, BETWEEN 19 DEC, 1777, AND x 9 JUNE, 1 778 GENERAL OFFICERS BRIG.-GEN. HENRY KNOX, CHIEF OF ARTILLERY BRIG.-GEN. JAMES MITCHELL VARNUM BRIG.-GEN. JOHN PATERSON BRIG.-GEN. JOHN GLOVER BRIG.-GEN. EBENEZER LEARNED HO GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. STAFF OFFICERS ADJUTANT GENERALS, COL. TIMOTHY PICKERING, COL. ALEXANDER SCAMMELL CAPT. CALEB GIBBS, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF'S GUARD ATTACHED COL. JONATHAN BREWER COL THOMAS NIXON, 6TH MASS. INFANTRY, LIEUT. COL. CALVIN SMITH, 6TH MASS. INFANTRY. ARTILLERY COL. JOHN CRANE, 3D ARTILLERY. BRIG. MAJ. SAMUEL SHAW CAPT. THOMAS SEWARD CAPT. WINTHROP SARGENT, 3D CONTL. ARTILLERY. THE BRIGADES OF BRIDADIER-GENERALS HENRY KNOX, JOHN GLOVER, JOHN PATTERSON AND EBENEZER LEARNED WERE REPRESENTED AT VALLEY FORGE, PA., BY THE FOLLOWING NAMED OFFICERS OF MASSACHUSETTS TROOPS glover's BRIGADE BRIGADE MAJORS SIMON LEARNED JOHN BAILEY 1ST MASS. INFANTRY COL. JOSEPH VOSE CAPT. ABRAHAM TUCKERMAN LIEUT. COL. ELIJAH VOSE CAPT. ORRINGH STODDARD MAJOR THOMAS COGSWELL CAPT. MOSES ASHLEY CAPT. ROBERT DAVIS CAPT. JEREMIAH MILLER CAPT. NATHANIEL CUSHING CAPT. GEORGE SMITH CAPT. ABRAHAM HUNT 4TH MASS. INFANTRY COL. WILLIAM SHEPARD CAPT. REUBEN SLAYTON LIEUT. COL. EBENEZER SPROUT CAPT. THOMAS FISH MAJ. SETH BANNISTER CAPT. GEORGE WEBB CAPT. CALEB KEEP CAPT. ISAAC POPE CAPT. LIBBEUS BALL CAPT. JOB ALVORD CAPT. MOSES KNAPP CAPT. JOHN WRIGHT THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. Ill I3TH MASS. INFANTRY COL. EDW. WIGGLES WORTH •LIEUT. COL. DUDLEY COLEMAN MAJOR JOHN PORTER CAPT. JOSEPH MCNALL CAPT. THOMAS WILLINGTON CAPT. AARON HAYNES CAPT. NICHOLAS BLAISDELL CAPT. DANIEL PILSBURY CAPT. NATHANIEL ALEXANDER CAPT. NOAH ALLEN CAPT. ISRAEL DAVIS i5th mass. infantry col. timothy bigelow capt. edmund munro lieut. col. henry haskell capt. adam martin capt. sylvanus smith capt. joseph hodgskin capt. joshua brown capt. paul ellis capt. william gates capt. daniel barnes John Patterson's brigade ioth mass. infantry col. thomas marshall lieut. col. ephraim jackson maj. nathaniel winslow capt. john thomas capt. jacob wales CAPT. SAMUEL KING CAPT. JOSIAH SMITH CAPT. AMASA SOPER CAPT. CHRISTOPHER MARSHALL CAPT. WILLIAM WARNER CAPT. BENJAMIN WALCUTT IITH MASS. INFANTRY COL. BENJAMIN TUPPER LT. COL. NOAH MOULTON LITTE- FIELD CAPT. MOSES GREENLEAF SURGEONS MATE JOHN JONES CAPT. BILLY PORTER CAPT. SAMUEL PAGE CAPT. DAVID WHEELWRIGHT CAPT. SAMUEL THOMS CAPT. BENJAMIN FARNUM CAPT. GEORGE WHITE CAPT. RICHARD MAYBERRY I2TH MASS. INFANTRY COL. SAMUEL BREWER CAPT. ELISHA BREWER LIEUT.-COL. SAMUEL CARLTON CAPT. JOSIAH JENKINS MAJ. TOBIAS FERNOLD CAPT. JAMES DONNELL CAPT. JOHN CHADWICK CAPT. NATHAN WATKINS CAPT. SILAS BURBANK CAPT. DANIEL MERRILL 112 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. I4TH MASS. INFANTRY COL. GAMALIEL BRADFORD CAPT. THOMAS TURNER LIEUT. COL. BARACHIAH BASSET CAPT. JOHN RUSSELL MAJ. ELNATHAN HASKELL CAPT. JAMES COOPER MAJ. SAMUEL TUBS CAPT. JOSHUA EDDY CAPT. ZABEDEE REDDING CAPT. ISAIAH STETSON CAPT. JOSEPH WADSWORTH CAPT. JOHN LEMONT COL. JOHN BAILEY MAJ. ANDREW PETERS CAPT. JUDAH ALDEN CAPT. SETH DREW EBENEZER LEARNED S BRIGADE 2D MASS. INFANTRY CAPT. EPHRAIM BURR CAPT. ISAAC WARREN CAPT. SAMUEL DARBY CAPT. HUGH MAXWELL CAPT. GEORGE DUNHAM COL. MICHAEL JACKSON LIEUT. COL. JOHN BROOKS MAJ. WILLIAM HULL STH MASS. INFANTRY CAPT. BENJAMIN BROWN CAPT. JOHN BURNHAM CAPT. JOHN WILEY CAPT. EBENEZER CLEAYELAND CAPT. EPHRAIM CLEYELAND CAPT. JAMES KEITH CAPT. JAMES BANCROFT CAPT. JAMES YARNUM ADJT. JONATHAN ALLEN 9TH MASS. COL. JAMES WESSON LIEUT. COL. EZRA BADLAM LIEUT. COL. JAMES MELLEN SURGEON JOHN THOMAS CAPT. NATHAN DIX CAPT. JOSEPH PETTINGILL INFANTRY CAPT. JOHN BLANCHARD CAPT. ABRAHAM CHILDS CAPT. SAMUEL BARTLETT CAPT. NAHUM WARD CAPT. SAMUEL CARR CAPT. AMOS COGSWELL COL. HENRY JACKSON LIEUT. COL. DAYID COBB CAPT. JAMES JONES MAJ. JOHN STEELE TYLER 6TH MASS. INFANTRY CAPT. WILLIAM NORTH CAPT. THOMAS CARTWRIGHT CAPT. GAWEN BROWN CAPT. THOMAS HUNT The National Arch. 114 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. The Gulph Road. — Just beyond the marker of Glover's Brigade the boulevard is crossed by the Gulph Road, along which the army had moved from its last resting place. A mile away is the old "King of Prussia" tavern, which they passed on the march, and along the road are the old milestones, the last of which told the soldiers that Philadelphia was 18 miles distant. It was along this road that the army was drawn up on the day that General Lee returned from his captivity in Philadel- phia, and across this crest Washington and his officers escorted him in honor to the Headquarters. The Gulph Road is the most direct route from this point to Washington's headquarters and the Reading station at Valley Forge. To reach these, turn to the right, follow the road over the hill to Washington Inn and turn to the right. To reach the Washington Memorial Chapel and Valley Forge Museum turn to the right at the schoolhouse, follow the Washington Lane to the River Road and turn to the right. Most visitors will prefer to follow the boulevard as it passes the Wayne Monument and other points of interest. A bridle path, beginning between the Gulph Road and the guardhouse, makes an attractive detour. The National Arch. — Years ago an appeal was made to Congress on behalf of Valley Forge, but in vain. The idea then was to make the encampment a National reservation. While this attempt failed, the growing interest in this historic site made it possible, especially after the State of Pennsylvania had done so much through the Valley Forge Park Commission, to hope for some National recognition. The Hon. Irving P. Wanger introduced a bill in Congress for the erection of two arches at a cost of $50,000. These were to be placed at two of the entrances to the Park. The bill went to the Senate, and was amended by the substitution of one arch for two, and of $100,000, instead of $50,000. ''The act of Congress approved June 25, 1910, authorizes the erection upon the site of the encampment during the winter of 1777-1778 of the American Army at Valley Forge, Pennsyl- vania, of a memorial arch in commemoration of the patriotism displayed and the suffering endured by General GEORGE WASHINGTON, his officers and men during said winter. THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. 115 The National Arch was designed by Paul Philippe Cret, Professor of Design in the University of Pennsylvania, and was erected under the supervision of the Government engineers. The inscription of dedication is in bronze letters on the front : TO THE OFFICERS AND PRIVATE SOLDIERS OF THE CONTINENTAL ARMY DECEMBER IQ, 1777 JUNE 19, I778 Over the arch is the following : ERECTED BY AUTHORITY OF THE ACT OF CONGRESS JUNE 2$, I9IO. On the back of the arch is Washington's tribute to the soldiers of Valley Forge : — NAKED AND STARVING AS THEY ARE WE CANNOT ENOUGH ADMIRE THE INCOMPARABLE PATIENCE AND FIDELITY OF THE SOLDIERY WASHINGTON AT VALLEY FORGE FEBRUARY 1 6, 1 7 78 Within the arch on the right is a bronze tablet bearing the arms of the United States and below it the following list of officers : COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF GEORGE WASHINGTON MAJOR GENERALS DE KALB MIFFLIN GREENE STEUBEN LAFAYETTE STIRLING LEE SULLIVAN BRIGADIER GENERALS ARMSTRONG PATTERSON DU PORTAIL POOR GLOVER SCOTT HUNTINGTON SMALLWOOD KNOX VARNUM LEARNED WAYNE MCINTOSH WEEDON MAXWELL WOODFORD MUHLENBERG Il6 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. AND HERE IN THIS PLACE OF SACRIFICE IN THIS VALE OF HUMILIATION IN THIS VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF THAT DEATH 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 ARM1TT BROWN Poor's Brigade. — On the slopes to the right, at some dis • tance from the Gulph Road, the New Hampshire and New York troops were encamped. They had as their commander one of the bravest men in the army, Enoch Poor, who was to become a martyr to the cause of liberty. In his honor the Commission has named this part of the boulevard "Brigadier-General Poor Avenue." He was described by Washington as "an officer of distinguished merit, who as a citizen and a soldier, had every claim to the esteem of his country." He came to Valley Forge from the defeat of Burgoyne, in which happy result he had taken a distinguished part, leading the furious charge which broke the line of the British. His command had suffered terribly at Still- water, two-thirds of the whole American loss in killed, wounded and missing being sustained by his brigade. THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. IT/ "I must beg lieve to Request your Excellency to order the Clothing (or a part), now in your State Store, to be sent to Camp for the 2nd and 4th York Regts. ; for it is beyond De- scription to Conceive what the men Suffer, for want of Shoes, Stockings, Shirts, Breeches and Hats. I have upwards of Seventy men unfit for Duty, only for want of the articles of Clothing; Twenty of which have no Breeches at all, so that they are obliged to take their Blankets to Cover their Naked- ness, and as many without a Single Shirt, Stocking or Shoe ; about Thirty fit for Duty; the Rest Sick or lame, and God knows it won't be long before they will all be laid up, as the poor Fellows are obliged to fitch wood and water on their Backs, half a mile with bare legs in Snow or mud." Thus wrote Col. Philip van Cortlandt to Governor Clinton on the 13th of February pleading for the poor men who were encamped here. What he says about the water supply was only too true, for the nearest spring is Todd's, down in the valley. Upon the marker the Commission has placed a tablet giving the following information about the regiments in the brigade : 1ST REGIMENT, NEW HAMPSHIRE INFANTRY, COLONEL JOSEPH CILLEY 2D REGIMENT, NEW HAMPSHIRE INFANTRY, COLONEL NATHAN HALE 3D REGIMENT, NEW HAMPSHIRE INFANTRY, COLONEL ALEXANDER SCAMMELL 2D REGIMENT, NEW YORK INFANTRY, COLONEL PHILIP CORTLANDT 4TH REGIMENT, NEW YORK INFANTRY, COLONEL HENRY LIVINGSTON Col. Nathan Hale is, of course, not to be confounded with Capt. Nathan Hale, whose capture and execution as a spy make a sad chapter in the history of the Revolution. His execution took place in New York, September 22, 1776. Even Colonel Hale, who was a New Hampshire man, and, like his namesake, from Connecticut, died a martyr's death, was not at Valley Forge. He was captured in the Battle of Hubbardton, July 7, 1777, and died in prison, September 23, 1780. This was the brigade of famous colonels. Il8 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. In the Battle of Saratoga one cannon was taken and retaken five times, so fierce was the conflict. Colonel Cilley, commander of the first regiment, finally leaped upon it, waved his sword, and "dedicating the gun to the American cause," fired it upon the British with their own ammunition with fearful effect. During Lafayette's visit to New Hampshire in 1824 an old veteran called upon him for a sentiment, and the response was "Light-infantry Poor, and Yorktown Scammel." Both were New Hampshire men, and both had given their lives for their country. Scammel was encamped here until he was made adjutant-general, and as such became a member of Washington's official family, January 5, 1778. One has described him as "the knight sans peur et sans reproche of the Revolution." He was the same height as Washington, 6 feet 2 inches, and was pro- portioned as an Apollo. At Yorktown he was captured by the Hessians and so wounded after his capture as to die from the effects of the murderous treatment. Brave, able and chivalrous he was dearly beloved in the army. Weems tells of the storming of two redoubts before York- town which were carried immediately. "The British called for quarters: A voice of death was heard, 'Remember poor Scam- mel!' 'Remember, gentlemen, you are Americans!' was re- joined by the commander; and instantly the points of the Ameri- can bayonets were thrown up towards heaven." Colonel Livingston and Colonel van Cortlandt, after dis- tinguished services, were honored with the rank of brigadier- general at the close of the war, and both took part in the wel- come extended to Lafayette on his visit to America in 1824. Wayne's Brigade. — The two columns rising to the right and left of the boulevard were erected by the State of Penn- sylvania to mark the beginning of the encampment of the Pennsylvania Line. These are of granite, surmounted by bronze eagles. On the bases are placed four bronze bas-reliefs of Generals Armstrong, Muhlenberg, Cadwalader, St. Clair, Har- man, Irvine, MifHin and Reed, Pennsylvania's contribution to the War of the Revolution. The sculptor is Mr. Bush-Brown. Thatcher, in his journal, describes the Pennsylvanians as "remarkably stout and hardy men, many of them exceeding six THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. 119 feet in height. They are dressed in white frocks or rifle shirts and round hats." He also speaks of their great skill with the rifle, but this may have been the exception rather than the rule. General Wayne, their commander, at any rate, was not greatly impressed with the value of the rifle. In a letter to Richard Peters, Secretary of War, he says : "I don't like rifles. I would almost as soon face an enemy with a good musket and bayonet without ammunition, as with ammunition without a bayonet, for although there are not many instances of bloody bayonets, yet I am confident that one bayonet keeps off another, and for want of which the Chief of the Defeats we have met with ought in a great measure to be attributed." J. f- -Ji^Aa ,: ill w£^-'?*W&/--' H a —^Z '" ' -^ ' '^^■-^ m .^ uma ^sKBB^^^^^mm r^ g q»c«, Z * JS—' JMJfj ■' :•■■■■.;■■■■' "^ - ■■■■■■ - -• ■•■■■:■'.-.■ The Soldiers' Hospital. Wayne also considered a soldier's uniform another great element in successful warfare, as he declares in a letter to Washington: "I must acknowledge," he says, "that I have an insuperable bias in favor of an elegant uniform and soldierly appearance; so much so, that I would rather risk my life and reputation at the head of the same men in an attack, clothed 120 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. and appointed as I could wish, merely with bayonets and a single charge of ammunition, than to take them as they appear in common, with sixty rounds of cartridges." Washington fully endorsed this, saying, "I agree perfectly with you as to the im- portance of dress." Both bayonets and uniforms were scarce articles at Valley Forge. Until Steuben came the soldiers used the former for spits. The latter were chiefly rags. Earlier in 1777 Wayne wrote that in one of his regiments the soldiers "never received The Pennsylvania Columns. any uniform except hunting shirts, which are worn out, and altho' a body of fine men, yet from being in rags and badly armed they are viewed with contempt by the other troops, and begin to despise themselves." He made frantic efforts to clothe his troops, even purchasing the cloth needed, but to no effect. THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. 121 At one time the supplies could not be forwarded to the camp because the council had failed to fix the time for shipment, and on another occasion the clothes were held because buttons were needed. Wayne himself had formerly appeared dressed with exemplary neatness, but here, that he might not make the rags of his poor soldiers appear more conspicuous, he wore "a dingy red coat, a 1 black cravat and tarnished hat." Wayne was deeply moved by the sufferings of his men and did all in his power to relieve them. Here is a portion of a letter to the Secretary of War in which he tells of some of the horrors of this camp : "I am not fond of danger, but I would most cheerfully agree to enter into action, once every week, in place of visiting each hut of my encampment (which is my con- stant practice) and where objects strike my eye whose wretched condition beggars all description. . . . For God's sake give us, if you can't give us anything else, give us linen that we may be Enabled to preserve the poor Worthy fellows from the Ver- min that are now devouring them. . . . Some hundreds we have buried who have died of a disorder produced by want of Clothing." The Second Brigade, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Wil- liam Butler, occupied the ground nearest to the memorial col- umns, and on the right of the boulevard are still to be seen the marks of their huts. The marker gives this information in regard to this brigade : SECOND BRIGADE LIEUTENANT-COLONEL WILLIAM BUTLER COMMANDING 4TH REGIMENT INFANTRY, LIEUTENANT-COLONEL WILLIAM BUTLER RAISED JANUARY II, 1777 | MUSTERED OUT NOVEMBER 3, I783 5TH REGIMENT INFANTRY, COLONEL FRANCIS JOHNSTON RAISED JANUARY I, 1777; MUSTERED OUT JANUARY I, 1783 8TH REGIMENT INFANTRY, COLONEL DANIEL BRODHEAD RAISED JULY 20, I776; MUSTERED OUT JANUARY 17, I781 IITH REGIMENT INFANTRY, COLONEL RICHARD HAMPTON RAISED OCTOBER 25, 1 776 CONSOLIDATED WITH IOTH REGIMENT INFANTRY JUNE 24, 1 778 122 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. To the east of the Second Brigade was encamped the First, under Colonel Thomas Hartley. It consisted of the following regiments: First Regiment Infantry, Colonel James Chambers; raised July I, 1776; mustered out November 3, 1783. Second Regiment Infantry, Colonel Henry Bicker; raised October 25, 1776; mustered out November 3, 1785. Seventh Regiment In- fantry, Lieutenant-Colonel David Grier ; raised January 1, 1777 ; mustered out January 17, 1781. Tenth Regiment Infantry, Lieu- tenant-Colonel Adam Hubley; raised October 25, 1776; mustered out January 17, 1781. Hartley's Additional Regiment of Infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel Morgan Connor; raised January 11, 1777; consolidated with Eleventh Regiment Infantry, January 13, 1779. Brigadier-General Anthony Wayne. — The Pennsyl- vanians were honored in having as their commander one of the greatest and most popular men of the Revolution, Anthony Wayne. He was a born fighter, and it was said "where Wayne went there was a fight always ; that was his business." His un- expected successes in perilous enterprises won for him the title of "Mad," but he was far from the rash man many imagine him to have been. Washington called him "prudent," and a study of his life reveals the fact that he had a cool head as well as impetuous valor, and was withal sagacious and tactful. The spirit of the man is reflected it seems to me in two of his say- ings, both addressed to Washington : "It is not in our power to Command Success, but it is in our power to produce a Convic- tion to the world that we deserve it," and "General, I'll storm hell, if you plan it." Wayne was born at Easttown, only a few miles away, and knew this country well. To the south, near the Centreville road, was his headquarters while at Valley Forge. The Sons of the Revolution have placed a marker on the road, which tells the visitor that "600 yards east from this stone is the head- quarters of Major-General Anthony Wayne." The Wayne Statue. — The equestrian statue of Major- General Anthony Wayne was erected by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania at a cost of $30,000, through a Commission con- sisting of Col. John P. Nicholson, Richard M. Cadwalader. i ■ J 3 ««^K ^ ; " : ' jt"^ # Kk if ■'" ~ l» £ tu crt > THE WASHINGTON LANE AND CAMP ROAD. VISITORS to the Washington Memorial Chapel and Valley Forge Museum who have not time to make the longer tour of the camp should return to Washington Lane, and turn to the left. The Lane runs along the entire front of the fortifications from Huntington Redoubt to Washington Redoubt. The former is plainly seen standing out from the hillside on the right. To the south of it was General Huntington's brigade of Connecticut troops. The Camp Road has been continued across the Gulph Road to a point near the River Road. This runs close by the marker of Huntington's Brigade. Huntington's Brigade. — When Congress asked for eighty-eight regiments of infantry it decided to call upon Connecticut for eight of them. That State not only gave this large percentage, and more, of the men required, but also fur- nished supplies so bountifully as to win the title of "the Provision State." Washington wrote to Gov. Jonathan Trumbull telling of the dire need of the army and at once the Committee of Safety provided $200,000 with which to purchase "live beef" to be sent to Valley Forge. The first drove to reach the camp was devoured in five days. Connecticut deserves high honor for the way in which her soldiers were cared for while in the field. In a letter to Governor Trumbull Washington said : "Among the troops returned unfit for duty for want of clothing, none of your State are included. The care of your legislature in providing for their men is highly laudable, and reflects the greatest honor upon their patriotism and humanity." Much of this credit was due to the zealous patriotism and shrewd business ability of the old Governor, whose sterling qualities won the love and honor of the Commander-in-Chief. In his difficulties he was wont to appeal to Governor Trumbull with the remark, "Let us hear what Brother Jonathan has to say." This is supposed to have been the origin of the familiar personification of the United States as "Brother Jonathan." (136) THE WASHINGTON LANE AND GULPH ROAD. 137 Although the Connecticut troops were well clad, they had to suffer with the whole army on account of the disordered commissary department. On the 22d of December, General Huntington wrote as follows to Washington: "I received an order to hold my brigade in readiness to march. Fighting would be far preferable to starving. My brigade are out of provisions nor can the commissary obtain any meat. I am ex- ceedingly sorry in being the bearer of complaints to Head- quarters. I have used every argument my imagination can in- vent to make the soldiers easy, but I despair of being able to do it much longer." The site of the encampment is marked by the Park Com- mission which furnishes the following information in regard to the brigade : Huntington's brigade brigadier-general jedediah huntington commanding 1st regiment, connecticut infantry, lieutenant-colonel samuel prentice 2d regiment, connecticut infantry, colonel charles webb 5th regiment, connecticut infantry, colonel philip b. bradley 7th regiment, connecticut infantry, colonel heman swift Conway's Brigade — The Conway Cabal. — Next to Huntington's Brigade was Conway's. The site of this is marked by the battery, placed by the Park Commission on the remains of a redoubt, and behind it the marker, with this inscription : continental army valley forge, december 19, 1 777 june l8, i778 Stirling's division major-general lord stirling pennsylvania brigade commanding 3d regiment infantry, colonel thomas craig raised january i. 1777; mustered out november 3, i783 I38 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 6th regiment infantry, lieutenant-colonel josiah harmar raised january i, 1777; mustered out june i, 1783 9th regiment infantry, lieutenant-colonel george nagel raised october 25, i//6 ; mustered out january 17, i781 i2th regiment infantry, colonel william cooke raised october i, i776; consolidated with 3d regiment infantry, JULY I, I778 This was Conway's Brigade. His name is inseparably con- nected with Valley Forge on account of the dastardly intrigue in which he was engaged with Gates and others to supplant Washington. Gates had been successful in his efforts to dis- place Schuyler, and had taken to himself the glory of the vic- tory over Burgoyne, and now sought Washington's office. He found favor in high places and a ready tool in Thomas Con- way, an Irish adventurer, who had spent much time in France and who had been piqued at Washington's opposition to' his undeserved rapid advancement in the army. Colonel Wilkinson, aide-de-camp to General Gates, told one of Lord Stirling's staff of a letter which Conway had written to Gates. Lord Stirling reported the matter to Washington, who promptly wrote to Conway as follows : "Sir, — A letter which I received last night contained the following paragraph : Tn a letter from General Conway to General Gates, he says, Heaven has determined to save your country, or a zveak General and bad counsellors would have ruined it.' I am, sir, your humble servant George Washington." The attempts of the principals to exculpate themselves blazoned abroad their perfidy and increased the prestige of Washington. The attempt to corrupt Lafayette failed, and the "Conway Cabal," as it was called, utterly collapsed after the fiasco of the much-heralded invasion of Canada. Conway's con- ditional resignation was unconditionally accepted by Congress. Later he was wounded by General Cadwalader in a duel, and under the impression that he would not live he wrote a letter of apology to Washington. His wound was not mortal, and on his recovery he returned to France. Colonel Malcom's regiment was added to the brigade by Washington on October nth. This fact is of interest because THE WASHINGTON LANE AND GULPH ROAD. 1 39 it helps us locate "Little Burr," as he was called, the story of whose ruined life forms one of the saddest pages in American history. As lieutenant-colonel in Malcom's regiment he was encamped on this hillside, although much of his time seems to have been spent at Gulph Mills, in command of the picket, where he ruled with a firm hand and won the hatred of his men. He was strongly prejudiced against Washington, whom he dis- liked. Alexander Hamilton, whom he killed in a duel years after, was at this time one of Washington's aides. Here, too, we must place James Monroe, fifth President of the United States. He was a lieutenant in the 3d Virginia Regi- ment, and was among the wounded at Trenton. He took part in the battles of Brandywine and Germantown, and while the army was encamped at Whitemarsh he was made aide-de-camp to Gen. James Alexander, claimant to the earldom of Stirling, and commonly known as Lord Stirling. Major Monroe resigned on December 20, 1778, and his military services concluded with an assignment to duty by Thomas Jefferson. The Park Commission has located a blacksmith shop a few feet back of the marker. The Old Schoolhouse. — At the intersection of the Gulph Road and Washington Lane stand two schoolhouses, that to the east being the Camp School, now the Camp Tea House, was used by the children of the district, while that to the left was used by the troops as a hospital. It was built in 1705 by Letitia Aubrey, the second daughter of William Penn. The Park Com- mission has restored the building to its original condition, and thus speaks of its work: "The desks and benches around the walls of the building with the Master's desk erected upon the platform, as in ye olden style,' have been placed in their proper positions, and thus the young of the present have an object lesson as to the manner with which the inculcation of the youth with the rudiments of education was imparted in earlier days." Since it was opened to the public, May 15, 1908, it has attracted large numbers of the visitors to the park, who have found it well worth seeing. An interesting collection of relics dug up in the Park is on exhibition. I40 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. To the left of the walk there is a small cannon, a four- pounder, from the palmetto fort on Sullivan's Island, in the harbor of Charleston, S. C. After doing service in its defense it was used on a Continental privateer. The large cannon on the right was presented by the Navy Department of the United States. It bears the arms of Great Britain and the initials G. R., showing that it was once the property of King George III. The Old Schoolhouse. Washington Redoubt is little more than a quarter of a mile beyond the schoolhouse, and between them was the artillery park. Those who have the time will do well if, instead of continuing by the Washington Lane, they return to the Gulph Road and turn to the left. A quarter of a mile from the lane turn to the left on the Camp Road. Maxwell's Brigade. — At the corner the Park Commis- sion has placed a marker to show the location of the New Jer- THE WASHINGTON LANE AND GULPH ROAD. 141 sey troops which occupied this ground. The tablet gives the following information : sullivan's division major-general. john sullivan maxwell's brigade brigadier-general william maxwell commanding 1st new jersey infantry, colonel mathias ogden 2d new jersey infantry, colonel israel shreve 3d new jersey infantry, colonel elias dayton 4th new jersey infantry, colonel ephraim martin Site of Washington's Marquee. — A short distance be- yond the New Jersey marker there is a road to the right, leading up to the Inner Line Boulevard. By continuing on the Camp Road another road is soon reached, having the same termina- tion. To the left of this point the Park Commission has located Washington's Marquee. Washington's First Headquarters. — When the army went into camp Washington did not establish his headquarters in any of the farmhouses in the neighborhood, but had his marquee placed on this hillside in close proximity to the artil- lery park. This seems to be borne out by the first Valley Forge orders — "The Guards to parade near the park." His intention had been to make his permanent quarters with the soldiers, as he did until Christmas Day. Washington's quarters consisted of two tents, one a large banqueting tent, capable of seating forty or fifty persons, and a smaller tent for his personal use. The former is owned by the Government and the latter is now in the Valley Forge Mu- seum, and is the greatest relic of Washington at Valley Forge. A description of this tent will be found in the account of the Washington Memorial Chapel and the Valley Forge Museum. These buildings lie to the northeast and are plainly visible from this point. The decision to encamp here had been reached only after a long and tedious argument into which we need not enter. 142 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. The decision was met with a protest from the Assembly of Pennsylvania, whose members considered it the duty of Wash- ington to keep the field throughout the winter. He was stung to the quick by this utter lack of consideration for the men under him and addressed a long letter to the President of Con- gress. Washington has sometimes been regarded as passion- less, but these are the words of a man thoroughly aroused : "We have," he says, "by a field-return this day (December 23d) made no less than two thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight men now in camp unfit for duty, because they are barefoot and JF--.; 1 m a mi 1 m *?**- • 4w^>rt OH Si IB/ ^5. Interior of the Camp School. otherwise naked. By the same return it appears that our whole strength in Continental troops, including the eastern brigades, which have joined us since the surrender of General Burgoyne, exclusive of the Maryland troops sent to Wilmington, amounts to no more than eight thousand two hundred in camp fit for duty; notwithstanding which, and that since the 4th instant, our num- bers fit for duty, from the hardships and exposures they have undergone, particularly on account of blankets (numbers having been obliged, and still are, to sit up all night by fires, instead of THE WASHINGTON LANE AND GULPH ROAD. I43 taking comfortable rest in a natural and common way), have decreased near two thousand men. "We find gentlemen, without knowing whether the army was really going into winter quarters or not (for I am sure no resolution of mine would warrant the remonstrance), repro- bating the measure as much as if they thought the soldiers were made of stocks or stones, and equally insensible of frost and snow ; and moreover, as if they conceived it easily practicable for an inferior army, under the disadvantages I have described ours to be, which are by no means exaggerated, to confine a superior one, in all re*spects well-appointed and provided for a winter's campaign, within the city of Philadelphia, and to cover from depredation and waste the States of Pennsylvania and Jersey. ... I can assure these gentlemen, that it is a much easier and less distressing thing to draw remonstrances in a comfortable room by a good fireside, than to occupy a cold, bleak hill, and sleep under frost and snow, without clothes or blankets. However, although they seem to have little feeling for the naked and distressed soldiers, I feel superabundantly for them, and, from my soul, I pity those miseries, which it is neither in my power to relieve or prevent." While reading these words one is reminded of Lowell's tribute to Washington : Dumb for himself, unless it were to God, But for his barefoot soldiers eloquent, Tramping the snow to coral where they trod, Held by his awe in hollow-eyed content. In these few lines the poet has told the story of Valley Forge and its hero. In the "Memoirs of Chevalier de Pontgibaud there is an in- teresting description of Washington as he appeared at Valley Forge. "Washington," says he, "was intended by nature for a great position — his appearance alone gave confidence to the timid, and imposed respect on the bold. He possessed also those external advantages which a man born to command should have; tall stature, a noble face, gentleness in his glance, 144 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. amenity in his language, simplicity in his gestures and ex- pression. A calm, firm bearing harmonized perfectly with these attributes. ... He appeared to be about forty. He dressed in the most simple manner, without any of the marks dis- tinctive of a commanding officer." The West Chester State Normal School has in its pos- session a portrait of Washington which was painted here by Charles Willson Peale, at that time an officer in the army. It is painted on bedticking. General Knox's Artillery. — The next point of interest along the Camp Road is the site of General Knox's Artillery. Close to the road stood the camp blacksmith shop. In front of this was placed the artillery, and here the Commission has placed a battery. Between the Camp Road and the Washington Lane the marks of the soldiers' huts have been found. These roads meet at the beginning of the Inner Line Boulevard at Wash- ington Redoubt. 'Optimist," the Valley Forge Imp. The Observatory. THE INNER LINE BOULEVARD. The Inner Line Boulevard begins at Fort Washington and follows the line of the earthworks. It is one of the most delight- ful drives in the park. Pedestrians will find a shorter route by entering the woodland to the right of the redoubt. The path On the Inner Line Boulevard. leads up the hillside, crosses the boulevard and continues to the observatory on Mount Joy. In front of the line of earthworks it passes a rifle pit. This will be seen to the right of the path. Washington Redoubt. — Washington Redoubt was one of the most important defenses of the American army at Valley Forge, and is well worth a visit. The old earthwork was in its (I 4 6) THE INNER LINE BOULEVARD. 147 original condition a few years ago. It was of small size, its longest side being less than a hundred feet. The traverse, the earthwork which divided it into two parts, was seventy-five feet long. This was intended to protect its defenders from an enfilad- ing fire. The present fort was made during the past year and has no historic interest. A lunette to the west of the redoubt is marked by cannon. The ground falls away steeply from the boulevard on the left, and through the trees are charming views of the Chester Valley. Woodford's Brigade. — -On the right of the boulevard the Commission has located the sites of soldiers' huts. These were probably occupied by the men of Gen. William Wood- ford's Brigade. When the Virginia troops assembled at Will- iamsburg in the autumn of 1775 he was chosen colonel of the Second Virginia Regiment, having established for himself a reputation as a soldier in the French and Indian War. The choice was a wise one. At Hamp'.on Roads and Great Bridge he and his Virginians acquitted themselves wi:h honor in the struggle with Lord Dunmore. His ability was recognized, and in 1777 he was appointed brigadier-general and given command of the First Virginia Brigade. Although he was wounded in the hand at the Battle of Brandywine, he took part in the Battle of Germantown. and was with the army in its encampment here. This hillside will ever be reverenced as the camping ground of John Marshall, who as soldier, author, jurist and statesman faithfully served his country, and by his wisdom laid deep and firm the foundation of constitutional liberty in America. He was only twenty-two years old when his regiment, the Eleventh Virginia, came to this spot, but already he was giving evidence of those rare qualities and great ability with which he was en- dowed. Disputes among his fellow officers were referred to him for settlement, and his judgments were so fair and his reasons for them so sound that they were generally accepted as final. Officially he was employed as Deputy Judge Advocate, and in this position formed the friendship of Washington and Hamilton. One of his companions has thus described some of their ex- 148 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. periences here : "Most of the officers gave to their almost naked soldiers nearly the whole of their clothing, reserving only that they themselves had on. Slaughter was reduced to a single shirt. While this was being washed, he wrapped himself in a blanket. From the breast of his only shirt he had wristbands and a collar made to complete his uniform for parade. Many of his brother officers were still worse off, having no under- garment at all ; and not one soldier in five had a blanket. . . . Washington daily invited the officers, in rota'.ion, to. dine with The Surprise View. him at his private table ; but, for want of decent clothing, few were enabled to attend. Slaughter being so much better pro- vided, frequently went in place of others, that, as he said, 'his regiment might be represented.' " On the hillside above the boulevard can be seen the low line of earthworks. These become more plainly visible as the boule- THE INNER LINE BOULEVARD. I49 vard approaches their western limits. At this point, where a guardhouse has been erected, the boulevard makes a sharp turn, and passes above the earthworks. Three-eighths of a mile from the end of the earthworks the boulevard is crossed by the path to the observatory and just beyond this is the observatory road to the left. The Observatory. — The Park Commission has won the gratitude of visitors to Valley Forge by the erection of the Mount Joy Observatory, whose platform is 500 feet above the sea- level. From this vantage point there is a magnificent view of the surrounding country. To aid visitors to the appreciation of the strategic value of the site selected by Washington and his generals, a cast-iron plate has been placed on the platform, giving the direction and distance of each important place in the vicinity of Valley Forge. The boulevard from its junction with the observatory road makes a sharp descent toward Valley Creek, whose waters gleam in the sunlight far below, while the Valley Creek Road, like a narrow pathway, follows its meanaerings toward the Schuylkill. Beyond the woodland are the houses of Valley Forge village, standing on the outskirts of the rich farmland which stretches away until lost in the blue of the distant hills. Within a short distance the earthworks are again approached, and through the opening on the right are seen the Washington Memorial Chapel, the Waterman Monument and the Soldiers' Hut. The path to the left leads down to Washington Spring on the Valley Road, making a shorter route to Washington's Headquarters. A short distance beyond there is a road to the right by which one can reach the Camp Road near the site of Maxwell's Brigade, or at the site of Washington's Marquee. Most persons will prefer to follow the main line of the boulevard to Huntington Redoubt. The line of intrenchments on the right is a reconstruction. For- tunately, the Commission will not permit any more work of this kind, being determined to preserve the earthworks unaltered save by the elements. The Earthworks. — As one traces the line of earthworks as they appear to-day the question naturally arises, "What has *5o GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. been the effect of the elements upon the original work?" For- tunately we can answer that question satisfactorily, for in De- cember of 1778, only a few months after the army left here, Capt. Thomas Anbury, formerly of Burgoyne's army, passed through here as a prisoner of war on his way to Virginia. He says : "Our trocps slept in the huts at Valley Forge, which had been constructed by the Americans, and we remained till late next day for the delivery of provisions before we marched. I Line of Intrenchments. had a full opportunity to reconnoiter the whole camp. On the east and south sides were intrenchments, with a ditch six feet wide and three deep, the mound not four feet high, very nar- row and easily to have been beat down with a cannon; two re- doubts were also begun, but not completed. The Schuylkill was on the left, and, as I before observed, hath a bridge across it; the rear was mostly covered by an impassable precipice formed by Valley Creek, having only a narrow passage near the river. THE INNER LINE BOULEVARD. I SI This camp was by no means difficult of access, for the right was attainable, and in one part of the front the ascent was scarcely to be perceived. The defenses were exceedingly weak, and this is the only instance I ever saw of the Americans hav- ing such slight works, these being such that a six-pounder could easily have battered down. The ditches were not more than three feet deep, and so narrow that a drummer-boy might with ease leap over." I 1 ? SUf -jflf|iliyiB^g**-~*^ —-i The Back Bedroom. It was not long before G. Washington came, and discoursed with us freely, but not so long as we could have wished, as dinner was served, to which he invited us. There were 15 Of- ficers, besides ye G. and his wife, Gen. Greene, and Gen. Lee. We had an elegant dinner, which was soon over, when we went out with ye Genls wife, up to her Chamber — and saw no more of him." 1/2 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. This "sociable, pretty kind of woman" shared the burdens of her husband and most nobly seconded his efforts in behalf of the suffering soldiers. Mrs. Westlake, who lived near the headquarters, has left us a graphic picture of her laborious life at Valley Forge. She told Mr. Lossing, "I never in my life knew a woman so busy from early morning until late at night as was Lady Washington, providing comforts for the sick sol- diers. Every day, excepting Sunday, the wives of the officers in camp, and sometimes other women, were invited to Mr. Potts' to assist her in knitting socks, patching garments, and making shirts for the poor soldiers, when materials could be procured. Every fair day she might be seen, with basket in hand, and with a single attendant, going among the huts seek- ing the keenest and most needy sufferer, and giving all the comforts to them in her power. I sometimes went with her, for I was a stout girl, sixteen years old. On one occasion she went to the hut of a dying sergeant, whose young wife was with him. His case seemed to particularly touch the heart of the good lady, and after she had given him some wholesome food she had prepared with her own hands, she knelt down by his straw pallet and prayed earnestly for him and his wife with her sweet and solemn voice. I shall never forget the scene." The Garret. — The plaster on the ceiling of the garret is a modern addition. In the corner stands a Pennsylvania German dowry chest which bears the following inscription : CATARI NA GA CKEBACH I NAN NO 1785 The garret room once so uninteresting, lias been com- pletely furnished by Merion Chapter. Daughters of the American Revolution, which has named the apartment the "Round Window Room." The chapter has published a carefully prepared catalogue of the furnishings, with an account of the owners. The bedstead, once the property of Charles Thomson, WASHINGTON S HEADQUARTERS. 1/3 Secretary of the Continental Congress, is the property of the Valley Forge Centennial and Memorial Association. The arm- chair was brought from Wales by Dr. Thomas Wynne, Penn's physician, in 1682. The rocking-chair was owned by Col. Ed- ward Heston, and the portraits were painted by Isaac Heston, a "Revolutionary artificer," of himself and wife. The mahogany washstand, 150 years old, belonged to the mother of Capt. An- drew Geyer, and all the articles are of historic interest. The Kitchen. Descending to the first floor one should pass through the doorway which at the foot of the stairs opens into the passage to the kitchen. At one time this was supposed to be a much later addition, but examination showed that it was a part of the original structure. The Kitchen. — The kitchen is just what one would imag- ine should be a part of such a venerable building. In the great fireplace are the cranes, roasters, pots and skillets, and above it on the mantel shelf are candle molds, etc. Adjoining the kitchen is the log pump house, a modern addition. It is 174 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. built over the entrance to what has been romantically called the "Passage to the River," and supposed to have formed a secret way by which Washington was to escape the British in case of an attack. A narrow passage leads down by thirteen steps to a vaulted cellar 14 feet 7 inches long, 10 feet 2 inches wide and 7 feet 10 inches high. It seems to have been the kitchen cellar. The Grounds. — The grounds about the headquarters are kept in excellent order and add greatly to the attractiveness of the spot. The Commission has removed the fence and built a low stone wall in front of the headquarters. Xear the house is an elm brought from Mount Vernon. A marker gives the following history of its origin: THIS ELM A SCION OF A TREE PLANTED AT MOUNT VERNON BY GEORGE WASHINGTON WAS BROUGHT HERE AND PLANTED I.V DECEMBER l888 BY THE STATE SECRETARY PATRIOTIC ORDER SONS OF AMERICA OF PENNSYLVANIA N? m - :\,& Valley Creek. THE VALLEY CREEK. THE Mill. — Opposite the house stood the grist mill of Isaac Potts. The old mill was destroyed by fire in the spring of 1843, the fire being started by a spark from a locomotive. Mrs. Ogden, who owned the headquarters in 1874, said : "It stood near the railroad, and was much larger than the mill my father built higher up the race the next year, and which is now used as a paper mill. The old mill had very heavy massive timbers used in its building, which were unimpaired by time, and I heard say the burrs were the best in the country; they were all de- stroyed by the fire." Chevalier de Pontgibaud says that Washington used the mill as his headquarters, but I have not found anything to sus tain this statement, although it may have been used as an of- fice, being so close to the residence of the Commander-in-Chief. A piece of the old water wheel is preserved in the head- quarters. It is suspended over the doorway leading from the hall to the kitchen, and is of the greatest interest. It will well repay those who can afford the time to go up the road along Valley Creek. Not only is it a picturesque drive, but it affords such points of interest as the site of the old forge, the Valley Forge Farm and Lafayette's headquarters. Crossing the Gulph Road at the Washington Inn, and pass- ing the woolen mill, the road follows all the windings of the creek, the hillsides becoming more steep, until the nar- rowest point of the valley is reached, where the creek has cut its way between Mount Misery and Mount Joy. Less than a mile from the headquarters is the Washington Spring, of which Washington probably knew nothing. From this there is a path up to the boulevard on the heights. Beyond is the supposed site of the old forge. The Valley Forge. — Wherever the forge stood, it gave the name to the famous camp. It was built some time between December. 1742, and April, 1752, by Stephen Evans, Daniel Walker and Joseph Williams. Some time after 1751 a sawmill (1 76) THE VALLEY CREEK. 177 was built, and later the grist mill. The property came into the possession of John Potts, of Pottsgrove, the great ironmaster, in 1757- Up to this time the forge had been called Mount Joy Forge, as it was located on Mount Joy Manor. For a while the old name was retained, but was gradually superseded by the more familiar one of Valley Forge, derived naturally from the Valley Creek, whose waters were used by the old iron workers. Suggested Site of the^Valley Forge. The property passed from John Potts to his son John, and from him to his brother Joseph, who, with his brother David and their cousin, Thomas Hockley, formed the firm of Potts, Hockley & Potts. The iron was brought from Warwick furnace in large quantities. At the time of the Revolution the property was owned by William Dewees, Jr., who seems to have carried on the works in connection with David Potts, who for nearly fifty years had sold in Philadelphia the bar iron made here. 178 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. When the British were at Valley Forge, September 18-21, 1777, the forge was destroyed. Hidden in the thick woods on Mount Joy, Alexander Hamilton watched the destruction which he was powerless to prevent This gave the American soldiers an excuse to make inroads upon the buildings until they were checked by Washington. After the war the works were re- built farther down the stream, and were maintained until 1824, when they were allowed to fall into ruin. Perhaps one reason for the destruction of the forge, by the British is to be found in an old musket in the Valley Forge Museum. It was made at Valley Forge in 1777 for the Amer- ican army. Valley Forge Farm. — Less than a half-mile beyond the forge is Valley Forge Farm, the residence of the Hon. Philander C. Knox, Secretary of State, and Attorney-General under Presi- dent McKinley and President Roosevelt. A quaint covered bridge spans the creek where it leaves the Senator's grounds, and crossing it one passes at once from the wild woodland scenery to a landscape whose natural beauties have been en- hanced by the hand of man. The house occupied by the Secre- tary and his family is set amid well-kept lawns and is shaded by fine old trees. The best view of it is from the road just beyond the gateway. Of course visitors will not intrude upon the grounds. To the left, on the other side of the creek, is the old farmhouse which was the headquarters of General Knox. Lafayette's Headquarters. — To reach Lafayette's head- quarters turn to the left at the corner of the Secretary's grounds, and follow the road which skirts the lawns. This will soon descend to another bridge over Valley Creek. Just beyond this on the right stands the residence of Henry Wilson, which at the time of the encampment was owned by John Havard and occupied by Lafayette. The old house is in a splendid state of preservation. Visitors are not admitted. Marquis Marie Jean Paul Joseph Roche Yves Gilbert du Motier Lafayette was only twenty years old when he came to Valley Forge, having recently been appointed to succeed Gen. Adam Stephen. Inspired by a romantic interest in the struggle THE VALLEY CREEK. 1 79 for liberty he had eluded French vigilance, fitted out a ship at his own expense and had come with Baron de Kalb and eleven other officers to offer his services to Congress. At first he served as a voluntary aide to Washington, and between them was formed that noble friendship which was an honor to them and their nations. Lafayette was a victim of the Conway Cabal at first, but as soon as he saw what it meant he withdrew in disgust from those whom he counted the enemies of their country. Here he wrote a letter whose truth, loyalty and open-heartedness must have been a boon to Washington in that dark hour. In it he thus pledges himself to Washington : "My desire of deserving your satisfaction is stronger than ever, and everywhere you will employ me you can be certain of my trying every exertion in my power to succeed. I am now fixed to your fate, and I shall follow it and sustain it as well by my sword as by all means in my power." One of the most interesting relics of Lafayette is the check for $120,000, paid to him by the United States as part of the $200,000 which he received for his services in the Revolution. This is preserved in the Valley Forge Museum of American History, together with letters and other relics of this devoted friend of America. The road just traversed is the shortest route to Valley Forge Station. Those who have more time and desire a dif- ferent route should turn to the right after passing through the covered bridge over Valley Creek, pass General Knox's headquarters, and turn to the left at the Centreville Road. At Fort Washington one can take the road on the left, the Camp Road, or follow the Centreville Road, here called Washington Lane, to the River Road. The first is shorter, as it soon strikes the Gulph Road, near the Front Line Boulevard. Turn to the left and follow the Gulph Road to the Washington Inn, and there turn to the right and pass the headquarters. By the second route, cross the Gulph Road and continue to the River Road. Turn to the left, and at the boulevard turn to the right. To reach either the Port Kennedy Station or the Betzwood Station, turn to the right at the River Road, pass the Waterman Monument and Washington Memorial Chapel. THE CENTENNIAL AND MEMORIAL ASSO- CIATION OF VALLEY FORGE. THE most important result of the celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the Evacuation of Valley Forge was the determination to secure the headquarters as a memorial of that event. To accomplish this there was formed "The Centennial and Memorial Association of Valley Forge," of which Mrs. Anna M. Holstein was elected regent. This association really carried forward the work of "The Valley Forge Centennial Association," which had so successfully ar- ranged for the celebration of the anniversary. The new asso- ciation appealed to patriotic citizens for contributions, and for every dollar contributed a certificate was issued giving the holder a share of stock in the association. The house and one and a half acres of land were purchased for $6000, one-half of which was secured by a mortgage. Despite the efforts of the members of the association it was unable to pay the interest, and an appeal was made to the Patriotic Order of the Sons of America at its convention in Norristown in 1885. I n a little more than six months the order paid off the mortgage and can- celed all the indebtedness of the association, receiving in re- turn 3600 shares of stock, and a voice in the management. Col. Theodore W. Bean, of Camp 114, did much toward the success of this movement by the publication of his "Footprints of the Revolution," first published in the "Camp News." The State of Pennsylvania appropriated $5000 to further the work of the association, and in 1887 the building was restored to its original condition, as far as possible, a warden's lodge was built, and the grounds improved. Additional ground was pur- chased in 1889 and in 1904. The association maintained the headquarters in an excellent manner, and was aided in this by a small admission fee. In the report of the Valley Forge Park Commission, in 1904, attention was called to this fee and the recommendation was made that the State acquire the prop- erty. This received favorable action and on August 15, 1905, the (1 80) MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION. 181 Commission took possession of the headquarters under the new powers given to it by the Legislature, paying the Association $18,000 for its property. Later the Commission made the claim that the money could not be distributed among the members of the Association, because the shares of stock were only receipts for money contributed for a charitable purpose. The courts sustained the claim of the Commission, which received the money as trustee. "Valley Forge." THE VALLEY FORGE PARK COMMISSION. THE Valley Forge Park is the creation of the Valley Forge Park Commission which was appointed by the Assembly of the State of Pennsylvania June 8, 1893, under the Act of May 30th, of that year, which provided "for the acquisition by the State of certain ground at Valley Forge for a park." This bill was the result of an effort begun many years before by Mrs. Mary E. Thropp Cone, to whose schoolgirl verses America owes the preservation of the old Trappe Church. Born at Valley Forge, she loved its historic hills and plead for years for some monument to properly mark the neglected spot. She and her sister Amelia originated the Valley Forge Monument Associa- tion, which began work in 1882. Of this association Anthony J. Drexel, Jr., was the treasurer and George W. Childs, a charter member. Mrs. Cone and her friends appealed to Congress for aid, but in vain. Thereupon an effort was made to obtain a State appropriation, and this effort resulted in the Act of 1893. The idea of the monument was abandoned for that of a reservation by which the intrenchments would be preserved to the Nation. We do not know who first suggested the preservation of Valley Forge, but the Hon. Samuel W. Pennypacker has pub- lished an interesting broadside in which he sets forth the work done by Dr. Isaac Anderson Pennypacker, who, as early as 1842 wrote in behalf of the preservation of the encampment, and in 1845 suggested the erection of a monument on Mount Joy. To this end he brought Daniel Webster, William H. Seward, Neal Dow and others to Valley Forge. In the effort to arouse pub- lic interest in Valley Forge no one has been more zealous than the author of the broadside, for as Commissioner and Governor, through writings and through speeches, he has striven to direct the attention of the American people to the place and its history. The first act passed by the Assembly provided $25,000 for the purpose of the Commission, and in 1895, $10,000 were ap- propriated. Including the 1909 appropriation, the State has (182) VALLEY FORGE PARK COMMISSION. 183 appropriated $365,445 for Valley Forge. The park includes about 650 acres. The Commission has done a noble work for the American people, and the Valley Forge Park is destined to become one of the greatest pleasure grounds in the country. The determi- nation to preserve the wooded heights in their rugged beauty, to leave the earthworks untouched, to make every part of the encampment accessible by well-kept walks and roads, and to guard every part of the reservation, are resolutions which must meet with the hearty approval of all visitors to Valley Forge. The Commission as now constituted is as follows : W. H. Sayen, President; John P. Nicholson, Vice-President; John W. Jordan, Secretary and Treasurer; J. P. Hale Jenkins, William A. Pat- ton, Richmond L. Jones, John W. Jordan, John T. Windrim, George J. Elliott and Edward F. Beale. Mr. Samuel S. Hart- ran ft is the Superintendent. The Office of the Commission is located in the house to the south of the Headquarters. The Philadelphia Office is 226 Commercial Trust Building. WASHINGTON AND VALLEY FORGE. "No spot on earth — not the plains of Marathon, nor the passes of Sempach, nor the place of the Bastile, nor the dykes of Holland, nor the moors of England, is so sacred in the his- tory of the struggle for human liberty as Valley Forge." — Cyrus Townsend Brady. HAVING made a tour of the encampment, it may well be asked, What impression is left on the minds of the visitor? All who think seem to feel the spell of the place. These hills make a subtle appeal to the best in man, and many go away pledged to a nobler effort in life. Valley Forge affects one as does no other place in the land. No better analysis of this characteristic power of Valley Forge has been made than that by Bishop Gibson, of Vir- ginia, who, in the course of his sermon at the opening of the Washington Memorial Chapel, said : "The chief distinction of Valley Forge is human, personal, individual, practical. In one word, it is spiritual. It grows out of the unintentional and unconscious display of a character. Need I say the character of Washington? Valley Forge was Washington's place of martyrdom. Never again in the course of a life filled with extraordinary experiences did this 'greatest of good men and best of great men,' who had accepted the office of commander-in-chief with unfeigned reluctance, and, because of his feeling that he was always liable to make mis- takes, was ready at any time to have his actions freely criticised by those from whom he had received his commission, never again, T say, did Washington pass through an ordeal so fiery as that which made Valley Forge for him and for many others the Valley of Decision. 'He that findeth his life shall lose it/ said the Master of Wisdom and of wise men — 'He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake, shall find it.' On this spot Washington fought out the spiritual battle of his career, endured and triumphed in the majestic name (I8 4 ) WASHINGTON AT VALLEY FORGE. 1 85 of Duty; which is also the name of Him to whom all is due. When he turned his back on these scenes there was no longer any question as to who should command the armies of America, nor wps his heart again torn, as here, by the sight of troops under his own eye, starving and naked from neglect. And what is the result? He has become the genius of the place; invest- ing all we read with his own aura, supplying the clear atmos- phere through which each incident of the time is seen, clothing with the colors of actual vision every account of hospitals and huts, of wounds and bruises, of chilly, comfortless nights, and days of weakness from hunger. We see what he saw, we feel his emotions. Into our faces failure stares and treachery kisses us on the cheek. As the story moves on,* gathering force in its progress, we are drawn more closely to the hero. As troubles thicken about him, apparently unconscious of their presence, our anxiety deepens, the tension of our hearts grows rigid. He saved others, we say, but to save himself is beyond his power. And so it was. He was not tried to the limit of death or dis- grace, but he was tried so sorely as to make him one of the exemplars of mankind. To secure independence for his country he suffered that which made him a great moral luminary for the world. The exhibition of the character of Washington is the crowning glory of Valley Forge." Tablet on Pennsylvania Memorial Columns. INDEX Artillery Park 144 Bakehouse 162-164 Betzwood Station, P. R. R 5, 96, 158 Brigades — Conway's I37"I39 Clover's 107, 108 Huntington's 136, 137 Learned's 107 Maxwell's 140, 141, 152-156 Mcintosh's 160, 161 Muhlenberg's 98-101 Patterson's 105, 106 Poor's 116-118 Scott's 125, 126 Varnum's 32-44 Wayne's 1 18-120 Weedon's 101, 102 Woodford's 147, 148 British Army at Valley Forge 14, 15, 22, 26 Camp School 139, 140 Cemetery, Washington Memorial 33~35 Centennial and Memorial Association 180, 181 Chapel, Washington Memorial 45-8i Cloister of the Colonies 45-57 Commander-in-Chief's Door 60 Conway Cabal 18, 137, 138, 139 Defenders' Gate 30-33 Delaware Memorial 24 Divisions — DeKalb's 104-107 Greene's 100-104 Stirling's 137, 138 Sullivan's 121, 141, 160 (187) J 88 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE Door of the Allies 69, 70 Evacuation Day Celebrations 25, 26, 34, 48, 91-93 Fatland Ford 14, 23, 26-29 Flag of the Commander-in-Chief of the American Army 85, 86, 88, 89 French Alliance 19, 31, 32, 156 Graves of the Soldiers . 34, 39, 41, 42, 132, 137, 138, 152, 157, 158 Headquarters — DeKalb's 102 Huntington's 44 Knox's 126-128 Lafayette's 178, 179 Morgan's 98 Muhlenberg's 100, 101 Varnum's 29, 31. 32 Washington's — First, the Marquee 87, 88, 135, 141, 144 Second, the Potts House 160-174 Weedon's 101, 102 Hospitals 31, 2>7, 119, 130, 132, 160 Huts 22, 28, 35-38 Inauguration Door 70 Intrenchments 23, 25, 125, 149-152 Lafayette's Check 19, 86 Lafayette's Headquarters 178, 179 Library, Washington Memorial 89-91 Life Guard 21, 23, 65 Maine Marker 106, 107 "Maine" Memorial 89 Maps — Encampment at Valley Forge. Insert. Phoenixville, Valley Forge and Strafford Railway 9 Points of Interest at Valley Forge 11 Relation of the Reading Station to the Points of Interest. .7 Markers — ioo. 102. 105. 107. 117. 121, 122, 128, 137, 138, 140, 141, 160 Brigade 33, 94"97, 101 State 24, 25, 106, 108-112, 118-120, 152-156 Markets '. 29 Marquee. Washington's 87, 88, 134. 141^144 Mill. Grist 176 Monuments — New Jersey 152-156 Massachusetts . 108-112 INDEX 189 To Unknown Dead 40-44, 129, 130 Waterman 40-44 Wayne 122-124 Mount Joy Observatory 145-149 Museum of American History 83-89 National Arch 97, 113-117 Observatory 145-149 Office, Valley Forge Park Commission 166, 183 Patriots' Hall 81-89 Pennsylvania Columns 1 18-120 Pews of the Patriots 62-67 Pickets 29 Picnic Grounds 94, 158 Points of Interest at Valley Forge 8 Porch of the Allies 81-84 Port Kennedy Station, Reading Railway 21, 96, 158 President Roosevelt's Valley Forge Address. ..33, 34, 63, 91, 92 President's Pew 63, 65 Provost Guard 95 Redoubts — Huntington 157, 158 Star 31, 32 Washington 146, 147 Right Line Boulevard 98, 134 Roof of the Republic 80, 81 Schoolhouse, Old . . . 139, 140 Stations — . Betzwood 5, 96, 158 Port Kennedy 5, 21, 96, 158 Valley Forge 5, 21, 114, 158 Statues — • Steuben 127-129 Wayne 122-124 Washington 12, 72, 181 Steuben Monument 127-129 Steuben's Kitchen 38-41 Sufferings at Valley Forge 17, 18, 115, 117, 121, 130-132 Sullivan's Bridge 26-29 Surprise View 148 Thanksgiving Tower 81-83 Valley Creek 175-179 "Valley Forge" The Statuette 12, 72, 181 Valley Forge, The 176-178 Valley Forge Farm 178 I90 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE Valley Forge Imp 134, 144 Valley Forge in American History 83-89 Valley Forge Park Commission 166, 182, 183 Valley Forge Picnic Grounds 95, 158 Valley Forge Station, Philadelphia & Reading ... 5, 21, 114, 158 Washington, George — Accounts 22 Appearance 143, 144, 159 Defense of His Soldiers 143 Headquarters 87-89, 135, 141-144, 160-174 Marquee 87-89, 135, 141-144 Memorial 45-96 Prayer for the Nation 58, 77 Prayer at Valley Forge 73, 74 Spirit 184, 185 Statue 12, 72, 181 Valedictory Prayer 58 Washington, Martha 168, 171 Washington, Memorial 45-96 Washington Memorial Cemetery 33"35 Washington Memorial Chapel 45-81 Washington Memorial Door 60 Washington Memorial Library 89-91 Washington-Burk Memorial 12, 72, 171 Washington-Sullivan Font 60-62 Washington Redoubt 146, 147 Washington-Wanamaker Altar and Reredos 75~77 Washington-Wood Pulpit, Perclose and Lectern ". 70-72 Washiniton's Coffin Plate 76 Washington's Headquarters 87, 89, 135, 141-144, 160-174 Washington's Headquarters Flag 85-89 Washington's Marquee 87, 89, 135, 141-144 Washington's Medicine Chest 86 Washington's Rifle * 86 Waterman Monument 40-44 Wayne Monument 122-124 White, Bishop 79, 80 Woodland Cathedral 50-86