Ciass "2,2> ^ Book .B^S COPYRIGHT DEPOSm ?•... Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/historicaltopogr02burk VALLEY FORGE PARK AND VICINITY Chopoi.etc. mode HISTORICAL AND TOPOGRAPHICAL GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE BY WMiERBERT BURK, D. D. Rector of the Washington Memorial Chapel, Valley Forge. Member of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the Montgomery County and Chester County Historical Societies. Honorary Member of the Gloucester County Historical Society, N. J. Member of the Executive Board of the Church Historical Society. President of the Valley Forge Historical Society. FIFTH EDITION— REVISED AND ENLARGED ILLUSTRATED WITH PHOTOGRAPHS BY THE AUTHOR AND OTHERS NORTH WALES. PA. NORMAN B. NUSS, PRINTER 1920 COPYRIGHT. I906.;i910. 1912. 1916. 1920 BY W. Herbert Burk SEP 25 1920 ©CU597555 *~i/^^) f k PREFACE. In the following pages I have endeavored to supply that information which will be of most value to the visitor to Valley I'orge. 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- son aHty 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. PREFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION The development at Valley Forge, both in the Park c:. 1 at the Washington Memorial Chapel, has been so 1 ;id that a new edition of the Valley Forge Guide is c. nanded. In the preface to the second edition, I said : "In its ] paration I have availed myself of the important re- ; rches made by Dr. John W. Jordan for the Valley J rge Commission for the brigade markers, and desire express my gratitude for Dr. Jordan's work and my : "ebtedness to him. I also gratefully acknowledged the ' irtesy of Mrs. William Benton Greene, Jr., in allowmg : to reproduce the portrait of General Greene owned her. To Flarper & Brothers, for the permission to <- oy Lossing's drawing of Washington's tents; to the . ading Ra^^vay Company, and to the Phoenixville, Val- ■ Forge and StraiTord Railway Company, for the use maps, I am grateful for the^.e important additions to ^ J value and interes'; of the Guide." I now desire to express my gra'i iide to Mr. Nicola r 'Ascenzo, for permission to reproduce his pictures of ' ) window subjects, and to Mr. William H. Rau, of i iladelphia, and to Mr. John Wallace Gi'lies, of New >rk, for the pr^.vilege of the use of their excellent pho- t jraphs in illustrating the Guide. W. Herbert Burk. l'':e Defenders' Gate, Valley Forge, October 15, 1919.' (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, daily. The single fare is $0.77. The ten-trip ticket (good for parties) is $5.20. Special rates are made 10 organizatior.s, Sunday schools, etc., from any point on the Reading System, on application to the (ieneral Passenger Agenl, 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 'he small map. Valley Forge can also be reached by the Pennsylvania .iaiii'cad, frcir] Broad Street Station. Betzwood is the station for the State Park. It is 21.7 miles from Philadelphia, The s'ngle fare is $0,71, and the ten-trip $4.73 (good for parties). The Right Line Boulevard entrance is a little over a half- mile from Betzwood Station. The Headquarters are two and a half-miles from Betzwood, The only trolley line to Valley Forofe is that of the Phoenix- ville, Valley Forge and Strafford Electric Pailway, connecting Valley Forge and Phoenixville. The Phoenixville term.inus is Bridge and Starr Streets. Cars run every hour. Fare, one way, $0.10, The company's map, showing actual and contemplated hnes, is on page 9. City Hall, Philadelphia. Broad Street, to Spring Garden, to Lemon Hill, to Girard Avenlie 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. (.0 •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. The 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. Fare, round trip, $2.50. Cars leave opposite Wanamaker's, Chestnut Street, daily at 10 A. M. Return 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 Mansion House," in Valley Forge. "The Port Kennedy Inn," at Port Kennedy Station. "The King of Prussia Inn," King of Prussia. TEA ROOM. The Fort Huntington Tea Room, on the River Road and Washington Lane, is open daily. 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 V/ayne Monument. The Muhlenberg Monument. The Delaware Marker. The Maine Marker. The Massachusetts Monument. The New Jersey Monument. The Pennsylvania Columns. The Monum^ent to the Unknown Dead. Ihe Biigade Hospital. (Reproduction.) Headquaneis cf Commanding OfHcers. (No admis- sion.) View from the Observatory on Mount Joy. The Defenders' Gate. HOW TO SEE VALLEY FORGE. Those who have only a limited time should visit the in- trenchmen.s, 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 Redoub:, go over the Inner Line Boulevard, and then to Washingicn'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, W^ashington Inn, or the Garages in Nor- ristown, Phoenixville 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 _max b^ 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 oj the Company "Valley Forge" The Washington-Burk Memorial, by Franklin Simmons, Rome, in the Washington Memorial Chapel. THE PLACE OF VALLEY FORGE IN AMERL 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, to advance against the "rebel capital." On the last day of July, Washington learned that the fleet was off the 14 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. Delaware capes and at once hurried to protect Philadelphia, Pc.ssing 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 Whi'e 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 VALLE^' FOKi(5E 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, wheee 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 Skippa<:k 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. A.fter 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. Whi.pain was the next halting place. During this halt General Wayne was tried by a coiirt-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 VVhitemarsh. 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 man(]euvring 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 evacua^^ed t^e c?"^':^ ^t Wbite- marsh and marched to Matson's Ford. The first division h* 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 trrops recrossed the river and the army moved up to Swedes' Ford (Ford street, Norristown), where it crossed during the night of the T2th 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 ig, 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 of a standing army, were a constant source of weakness and ex- pense. The depreciation of the paper currency made the ooof VALLEY FORGE IN AMERICAN HISTORY. 1/ jpay 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 anny of the advantage of officers of the highest merit and was a con- stant so'urce of irritation. The OvEi^HANGiNG Rock on the Gilpi! Road The poor soldiers were the helpless victims of a meddling Congress and an incompetent commissary department. While the whole country was fairly prosperotis the men at Valley Forge starved. While they froze to death "hopsheads rf shoes, stockings, and clothine were lying a' different places on the 1 8 1 ;:,.]■ I^UIDE 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 woimded 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 a: 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 imprcrved, 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 I' ranee the world regarded us as a rebellion." WASBOwrsli, C^^^^^/'^v^ W/^-i^. 9ir:i^^ 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 THE VALLEY FORGE PARK AND RIVER ROAD. The Entrance to Valley Forge Park. — The S ate oi Pennsylvania, through the Valley Forge Park Commission, has acquired the land adjoin in^^ the Valley Forge station of the Philadelphia and Reading Railway and has made a driveway from the station to the inircnchments. This is the most direct route :o 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 follcws the line of the river and by easy grades surmoiMTt? the hill '-n which he fortifieationb were built The hillside to the right is historic ground, for there once s ood 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 accou.nts 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 manneuvres pf 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 ?^A (21)1:; 2y ^C^^^^e^^^^^^Z^. 5 /77Z ^^2S .//z^-^/s- ^ ^ ^^/C 9r /$■ ^^ i4 /^ J^ ^Cy^^^^^^M'^d^^ - - - ^^^^f^^ '^^I'i^iU^ ^^^y^^ J^^^l>^^ c>0!t....y^<^ VS^S\^ .^^^c^ lSJ2a ^ ./e Sio /o /o / Washington's Accounts 3Ji^Sr^. ./33 -r 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 MEMORi OF HER GALLANT SONS WHO ENDUREJ THE HARDSHIPS AND PRIVATIONS OF THE MEMORABLE WINTER 01 I777-I778 ON THE HILLS OJ VALLEY FORGE THE STATE OF OEl-AW/VRE " THE MCMO.ABUE WINTER 0^ l,.,^ __ 1778 OK THE KILt S V x/ALUEY FORCE. a.D. I9i3 The Delaware Memorial. VALLEY FORGE PARK AND RIVER ROAD. 25 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 i 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 GUIDE TO VALLEY 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- barger. The musical part of the program was under the direction of Mr. John O. K. Robarts, of Phoenixville, 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. 27 Site of Sullivan's Bridge, (Date destroyed) SULLIVAN BRIDGE. A. D. 1778. 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 roimd 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 Huts. 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 kUAD. 29 ican army crossed to intercept the march of the British to New York. M Across it, too, came the welcome suppHes for the starving soldiers. Every Monday and Thursday after February 8th-^ market was held, near the end of the bridge, and on thofee days the soldiers went a-marketing, or rather rhose who were. Varnum's Heat quarters. 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 fiver 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 mouldaring remains of what is said to have been one of the huts useS 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. VALLEY FOKGE PAKK 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, thr brigadier- general commanding a brigade of Rhode Island and Cotmecticut troops. ■ At that time the house was much smaller, the eastern Tut Star Redoubt, Constructed 1916. part and the third story having been added later. On the night of January T7th the brigadiers met here to consider how to ex- change raw hides for shoes, and whether to arm the soldiers with bavonets 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 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 i9, i777 — ^june 18, 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 Churchyard, 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, «tc. 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. Tlie 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 cjf the relation of the men of Valley Forge to the defenders of ihc Union was set forth in '.he address made by President Roosevelt in the temporary Washington Memorial Chapel on Evacuation Day, 1904. He said : "H 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 crur 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 <"he paper upon which it was written, save as a study for anti- quarians." The Washington Memorial Churchyard.— The Park Cominission 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 'yj and '78. Associated in loca- tion and thought is the Washington Memorial Churchyard — con- secrated 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 o{ 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 Near the entrance two Memorial oak trees were planted in 1919 in memory of two American aviators who were killed in France, Lieutenant Warren T. Kent and Cadet-Aviator Clark Brockway Nichol. Each is marked by a bronze tablet set near the trees : IN MEMORY OF LT. WARREN T. KENT, U. S. A. AVIATOR KILLED IN ACTION FRANCE, SEPTEMBER 7TH, I918 COLONIAL CHAPTER DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION IN MEMORY OF CLARK BROCKWAY NICHOL CADET-AVIATOR, U. S. A. KILLED IN LINE OF DUTY FEBRUARY 18, I918 A. E. F. To keep the churchyard in the best or 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 churchyard may be obtained at the Chapel, 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. Soldiers' Huts. — The woodland, presented to the Trustees of the Washington Memorial Chapel by the Hon. Wilham Uhler Hensel, is one of the most interesting spots in the whole encamp- ment. At the beginning of the wood pedestrians should turn to the left and follow the woodland road. In a few minutes you will reach a depression 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 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, 36 GUIDE TU VALLEY' FORGE. there being only two holes be\ond. stands the hut erected by the Daughters of the Revolution. Above the door is a tablet bear- ing the following inscription: 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, 1905. SITE WAS PRESENTED RY I. HESTON' TODD. Company Street and Hut. It was dedicated on June 24, 1905, at which time a prayer was oflFered by the Rev. W. Herbert Burk, and addresses were VALLEY FORGE PARK AND RIVER ROAD. ^J made by Mrs. O. La Forrest Perry, Mrs. Nathaniel Seaver Keay,. State Regent of the Daughters of the Revokuion, and Mr. L Heston Todd. The soldiers who occupied the original hut belonged to the 4th Conneciicut Regiment, as proven by the butions found in the hut-hok, aiKl now i u cxhibiiion 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 staflf of each brigade ; one to the field officers of each regiment, and one to every twelve non-commissioned officers and soldiers." The soldiers were divided into squads of '.welve. 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 S.irling. 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 far.ners 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 38 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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." 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 erf 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. " VALLEY FORGE PARK AND RIVER ROAD. 39 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 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 : "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. «i i 1 1 a' 1 H i p|ii«i«^-' ., The Waterman Monument. VALLEY FORGE PARK AND RIVER ROAD. 4I 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 ithe keenest interest. The movement was entirely successful. The slaves who enlisted received their freedom, and their bravery and heroic service during :he 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 Weedcn'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 / / "Waterman's Grave. 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 42 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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 22d 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. "N. B. — Have returned your 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. W., 1778," thus making it the only named grave at Valley Forge. 44 WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. The Waterrran Monument. — The monument which rises above it i^ onv of the conspicuous landmarks at Valley Forge. It is an imposing granite shaft, fifty feet high, erected by the Daughters of the Revolu.ion 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 feel 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 wi:h three gradations. On the face of the plinth is the following inscription : TO THE SOLDIERS OF WASHI XGTON'S ARMY WHO SLEEP AT VALLEY FORGE, 1 777- 1 7/8. ERECTED CY THE DALGHTERS 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 fiag is carved on the obelisk. 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 Sione 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, 1778, WHOSE GRAVE ALONE OF ALL HIS COMRADES WAS MARKED. ^d o t 3 u Q < u 46 GUIDF TO VALLEY FORGE. 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 :he 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. Pulaski was mortally wounded in the attack upon Savannah, Georgia, and died on the "Wasp," October 11, 1779. In later years both Lafayette and Steuben were the honored guests of General Huntington. 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 religions 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, 1903- Mr. and Mrs. I. Heston Todd and Mr. and Mrs. John Hallman oflFered sites for the building, and the Rt. Rev. Alex- (47) WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 49 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. Whitakerj 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, 'Tn 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 50 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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 :o an unusual degree and possesses real charm and distinction." The design was the work of Air. 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 SufiFragan, 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. Jr.. and WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 5I 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 parte cochere to the chapel and one of the entrances to the Washington Memorial Churchyard, but its most important use will 1 e "n connection with the open air services, for which it is the chancel. The beautful Open Air Pulpit faces the grove where already more than ten thousand have gathered for a patriotic service. The Founder's dream of a great woodland cathedral has been realized through the patriotism and gener- osity of Mrs. Charles Custis Harrison, who in 1918 had elm trees sent from Mount Vernon for this purpose. The Mount Vernon elms have been planted in the form of a cross with the Cloister at its head. Adjoining the Woodland Cathedral there will be an evergreen chapel containing a bronze statue of Washington at prayer. An effort will be made to have the Sundays of the summer so endowed that it will be possible to invite the greatest speak- ers of the world to come to Valley Forge and give their mes- sages to the American people. 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, architectural!}^, and it forms the entrance to the Chapel and to the choir room. Adjoining it is the South 52 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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 largy 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 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 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. 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. Looking Through the Cloister. 54 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. New Hampshire Bay;— Mr. Arthur Emmons 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 APPRECIATIOX OF THE PATRIOTISM AND DEVOTION OF THE SOLDIERS OF NEW JERSEY IX 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, I9O5. Pennsylvania. TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN HONOR OF THE BRAVE PENNSYLVANIA NS 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, 1906. WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 55 Virginia. TO THE GLORY OF GOD, N 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 "^0 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 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, 1008 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 T.777-'i-77^, g , THIS BAY IS ERECTED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY, SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1909. ~ ' "- WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 57 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 ATiD 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 I912. 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 I913 58 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. -i ) '' Connecticut. ■ ■ TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND 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 SOCIETY 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. IN THE name; OF GOD_, AMEN IN TRIBUTE TO THE LOYALTY AND THE SACRIFICE: OF THE TROOPS OF THE PROVINCE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE IN THE CONTINENTAL ARMY DURING THE WINTER ENCAMPMENT OF 1777-1778. IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION OF THE DEVOTION AND THE SERVICE OF THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE PROVINCE WHO CONTRIBUTED BY WORD OR ACT TOWARD THE. ESTABLISHMENT OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. AND IN LOVING MEMORY OF AMOS PEARSON JOHN BENJAMIN ENSIGN JOSHUA BARRON LIEUTENANT JONATHAN DERBY DAVID PAGE EMMONS STOCKW^ELL AND DAVID GREENLEAF SOLDIERS OF THE REVOLUTIONARY FORCES THIS BAY IS ERECTED BY ARTHUR EMMONS PEARSON I915 NIL DESPERANDUM CHRISTO DUCE 5*^ The Garth. One of the most attractive features of thfc Cloister of the Colonies is the garth vi^hich it encloses. This has been planted vvith rhodendron and laurel. To the east of tiie drive is the beautiful bronze statue "Sacrifice and Devotion,"' by Bela Pratt. It v^as g:ven by Stephen Heckscher, Esq., in. honor of the Mothers of the Nation and in memory of his. wife, Henrietta Brown Heckscher, who died June 11, 1912. The; mother kneels at an altar and holds in her hand the symbol of" the mother's hope, a lighted lamp. The Porch. — The porch was built by All Saints" Sun day School, Norristown, which pledged the first one hundrctK 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 Washingtoiii Memorial Chapel. At the entrance the eiTort has been made- to emphasize the religious character of Washington. The inscrip- tion cut in the wall on the right is taken from the General! Orders at Valley Forge, in which in arranging the hour oft Divine Service for the army he said : "While we arc zealously performing '.he Duties of good Citizens and Soldiers, we cenainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher Duties of Re- ligion. To the distinguished Character of Patriot it should be our highest Glory :o add the more distinguished Character of Christian." SACT^T'TrF AXD Devotion. Bv Bela Pratt. GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 61 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." The Porch Windov^s. In the windows has been placeH 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- mg." 62 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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. 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 Chapel seal was designed by the Rev. Henry Martyn Medary, and is based upon the Washington arms. With the blue border these give the national colors. The cannon balls represent Washington in camp. 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. Hammered in the iron are the symbols of the four evangelists. The lock has a miniature liberty bell as a keeper and the sliding bolt passes through the knapsack of a Continental soldier guarding the lock. This figure is a re- markable example of the iron forger's art. The gates are sur- mounted by a cross, and below it are the arms of the Chapel. The inscription is as follows : IN LOYAL MEMORY OF LIEUTENANT SAMUEL WAPLES AND LIEUTENANT THOMAS CUSTIS THESE GATES ARE GI\t:n BY CHARLES CUSTIS HARRISON AND ALFRED CRAVEN HARRISON OF THEIR DESCENDANTS The Washington Memorial Door.— The porch door is the gift of Colonial Chapter, Daughters of the Revolution, and is one of '.he handsomest memorials at Valley Forge. On Thk Interior oi^ the Washington Memorial Chapel. The Porch Gates. WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 5$ 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 WASHINGT0N_, 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 by 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 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 th-eir 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." 66 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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 about 10 in the Morning & was Baptized on the 3th of April fallowing, Mr. Bev- erly Whiting & Cap't Christopher Brooks God- fathers and Mrs. Mildred Gregory Godmother." Ihe font was dedicated by the Rt. Rev. Robert A. Gibson, Bishop of Virginia, June 19, 1907. The Robert Morris Strong Box.— ^irs. Charles Cus- tis Harrison has added to the interest in the Chapel, and also to its income, by the loan of the strong Ijox used by Robert Morris during the Revolution. This \aluable relic of the great financier of the War for Independence is a remarkably fine specimen of early craftsmanship. It has l)een placed near the font at the entrance to the Chapel. A supplemental box of nea: design has 1 een placed l)y the A'estry at the Door of the Allies, ihus providing for the reception of such gifts as the visitors desire to give for the support of this work for God and the Nation. Over the Robert Morris strong box is a brass plate with the following inscription inlaid with pewter : THE STFOXG BOX OF ROBERT MORRIS FIXAXCIER OF THE REVCLUTIOX LOAXED BY HIS GREAT GRAXtf-DAUGHTER MRS. CHARLES CUSTIS HARRISON IE W.ASHlxXr.TON-SULLIVAN FONT. 68 GUIDE TU VALLEY FORGE. Pews of the Patriots. — The pews are known as the "Pews of the Patriots/' and are said to be iinequaled 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. The Robkrt Morris Strong Box. WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 69 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. i 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 Presl- 70 GUIDE TO VALLEN' l-Oi GE. 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 Z.ilich in horo'" 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. 71 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- Chief's 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 Kiiox ^2 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 of- 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 ist 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 Sv/ift. 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. ^. 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 Kingsbury Pew — Frederick John Kingsbury. WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 73 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. Baich. 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. Beneath the desk is a Continental soldier facing the altar. The desk commemorates Washington's prayers for the Nation. Set in the desk is the following inscription, cut in brass and inlaid with pewter: To THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF THE SUPPLICATIONS OF GEORGE WASHINGTON FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND IN MEMORY OF STEPHEN GREENE, 183 1 -1908 The arms of the United States, the diocese of Pennsylvania, Washington and the Washington Memorial Chapel are cut in the brass insert. On the central plate are these words : 74 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. GEORGE WASHINGTON JUNE I, 1774 KEPT THE DAY OF FASTING, HUMILIATION AND PRAYER APPOINTED BY THE HOUSE OF BURGESSES OF VIRGINIA AND MADE THIS ENTRY IN HIS DIARY JUNE 1ST. WENT TO CHURCH & FASTED ALL DAY 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." The Litany Desk WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 75 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 : 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 ihe j I 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." Above the doors will be placed bronze tablets commemo- rating the Signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Framers of the Constitution. These have been designed by Miss Martha M. Hovenden, the talented daughter of the famous American artist, Thomas Hovenden. On the tablet in memory of the Signers the Spirit of Liberty holds the scroll on which is inscribed the message of the Liberty Bell: "Proclaim lihcriy throughout all ;he land unto all the inhabitants thtrcof" 76 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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. Wffifilii UUif^ItMlTL'Hl'BinMir'Wi'aiDirip 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. WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. yj 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 Qoister 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 x\lmighty God for those Provi- dential x\ids 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 New York State Women." The Choir Door. — The Door of the Allies opens into the New Hampshire Bay in the Cloister of the Colonies, and in the same Bay is the entrance to the Choir Room. The Choir Door is oak, richly carved. It was given by Mrs. George Alfred Fletcher, in memory of her late husband and in honor of Francis Hopkinson, the poet and musician of the Revolution, When he was attending the Federal Convention in Philadelphia, the organist of Christ Church was taken ill, so Hopkinson vol- unteered to take his place. St- Cecilia has therefore been carved in the panel of the Door, and below are the drums and bugles. These are also hammered in the heavy wrought iron hinges forged by Mr. Yellin. The inscription is carved on the panels as follows : TO THE GLORY OF GOD IN HONOR OF FRANCIS HOPKINSON POET AND MUSICIAN OF THE REVOLUTION IN LOVING MEMORY OF GEORGE ALFRED FLETCHER NOV. 8, 1836 DEC. 14, 1902 THIS DOOR IS GIVEN BY AMELIA E. BERGNER FLETCHER I • yS GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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 decoraiion 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 : "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." The Washington arms are carved on the center of the desk. On the left is an eagle holding the Bible, sym.bolic of the Church, while on the right is another holding a shield bearing the arms of the United States, symbolic of the State. WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 79 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 Pulpit and Lectern. 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. ■So GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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, I912 Old Glory and the Washington-Lafayette Flag. — The beautiful silk American flag by the pulpit was given by Mr. Robert Stinson, as his parting gift to the Chapel on the eve of his departure for service in France. By the statue of Washington is the Washington-Lafayette flag, with the thirteen stars embroidered with the names of the Colonies. This was formally presented to the Chapel by Mr. Rodman Wanamaker on Bastille Day, 1918. On the staff is a shield bearing this in- scription : PRESENTED TO WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL BASTILLE DAY JULY 14, igi8 BY RODMAN WANAMAKER OFFICER LEGION d' HO^^EUR WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 8l As this chapel was inspired by Washington's Prayer at Valley Forge it will be an appropriate place in which to read 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. "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 uf the uni- verse! At the moment when Friend Potts, concealed by the 82 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 ihen 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 one of the most beautiful parts of the Chapel when it is completely furnished with choir stalls, pews, pew-screens and flags. The choir stalls now in place are beautiful in design and marvelous in execution, rivaling the greatest examples of the carver's art as seen in the churches and cathedrals of Europe. They were designed by Mr. Milton B. Medary, Jr., the architect of the Chapel, and carved by Mr. Edward Maene, of Philadel- phia. Each stall commemorates a brigade at Valley Forge, beginning with the Life Guard of the Commander-in-Chief. WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 83 Continental soldiers, carved in oak, with their uniforms cor- rectly colored, stand in the niches. In the stalls are retained the misereres of Europe. Each is elaborately carved, and where arms are used these are colored. The Commander-in-Chief's Guard.— The first stall was given by Miss Harriet Blanchard, in honor of Washington's Life Guard. The following inscription is carved on the stall* To THE GLORY OF GOD IN HONOUR OF THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE ARMY OF THE UNITED COLONIES WHOSE FIDELITY, ZEAL AND FORTITUDE AT VALLEY FORGE PROVED THEM WORTHY OF THE ENVIABLE PRIVILEGE OF CONTENDING FOR THE \ RIGHTS OF HUMAN NATURE THE FREEDOM AND INDEPEN- DENCE OF THEIR COUNTRY THESE CHOIR STALLS ARE DEDICATED THIS STALL IS GIVEN IN HONOUR OF THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF's GUARD : • BY HARRIET BLANCHARD I917 The inscription is surmounted by the arms of the United States and surrounded by the seals of the thirteen Colonies. The motto of the Life Guard, CONQUER OR DIE, is carved on a ribband below the panel. The arms of the Diocese of Pennsylvania are carved on the miserere. The Choir. THE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 85 The Wayne Brigade — The stall in memory of the Wayne Kr.ga-^e was g. > en by the Pennsylvania Society of the Sons of the Revolution, and the seal of the Society is carved on the panel and the insignia, reverse and obverse, on the lower corners. The Colonial ^eal of Pennsylvania is carved on the miserere. The inscription is : PRESENTED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA SOCIETY OF SONS OF THE REVOLUTION I917 The dedication of the stall took place June 22, 1918. William C. Wilson, Esq., made the historical address and pre- sented the memorial on behalf of the Society. The Conway Brigade. — The third stall commemorates the Pennsylvania regiments in the brigade at one time com- manded by General Conway. It was given by Miss Frances A. Roberts, in rremory of Elizabeth Cuthbert Roberts, 2nd. and her ancestor, John Roberts. Below the family arms is this in- scription : IN MEMORIAM ELIZABETH CUTHBERT ROBERTS, 2ND DIRECT DESCENDANT OF JOHN ROBERTS OF CAERNAREORSHIRE, NORTH WALES, WHO CAME iO THIS COUNTRY IN 1683.AND SETTLED IN MERION ON THE SITE OF THE PRESENT ROBERTS' HOMESTEAD, PENCOYD The arms of the Washington Memorial Chapel are carved on the miserere. The Muhlenberg Brigade.— The Muhlenberg Brigade is commemorated in the fourth stall, which was given in memory of Captain Morris, of the Light Horse of the City of Philadel- phia, by his descendants. The arms of the family are carved at the top of the panel and a portrait bas-relief of Captain Morris below the inscription. In the corners are a cat and a rabbit, 86 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. and these appear again on the miserere, on which is also carved a cat carrying a rabbit. These are reminders of the family legend that in the early days of settlement in Pennsylvania when once the larder was empty, in response to prayer the cat brought in a rabbit and saved the settlers from hunger. The inscription is as follows : To THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF THE SERVICES RENDERED HIS COUNTRY BY ^ SAMUEL MORRIS — CAPTAIN FROM 1776 TO 1786 OF THE LIGHT HORSE OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA ' SERVING AS A BODY GUARD TO GENERAL WASHINGTON DURING THE REVOLUTION AT PHILADELPHIA AND SURROUNDING COUNTRY AND PARTICIPATING IN THE BATTLES OF MONMOUTH, PRINCETON AND GERMANTOWN, ETC., ETC. HE WAS ALSO GOVERNOR FOR 46 YEARS OF THE STATE IN SCHUYLKILL PHILADELPHIA FISH HOUSE AND A DIRECT DESCENDANT OF ANTHONY MORRIS 2ND OF LONDON WHO ARRIVED IN THIS COUNTRY IN 1682 The Varnum Brigade. — The fifth stall commemorates General Varnum's Brigade and was given by Henry Reed Hat- field, Esq., in memory of his ancestor, Nathan Hatfield. The inscription is as follows : PRESENTED BY HENRY REED HATFIELD, ESQUIRE IN MEMORY OF HIS ANCESTOR NATHAN HATFIELD OF THE REVOLUTIONARY ARMY On the miserere are carved the arms of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. The General Huntington Brigade. — The sixth stall commemorates- the officers and men of General Huntington's THE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 87 Brigade at Valley Forge. It was given by Mr. George L. Har- rison, in memory of his wife, Emily McMichael Harrison. The family crest ^nd motto, ABSQUE VIRTUTE NIHIL, are carved above the inscription, which is as follows : george l. harrison erects this sedile in loving memory oe his devoted wife Emily mc michael Harrison MARCH 1ST, 1833 NOVEMBER I7TH, 1902 The shield of the United States is carved on the corbel of the miserere. The Flags of the Revolution.— Over the Choir Stalls are the Flags of the Revolution, beautiful reproductions in silk of the flags carried by the Continental troops in the struggle for independence. To provide fresh flags from time to time, and to extend the influence of Valley Forge, it is planned to create a Flag Fund by charging $1,000 for the privilege of giving each flag. The income of this fund will be used to purchase new flags, and the old flags will be sent in rotation to the Governors of the States to be given to schools, so that the flags which have hung in the Chapel will eventually hang in the school houses of the country. It is hoped that the fund will be large enough to provide for the gift of a flag to a State in every month of the year. The following is a Hst of the flags with their donors: 1. The Com.mander-in-Chief's Standard, over the Com- mander-in-Chief's Stall. The gift of Messrs. Charles C. Har- rison, Jr., & Company, of Philadelphia. 2. The Flag of the First Pennsylvania (Continental) Line Regiment. This hangs over the General Wayne Brigade Choir Stall, and, like the Stall, was given by the Pennsylvania Society, Sons of the Revolution. 3. An Early National Flag. The flag with the thirteen alternate red and white stripes with the thirteen stars in a circle on a blue field was one of the early forms of the national standard. It was given by Mr. Stephen Greene, of Philadelphia. 88 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 4. The Pulaski Banner. The cavalry guidon of crimson silk is a reproduction of that made by the Moravian sisters and presented by the women of Baltimore, Md., to the inde- pendent corps raised in that city by Count Pulaski. It was given by Messrs. Aaron Hess, Son & Howell, of Atlanta, Georgia, for many years business and personal friends of Mr. Charles Custis Harrison. 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. It is the work of Samuel Yellin, the great artist in iron work. The arms of the Huntington family occupy the upper portion of the central panel. Cut in the oak is the following inscription : TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN HONOR OF JEDEDIAH HUNTINGTON BRIGADIER GENERAL CONTINENTAL ARMY I 777- I 783 THIS DOOR IS GIVEN BY HIS DESCENDANTS 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 wc-^ made by Mrs. William Gumming 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 A THE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 89 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, I916 The Prayer Desk. 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. It was first used when two hun- 90 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. dred and fifty sailors and marines, after silent prayer for the Nation, sang America with this fine instrument. It was formally dedicated by the Right Reverend Thomas J. Garland, S.T.D., November 17, 191 7. The presentation was made by Mr. William L. Austin, and the gift was accepted by the Rev. W. Herbert Burk. During the organ recital, which followed the dedication, Mr. Frederick Maxson gave for the first time the Memorial Fantasia, written by him for this occasion and dedicated to Mr. Austin. The tablet on the console bears the following inscription : FOR THE PRAISE OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF HIS REVOLUTIONARY ANCESTOR DAVID SNYDFR, LIEUTENANT Ol* LIGHT DRAGOONS OF PHILADELPHIA THIS ORGAN IS PRESENTED BY WILLIAM L. AUSTIN OF PHILADELPHIA The Memorial Choristerships. — In order to maintain for all time at Valley Forge a national choir representative of the musical ability of the American people, an endowment fund must be secured. To this en 1 perpetual choristerships are planned, each of which may be made a memorial and bear the name of the person commemorated or that of the donor. The income of each will be used for a chorister's salary. The Memorial Choristerships will be endowed in the sums of $25,000, $10,000 and $5,000 each. The Memorial Lam^cs— The Memorial Lamps were designed by Mr. Milton B. Medary, Jr., and were made by Mr. Hollingsworth Pierce. They are hand-carved lead, adorned with illuminated in:cripticns and family arms, and are graceful in design and decorative in effect. Each lamp contains six electric lights and is suspended from the ceiling by blue and white cords. The lamps are arranged in the following order, beginning in the choir in front of the organ consul and reading from west to east : The Benjamin Rush Lamp — BENJAMIN RUSH, M.D. ) : SIGNER Ol' THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE PHYSICIAN, STATESMAN, PHILOSOPHER THE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. QI SURGEON AND PHYSICIAN GENERAL AMERICAN ARMY AT VALLEY FORGE, 1 777-1 778 BORN DEC. 24, 1745. DIED APRIL 1 9, 1813 PRESENTED BY HIS GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER CATHERINE MURRAY RUSH (mrs. WILLIAM MASTERS CAMAC) The Maurice Heckscher Lamp — IN MEMORIAM MAURICE HECKSCHER NOVEMBER 22ND, 1865 SEPTEMBER 29TH, 1905 REQUIESCAT IN PACE The Theodore E. Wiedersheim Lamp — TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OE THEODORE E. WIEDERSHEIM 1846-I916 GIVEN BY KATHARINE W. SCULL AND WILLIAM A. WIEDERSHEIM, 2ND The John Harrison Lamp — IN MEMORY OF MY DEAR HUSBAND JOHN HARRISON BORN MARCH 20TH, 1834 DIED FEBRUARY 8TH, I9C9 The Fleurette De Benneville Bell Lamp — IN MEMORY OF FLEURETTE DE BEN NEVILLE BELL 1861-I916 WIFE OF JOHN CROMWELL BELL The Virginia Lamp — THE GIFT OF WM; WINDER LAIRD OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE IN AFFECTIONATE REMEMBRANCE OF VIRGINIA The Theodore Roosevelt Lamp — TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN HONOR OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT GIVEN BY DAVID REEVES 92 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. The Frederick McOwen Lamp — PRESENTED BY FREDERICK MCOWEN WHO SERVED HIS COUNTRY THROUGHOUT THE CIVIL WAR 1861-1865 The Francis Forbes Milne Lamp — IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF 1837 FRANCIS FORBES MILNE I912 THE GIFT OF HIS WIDOW ANNIE CLYDE MILNE, I918 The William Simpson Lamp — IN MEMORY OF WILLIAM SIMPSON APRIL 21, 1812 — JUNE 28, 1888 THE LORD SHALL BE UNTO THEE AN EVERLASTING LIGHT THE GIFT OF ELLEN SIMPSON BROWN The William Elliott Lamp— IN MEMORY OF WILLIAM ELLIOTT WHO SERVED AS A COLOR BEARER UNDER COL. WASHINGTON AT BRADDOCK's DEFEAT WILLIAM ELLIOTT WAS GRANTED 20OO ACRES OE LAND FOR HIS SERVICCS RENDERED COL. WASHINGTON IN RALLYING THE AMBUSCADED TROOPS The Charles Custis Harrison Lamp — THE GIFT OF WALTER E. HERING OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA A TOKEN OF MANY YEARS OF MUTUAL FRIENDSHIP WITH CHARLES CUSTIS HARRISON The J. Franklin McFadden Lamp — THE GIFT OF J. FRANKLIN MC FADDEN I9IO — CAPTAIN FIRST TROOP — 1917 PHILADELPHIA CITY CAVALRY THE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. QJ. The Gershom Flagg Lamp — THE GIFT OF STANLEY GRISWOLD FLAGG, JR. IN MEMORY OF LIEUTENANT GERSHOM FLAGG i6TH APRIL, 164I — 6th JULY, 169O The Sanctuary. — At the entrance to the Sanctuary is the beautiful Sanctuary 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 Chancel Rail. — The Chancel Rail at the entrance of the Sanctuary was given by Miss Caroline S. Sinkler, in memory of Eckley Brinton Coxe, Jr. It is of hand-carved oak, upholstered in blue and white velvet and the kneeling cushions are of the same material. Beneath the rail is cut the following inscription : To THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN GRATEFUL AND REVERENT MEMORY OF ECKLEY BRINTON COXE, JR. 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 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 14, 1799 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 WANAMAKER A. D. I916 I ■ ! 94 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. Cut in the steps leading to the Altar are the following lines by Alfred Tennyson: "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." NaME-PlATE FROM THE OUTER CaSE OF WASHINGTON'S COFFIN. Washington's Prayer for the Nation will be hammered in silver and set on the tall stone base of the cross. This was a part of "Washington's Legacy,'' as it was called, written at Newburg, June 8, 1783. It is used daily in the Chapel, in a slightly modified form. The original form is: "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 ; THE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 95 and finally, that He would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility 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." It is carved wood, painted and gilded. The figures of the four Evangelists are carved ivory. The inscription is : TO THE MEMORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN i8c9 1865 It stands in a deep niche and is raised several feet above the altar by a buttressed base of Indiana limestone on which are carved two angels in adoration. Above it is a richly carved stone canopy, whose pinnacles rise above the window sill over the reredos. The Altar Vases. The Altar Vases are made of wood, carved, gilded and painted. The one on the left was given by Mrs. William H. Whitridge, in memory of First Lieutenant Thomas Johnston, of the Continental Army. It bears the fol- lowing inscription : TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF THOMAS JOHNSTON, I744-1819, FIRST LIEUTENANT PENNSYLVA- NIA BATTALION, WOUNDED AT LONG ISLAND, LIEUTEN- ANT I3TH PENNA. REGIMENT CONTINENTAL LINE, ^AND THOMAS TEACKLE III APRIL I5, 1735 — AUGUST I5, 1784 MEMBER OF THE VIGILANCE COMMITTEE OF ACCOMAC COUNTY, VA. GIVEN BY MRS. WILLIAM H. WHITRIDGE The arms of Washington, the Washington Memorial Chapel, and of the Diocese of Virginia and Pennsylvania are painted on the vase. The National Society of the United States Daughters of 1812 gave the five vases, in honor of George Washington, the first President of the United States. On each vase are painted the insignia of the Society, the arms of Washington, of the 96 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. Diocese of Pennsylvania and the Washington Memorial Chapel. Each vase bears this inscription : To GEORGF, WASHINGTON, LIRST PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, FIRST IN PEACE I784-I799. NATIONAL SOCIETY UNITED STATES DAUGHTERS OF l8l2 The Victory Day Memorial Flowers.— Every day of the year commemorates a victory of the American flag, and the founder of the Chapel has made the happy suggestion that these days should be kept at Valley Forge by placing fresh flowers on the Washington altar, in honor of the men who won these victories. As the flowers may be given in memory of any per- son or event, in most cases they will have that double significance which is such an interesting feature of the Chapel. Special days, such as birthdays or anniversaries may be kept by pro- viding the flowers for those days, or they may be endowed for perpetual commemoration. By giving $200 for the endowment -of a day the annual income of this amount will be used to place flowers on the Washington altar in honor of the person or event •commemorated. The following days have been endowed in perpetuity : April 3 — In memory of Alvah Crocker, Jr., 2nd Lieutenant ^Engineer Reserve Officers Corps, U. S. A., who died in the service of his country June 15, 1918. The gift of his mother, Mrs. Charlotte Crocker, Fitchburg, Mass. April 7 — In memory of Harriet Slade Crombie, daughter of Mrs. W. Gerry Slade, President of the National Society United States Daughters of 1812, State of New York. Given by the Society. May 2'] — In commemoration of the Founding of the State Society and in memory of the first State President, Mrs. Louis Williams Hall. Given by the National Society United States Daughters of 1812, State of Pennsylvania. August II — In memory of Henry Tetlow. Given by his wife, Mrs. Eliza Jarman Tetlow. The Altar Bcok-Rest.— The Altar Book-Rest was given by the members of the Washington Chapel Guild, in memory of one of its first and most devoted members, Mrs. Winfield WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 97 Wilson. It is of cast bronze and bears, in addition to the I H S and the cross, the arms of Washington. The inscription reads : IN MKMORY of EMMA JANE WILSON, AUGUST 3 1, 1825 SEPTEMBER 18, 1907. THE GIFT OF THE WASHINGTON GUILD 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, AIiNNiE Murdoch Kendrick, THIS Credence is Erected BY the Quaker City Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution September 5, 1916. Seal of the Washington Memorial Chapel. 98 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 Coui-t of Common Pleas, Philadelphia, and T. Lane Bean, Esq., of Norristown. The credence on the left or Gospel side of the altar was given by Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Ro1)inette. The Sedilia. — The stone sedilia, or clergy seats, with their richly carved canopies, commemorate Washington's Rectors and thus tell of his religious life, and bear witness to his devotion to the Church, of which he was a devout and active member. Among his rectors were two bishops of the Protestant Episcopal Church Bishop White and Bishop Provoost. The Bishop White Sedile.- The Bishop's Sedile is the central one on the left, beneath the Bishop White Window. It v/as given by Mrs. Charles Custis Harrison, in memory of the Rt. Rev. William White, D.D., a Rector of Christ Church, Philadelphia, 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- crocketed arch above the sedile has as its finial a bishop's miter. Beneath the canopy are carved the arms of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, with the miter, crozier and key. The cushions of all the sedilia were given by Mrs. Harrison, and are made of blue and white velvet, as these were the colors of Washington's Life Guard. The Rev. Lee Massey and the Rev. Bryan Fairfax Sedile. — The sedile to the right was given in by the members of the Washington Memorial Chapel and of the Church of the Advent, Cape May, N. J., in memory of the Rev. Francis Thompson Howell Finn, the first assistant minister of the Chapel, and in honor of two of Washington's rectors, the Rev. Lee Massey and the Rev. Bryan Fairfax. It was dedicated June 19, 1918, when the Rev. W. Herbert Burk paid a well- deserved tribute to his beloved friend and co-worker who THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. 99 labored with such zeal and self-sacrifice for the upbuilding of the congregation and endeared himself to the whole com- munity. The inscription is as follows : TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN HONOR OF THE REVEREND LEE MASSEY RECTOR OF TRURO PARISH, VIRGINIA 1767—1777 AND OF THE ^ REVEREND BRYAN FAIRFAX - i RECTOR OF CHRIST CHURCH, ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA i. 1790 — 1792 AND IN MEMORY OF THE REV. FRANCIS THOMPSON HOWELL FINN O ''1 FIRST ASSISTANT MINISTER OF THE | WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL 1906-1910 I THIS SEDILE IS GIVEN BY THE " CONGREGATIONS OF THE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL AND OF THE CHURCH OF THE ADVENT ' ' • \ CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY ' ] I918 '"] The Rev. David Griffith Sedile.— The sedile to the left of the bishops' sedile was given by the Pennsylvania Society of New England Women, in honor of the Rev. David Griffith, one of Washington's rectors, and of the Rev. William Montague, rector of Christ Church, Boston, Mass., 1786-1792. It was dedi- cated May 10, 1917. The sedile was presented by Mrs. C. Howard Clark, Jr., President of the Society, and accepted by the Rev. W. Herbert Burk. Addresses were made by the Rev. William H. Dewart, rector of Christ Church, Boston, and the Rev. Floyd W. Tomkins. rector of Holy Trinity Church, Phila- delphia. Below the insignia of the Society is the following inscription : lOO GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF REV. DAVID GRIFFITH RECTOR OF CHRIST CHURCH ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA, I779-I789 j ! AND OF I REV, WILLIAM MONTAGUE j • RECTOR OF CHRIST CHURCH I BOSTON, MASS., I786-I792 WHO IN HIS YOUTH FOR HIS COUNTRY AND IN OLD AGE FOR HIS CHURCH VALIANTLY FOUGHT ■ PLACED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA SOCIETIY OF . ' NEW ENGLAND WOMEN I916 The Bishop Provoost Sedile.— Opposite the bishops^ sedile is that given by the late Mrs. John L. Harrison, in honor of the Rt. Rev. Samuel Provoost. the first bishop of New York, and of one of her ancestors, Lieutenant Joseph Gibbs, of the Massachusetts Militia. Bishop Provoost was an ardent patriot and served as chaplain of the Continental Congress when it removed from Trenton to New York. He also served as chaplain of the United States Senate. He read the prayers in St. Paul's Church after Washington's inauguration. The in- scription is : TO THE GLORY OF GOD IN HONOR OF THE RIGHT REVEREND SAMUEL PROVOOST FIRST BISHOP or NEW YORK AND IN MEMORY OF JOSEPH GIBBS, 1 727- 1805 LIEUTENANT 3RD MIDDLESEX REGIMENT FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR, 1759 i LIEUTENANT MASSACHUSETTS MILITIA ' . WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE THIS SEDILE IS GIVEN BY HIS GREAT-GRANDDAUGHTER EMILY LELAND HARRISON I917 THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. lOI The Rev. Thomas Davis Sedile.— To the left of the Bishop Provoost Sedile is that given by Philadelphia Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, in honor of the Rev. Thomas Davis, Washington's last rector. He officiated at his funeral. The sedile 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 I775-I778 UNDER GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON RECTOR OF CHRIST CHURCH, ALEXANDRIA, VA. I792-1806 OFFICIATED AT THE FUNERAL OF GEORGE WASHINGTON PLACED BY THE PHILADELPHIA CHAPTER DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION I916 The Rev. Charles Green Sedile.— The sedile to the right of the Bishop Provoost Sedile was given by the Society of the Cincinnati, in honor of Washington, the first president general of the Society, and of the Rev. Charles Green, M.D., one of Washington's rectors. The insignia of the Society is carved above the inscription, which is as follows : To THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN HONOR OF GEORGE WASHINGTON THE FIRST PRESIDENT GENERAL OF THE SOCIETY OF THE CINCINNATI AND IN MEMORY OF THE REVEREND CHARLES GREEN, M.D. FIRST REGULAR RECTOR OF TRURO PARISH, VIRGINIA 1737-I765 THIS SEDILE IS GIVEN RY THE SOCIETY OF THE CINCINNATI I02 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. The Memorial Windows.— The greatest glory of the Washington Memorial Chapel is to be found in the memorial windows, in which the glorious colors of the old world glass depict the story of the new world, its discovery and development. Created in the style and with the long-lost spirit of the world- famous windows of Chartres Cathedral, France, they entrance the eye and inspire the soul. For these great works of art America is indebted to the talented artist Nicola D'Ascenzo, In whose studios in Philadelphia they were designed and made. ' ^ A ^> Copyright^ Nicola D'Ascenzo Cartoon— Three Saints of the Engush Church . St. Augustine, St. Columba and St. Patrick The artist has faithfully followed the theme of the founder of the Chapel in all its breadth of vision and minuteness of detail. Briefly, the theme is this • Beginning with the great window over the altar, which represents the Lord Jesus Christ filling all life and giving to men the fuller life; the window to the left tells of the carrying of the Gospel to the Nations of the Earth. WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 103 Over the pulpit will be a window representing the new birth seen in the freedom of thought, and over the lectern, one showing the freedom of the Bible. Then follow the windows of Discovery, Settlement, Expansion, Development, Revolution, Patriotism, Democracy and Union, The last window, over the entrance, shows the union of all these influences of rehgion, literature, art, science and institutions in the greatest American, the Father of his Country. The visitor will find this plan helpful in study- ing the windows : The Sanctuary. I. Jesus Christ and The Abundant Life. Service Through Sacrifice. 2. Jesus Christ and the Nations. The Nave. 3- The New Birth and the 4. Freedom Th New Freedom. 5- Discovery. 6. Settlement. 7. Expansion. 8. Development. 9- The Revolution. 10. Patriotism. [I. Democracy. 12. Union. 13- The American. As in the other memorials, the windows carry in most cases a double commemoration, which is a? follows : The Sanctuary. I. Martha Washington. 2. The Right Rev. William White. The Nave. 3. Benjamin Frankhn. 4- Thomas Jefferson. 5. Nathanael Greene. 6. Lafayette. 7. Anthony Wayne. 8. Robert Morris. 9. John Paul Jones and lo. Dr. John Houston. Richard Dale. II. Alexander Hamilton. 12. Benjamin Lincoln. 13. George Washington. The windows are made in red and blue tones, so that, with the white walls between, the national colors are shown throughout the Chapel. Each window is based upon a saying of our Lord Tesus Christ. 104 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. THE ABUNDANT LIFE SERVICE THROUGH SACRIFICE The Martha Washington Window The Pennsylvania Society, Colonial Dames of America, had the honor of giving the wonderful window over the altar as a memorial of Martha Washington. Its theme is service through sacrifice, and in its conception the dominant thought was the words of our Lord Jesus Christ : "I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly." The top represents the angelic hierarchy, as representing God's providence. In the lower openings He is shown in relation to man's fivefold inheritance, of which the following is a key: Literature Institutions Religion Science Art The Law. Christ and the Doctors. The Fanily. The Marriage at Cana. The Resurrection. The Women leaving the Tomb. Quelling the Storm. Beauty. The Lily of the Field. 'he Prophets. Jesus reads he Prophets. The Family. Blessing the Children The Crucifixion. Healing the Sick. Music. The Hymn before the Crucifixion. The Gospel. The Sermon n the Mount. The Church. The Kingdom of God. The Work of Dorcas. Consecration. The Baptism. Raising the Dead. Painting. Jesus the Model. Truth. Christ before Pilate. The Nation. Tribute to Caesar. Incarnation The Adoration. The Sower. Sculpture. Entering the Synagogue at Capernaum. Freedom. n the Wheat Fields. The Nation. The Brotherhood The Pentecost. Feeding the Multitude. Architecture. Jesus Christ with the Chapel. WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 105 The window was dedicated by the Rt. Rev. Philip M. Rhinelander, S.T.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, June 12, 1919. The address of presentation was made by the President of the Society, Mrs. James Starr, Jr., and the his- torical address was made by the Rev. Dr. Burk. The inscrip- tion of dedication is : TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN HONOR OF MARTHA WASHINGTON AS A MEMORIAL OF SACRIFICE THIS WINDOW IS PLACED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA SOCIETY OF THE COLONIAL DAMES OF AMERICA 1918 Copyright, Nicola D'Ascenso Collegers- Washington Receives an Honorary Degree erom the University oe Pennsyevania I06 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 2. The Bishop White Window The blue window to the left was the gift of the late Miss Harriet Blanchard, and was given in honor of the Rt. Rev. William White, first Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. It tells the story of the Church's conquest of the world in obedience to the great command of the Captain of our Salva- tion : "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Beginning at the top on the right the subjects are: (i) St. Peter Preaching at Jerusalem; (2) St. Paul Preaching at Antioch; (3) St. Paul Before Nero; (4) The Council of Copyright, Nicola D'Ascenzo The Evacuation of Boston Aries, 314 A. D., attended by three British Bishops; (5) The Arch of Constantine, marking the conquest of the Roman Empire by the Church of Christ. On the left in the lunette, St. Boniface destroys Thor's Oak. (6) The Baptism of Clovis; (7) Three Saints of the English Church, St. Patrick, WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 107 St. Columba and St. Augustine ; (8) The Baptism of Poca- hontas ; (9) The EngHsh Church in America, represented by the two great societies the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge and the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel; (10) The Facade of the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul Washington, D. C. The inscription is as follows : IN MEMORY OF THE RT. REV. WIEEIAM WHITE FIRST BISHOP OF PENNSYXrVANIA THE GIFT OF MISS HARRIET BLANCHARD IN MEMORY OF HER SISTERS ANNA BLANCHARD MARIA BLANCHARD Copyright, Nicola D'Ascenzo The Battle Between the Bon Homme Richard and the Serapis 3. The New Birth and the New Freedom The Benjamin Franklin Window (Not Placed) I08 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 4. Freedom Through Truth The Thomas Jefferson Window (Not Placed) 5. The Window of Discovery The Nathanael Greene Window The discovery of America was one of the greatest results of the New Birth, or Renaissance, and the window which tells the story of those heroic adventurers who crossed the un- charted seas, was given in memory of the late Henry Tetlow, by his wife. The window also commemorates General Na- thanael Greene. The subjects are as follows, beginning at the top on the left, and reading from left to right: (i) The Landing of Columbus; (2) John Cabot Discovers North America; (3) Americus Vespucius and the Great Discoverers; (4) Vasco Nunez de Balboa Discovers the Pacific Ocean; (5) Magellen Sails into the Pacific Ocean ; (6) Sir Francis Drake Receives Communion at the Golden Gate; (7) Jacques Cartier takes Possession of the Gaspe Coast; (8) The Burial of De Soto, the Discoverer of the Mississippi River; (9) Henry Hudson Seeks the Northwest Passage; (10) Martin Frobisher Receives the Tribute of North America; (11) Rev. Richard Hakluyt and Henry Hudson; (12) Sir Walter Raleigh and his Victory at Cadiz. The religious theme of the window is "Seek and ye shall find." To THE GLORY OF GOD IN HONOR OF MAJOR GENERAL NATHANAEL GREENE CONTINENTAL ARMY, VALLEY FORGE AND IN LOVING MEMORY OF HENRY TETLOW THIS WINDOW IS GIVEN BY HIS WIFE ELIZA JARMAN TETLOW 6. The Window of Settlement The Lafayette Window When France was striving to hold back the Hun and save civilization to the world, Mr. Daniel Baugh gave the Lafayette Window in appreciation of his services to the American people and France's aid in the War of the Revolution. The window tells the story of the Settlement of America, and recognizes WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 109 both the racial and religious forces involved. At the top on the left (i) the Foundation of St. Augustine is represented by Menendez leaving the city which he had established, (2) while on the right is shown the Settlement of Jamestown. Then follow (3) the First Communion at Jamestown, the (4) First Deliberative Assembly held in America, representing the Old Church and the new State in the new land. Then follow (5) the Signing of the Compact in the Cabin of the May- flower; (6) The Purchase of Alanhattan ; (7) The Landing Copyright, Nicola D'Ascenzo Putnam Leaving the Peow of the Swedes; (8) Penn's Treaty with the Indians; (9) Pastorius Welcoming the German Immigrants; (10) Granting the Franchise to the French Huguenots; (11) The Scotch-Irish Settlement, represented by the Rev. William Tennent teaching in front of the Log College; and (12) Lord Ogelthorpe firing the last Shot at Savannah and the Disappearance of the Spanish Ships from the Atlantic Coast. The words of our Lord upon which it is based are "Knock and it shall be opened unto you." 1 lO GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 7. The Window of Expansion The General Anthony Wayne Window (Not Placed) 8. The Window of Development The Roberc Morris Window How much of the success of the struggle for Independence was due to the p-^.triotism and self-sacrifice of Robert Morris, the financier of the Revolution, has never been appreciated by the American people. In his honor Mrs. Charles Custis Har- rison, his great grand-daughter, has given the Window of Development. In its medallions are represented (i) Agricul- ture, Washington trying the plow, which he invented ; to the right (2) Commerce, Robert Morris loading his ships at Phila- delphia; (3) The Stage Coach; (4) The Despatch Rider; (s) Schools, Thomas Jefiferson and his grandchildren in front of the field school which they attended; (6) Colleges, George Washington receiving the degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Pennsylvania, of which Robert Morris was a trustee, and for which Mr. Charles Custis Harrison has done so much as trustee and provost; (7) Franklin and his Printing Press; (8) Robert Morris buying a Copy of the Pennsylvania Gazette, in front of Franklin's book-shop next to Christ Church, Philadelphia; (9) Literature. Franklin and other writers; (10) Religion, Bishop White, the Wesleys and Jonathan Edwards; (11) Art, Benjamin West painting the Fall of Wolfe, which created a revolution in English art. By his side are his Ameri- can pupils, Gilbert Stuart, John Trumbull and Charles Willson Peale. The last subject is (12) Science, in which David Rittenhouse is explaining his orerery to Franklin. The religious theme is the parable of the leaven. The inscription is as follows: IN MEMORY OF ROBERT MORRIS FINANCIER OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION THE GIFT OF HIS GREAT-GRANDDAUGHTER ELEEN WALN HARRISON WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. Ill 9. The Window of the Revolution The John Paul Jones and Richard Dale Window The Window of the Revolution was given in honor of John Paul Jones and Richard Dale by the descendant of the latter, Edward C. Dale. The background of the window is the sea, with ships and shells and sea-horses, etc. The story of the Revolution is told in the medallions which portray the following subjects (i) Tearing down the Stamp Act; (2) below it, The Battle of Lexington; (3) Washington Taking Command at Cambridge; (4) The Evacuation of Boston; (5) Washington Crossing the Delaware ; (6) The Surrender of Copyright, Nicola D'Ascenso Washington Wearing His Uniform Burgoyne; (7) at the top on the right. Building the Huts at Valley Forge; (8) Martha Washington Ministering to a Sick Soldier at Valley Forge; (9) Celebrating the French Alliance at Valley Forge, May 6, 1778; (10) The Battle of the Bon Homme 112 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. Richard with the Serapis ; (ii) The Surrender of Lord Corn- wallis at Yorktown. The last scene (12) represents the return of the soldier and the hanging up of the musket. This peace note is due to the text of the window : 'Tn the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." 10. The Window of Patriotism The Dr. John Houston Window The decendants of Dr. John Houston, a surgeon in the Revolution, gave the Window of Patriotism in his honor. It represents that spirit of patriotism which animated the Ameri- can people in the War of the Revolution and in which it was fought and won. It includes the following subjects: (i) The Spirit of '76; (2) Conciliation, Franklin pleading the cause of America in the English Parliament; (3) The Boston Tea Party; (4) The Minute Men; (5) Patrick Henry Making his Famous Speech; (6) Reading "Common Sense"*with the author, Thomas Paine, standing in the center of the group; (7) Putnam Leaving the Plow; (8) Washington Wearing his Uni- form; (9) Robert Morris Paying the Troops; (10) Signing the Oath of Allegiance at Valley Forge; (11) Ministering to the Sick at Valley Forge; (12) Washington and his Troops at Valley Forge, suggesting his tribute to them: "Naked and starving as they are, we cannot enough admire the incom- parable patience and fidelity of the soldiery." The whole window is full of the spirit found in our Lord's words : "Who- soever shall seek to save his life shall lose it, and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it." 11. The Window of Democracy The Alexander Hamilton Window (Not Placed) 12. The Window of the Union The Benjamin Lincoln Window The last window of the national history is that of the Union, and is based upon our Lord's great prayer for unity— "That they all may be one." It was given by Dr. Thomas G. Ashton and Mary Lincoln Ashton, in honor of Major General Benjamin Lincoln, who was Mrs. Ashton's great great grand- WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 113 father. At the top on the left (i) Brotherhood is represented by Washington receiving Lafayette at Mount Vernon ; while on the right (2) Jurisprudence is typified by Marshall and Story. Then follow these scenes in which are shown the forces which led to the formation of the American Union, such as : (3) Three Party Leaders in Debate; (4)- Five Authors of the "Federalist"; (5) Five Founders of the Republic; (6) The Ship Builders, suggesting Longfellow's lines — "Sail on Thou Ship of State"; (7) Hamilton Expounding the Constitution; (8) The Union, represented by the arms of the Thirteen <• -p — " .k ^ ■ ■ — * t fi. . -.m, *^^«^ ^ '-h '•mm " <*^ -^ ** * 1 - / ^"•"^' Copyright, Nicola D'Ascenzo Hamilton Expounding the Constitution States; (9) The First Election of Washington; (10) The First Inauguration of Washington; (11) The Arms of the United States; (12) The Capitol at Washington. Cut in the stone of the sill is the following inscription: 114 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF JANUARY 24, 1723 BENJAMIN LINCOLN MAY 9, 181O MAJOR GENERAL IN THE CONTINENTAL ARMY WOUNDED AT SARATOGA RECEIVED THE SWORD OF LORD CORNWALLIS AT YORKTOWN FIRST SECRETARY OF WAR THIS WINDOW IS GIVEN BY THOMAS G. ASHTON AND MARY LINCOLN ASHTON, HIS GREAT GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER 13. The American The George Washington Window In the George Washington Window an attempt has been made to picture the Hfe of George Washington as the ideal American. In the small openings at the top are shown Wash- ington as the yomig surveyor the Virginia colonel, Commander- in-Chief of the American Army and the President of the United States. Beneath these are four soldiers of the Revolution. Throughout the window are many small pictures of articles associated with Washington, as his compass and swords, coach, etc. His life is shown in three stages ; Washington the Vir- ginian, Washington the Patriot, Washington the American. In the six openings are the following scenes in his life : In the first opening (i) Baptism of George Washington; (2) Wash- ington his own Teacher; (3) Washington the Surveyor; (4) Washington the King's Messenger; (5) Washington's First Defeat; (6) The Burial of Braddock; in the second opening, (i) Washington at Fort Duquesne; (8) Washington's Marriage; (9) Washington the Planter; (10) Washington the Church Builder; (11) Washington Keeps the Fast Day; (12) Wash- ington Leaves for the Continental Congress ; in the third open- ing, (13) Washington Accepts the Office of Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Forces; (14) Washington Fortifies Dor- chester Heights; (15) Washington Saves the Army at Long Island; (16) Washington Wins the Battle of Princeton; (17) Washington's Prayer at Valley Forge; (18) Washington Creates the American Army; in the fourth opening, (19) Washington's Evacuation of Valley Forge; (20) Washington Fires the First Gun at Yorktown; (21) Washington Thanks Count De Grasse; (22) Washington and His Mother Celebrate the Victory; (23) WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 115 Washington Quells a Rebellion; (24) Washington Surrenders His Commission; in the fifth opening, (25) Peace on Earth; (26) Washington at Home ; (27) Washington Presides at the Federal Con ;ention ; (28) Washington Visits Valley Forge; (29) V/ashington is Notified of His Election as President; (30) Washington Receives His Mother's Blessing; in the sixth ■opening, (31) The President's Preparation; (32) Washington and His First Cabinet; (33) Washington Lays the Corner-Stone of the Capitol; (34) Washington and the Farewell Address; (35) Sunset in the Garden; (36) Peace at Eventide. As religion v/as the foundation of the noble character of Wash- ington, the words of Christ suggested by the window are : "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you." The Washington Memorial Chapel the Republic's History. — As St. Mark's, Venice, is the Bible in stone, so the Washington 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 symbolize 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. ri6 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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. Georgia — Mr. Charles Adamson, in memory of his father, Thomas Adamson, for thirty-two years in the Consular Service of the United States. Connecticut — Miss Edith Kingsbury, in memory of Frederick John Kingsbury, 1823-1910. Massachusetts — Mr. S. W. Colton, Jr. Maryland — The Daughters of the American Revolution of Maryland. South Carolina — Mrs. Francis G. du Pont. New Hampshire — Mr. Arthur Emmons Pearson and Miss Nella Jane Pearson, in commemoration of a pilgrimage from New England to the Chapel by their parents, William Henry Pearson and Nancy Delia Benjamin, his wife. May 28, 1917. Virginia — .V Great-Granddaiighter of Edmund Randolph. New York — Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt. Rhode Island — The Patriotic Societies of Rhode Island. Kentucky — The Patriotic Societies and Individuals of Ken- tucky. Ohio — The Ohio State Society, Daughters of the American Revolution. Louisiana — Mrs. Charlotte H. C. Houston. Illinois — The Patriotic Societies of Illinois. Maine — Mr. Henry D. Moore, who was born at Steuben, Washington County, Maine. Missouri — -Missouri Society of the Sons of the Revolution. Michigan — The Patriotic Societies of Michigan. Texas — Mrs. Thomas S. Maxey. Minnesota — Through the Colonial Dames of America in Minnesota. Oregon — Miss Failing. Colorado. — The Territorial Daughters of Colorado. The Porch of the Allies. — Along the front of the Patriots' Hall will be the Porch of the Allies, a noble memorial WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 117 of those soldiers of the old world who strove to win the freedom of the new. 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 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. 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 Peace Chime. — In the tower will be placed the "Peace Chime," consisting of thirteen bells. Each of these will represent a colony, and may be a memorial of one or more of its citizens. The arms of the State and the memorial in- scription will be cast on the bell. "The Paul Revere Bell" will be the gift of the Daughters of the American Revolution of Massachusetts. 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 Il8 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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 us^; 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. 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 John and Mary Schofield Collection of Indian Relics,. including many of the choicest specimens from the- famous H. L. Johnson Collection. The Charles Holstein Beyer Collection of Indian Relics. found at Valley Forge. 11- ■ Thanksgiving Tower, Patriots' Hall, Porch of the Allies AND Washington Memorial Library. 120 GUIDE TO VALLEY FOP.GE. The Colonial Period. Collection of Pennsylvania German Relics. Valley Forge Collection, including the famous George H. Anders Collection. The War of the Revolution — Washington's Marquee. Washingtoniana. Valley Forge Collection. I The Mary Regina Bricc Collection of Docunui.is The Period of Construction. The Civil War. The Dr. Louis W. Read Collection , The Adjutant General Wiemer Bedford Collection. The Flag of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army of the United States. Original in the Valley Forge Museum of American History. WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 121 The William D. T. Travis Collection of Civil War Relics, made by Mr. Travis, a staff artist in that conflict, and presented in his memory by his widow. The Spanish-American War. The Spear Collection. The Marie E, Moore Collection The World War. Relics of the World War are now being received, and it is planned to make this one of the most complete col- lections in this country. Genefal. The Li] la S. Pechin American Stamp Collection. The xMary Elizabeth Sc'iofield Collection. The Reginald L. Hart Collection of Military Buttons. The Thomas H. Schollenberger Collection of Historical China, made by the late Thomas H. Schollenberger and given in his memory by his sister, Mrs, S. R. Bartholomew, and his niece. Miss Mary White Bartholomew. This very valuable collection contains several thousand specimens of rare china. "The Lilla S. Pechin Stamp Collection" is one of the most complete collections of the stamps of the United States in the country. "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 Willson Peale, who painted his portrait at Valley Forge ; the silk breeches worn by him when President; fragments 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. 122 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. Among the treasures of the museum are the original cheque for $120,000, given to General Lafayette in appreciation of his services during the Revolution, his "camp stove," 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 collection includes articles from the Howard Pyle collection — original uniforms 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. Copyright by Harper & Brother. Washington's War Tents, 1852. 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 "Pretarium of Valor," as it has been called, WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 123 has had a remarkable history, which may be briefly summarized as follows : The sleeping tent and larger dining-tent were made in Philadelphia, 1775 or 1776. 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 Mi Custis presented the dining-tent to the Government. 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 Arlingtoi^ 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 tcr 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 124 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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 was to be raised by the exhibition of the tent and the money goes to the support of the "Old Confederate Woman's Home," in Rich- mond, of which Miss Lee was the president. The Maine Marker. — At the request of General S. K. Zook, Post No. II, 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 WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 125 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. 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 feg 126 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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 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 over 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." On Washington's Birthday, 1919, there was formally un- veiled a remarkable portrait of Washington by Gilbert Stuart, given to the Society by Dr. J. Ackerman Coles, of New York. This portrait at one time belonged to Washington Irving, and hung in his library. At present this is hung in the Chapel. It bears the following inscriptions : GEORGE WASHINGTON BY GILBERT STUART FROM THE ESTATE AND HOME C'sUNNYSIDE/' NEW YORK) OF WASHINGTON IRVING A GIFT FROM J. ACKERMAN COLES, M.D., LL.D. Washington's Headquarters' Flag. — Miss Fannie B. I-ovell 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 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. WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 127 The Valley Forge Historical Society. — The Valley Forge Historical Society was organized by the Rev. W. Herbert Burk, D.D., June 19, 1918, to collect and preserve documents and relics relating to Valley Forge and to the history of the United States of America; to foster, preserve and extend the spirit of Valley Forge ; and to these ends to maintain the Valley Forge Museum of American History and the Washington Memorial Library. It is a national organization worthy of the generous support and hearty co-operation of every American. The members are of five classes : 1. Perpetual Benefactors, who pay $5000.00 each to the Endowment Fund. 2. Life Benefactors, who pay $iooo.cx) to the Endowment Fund. 3. Perpetual Patrons, who pay $200.00 each to the Endow- ment Fund. 4. Life Patrons, who pay $50.00 each to the Endowment Fund. 5. Active Members, who pay $5.00 annually for the support,' of the work. The following are the Perpetual Patrons : Miss Sarah R. Chew, New Jersey. Mrs. Ann Hunter Wood (Mrs. Alan Wood). In memoriam. Pennsylvania. Mrs. Henry Reed Hatfield, Pennsylvania. Mrs. John L. Harrison. In memoriam. Pennsylvania. Mrs. James G. Wells, Pennsylvania. The Life Patrons are : Mrs. Erastus Gaylord Putnam, New Jersey. Mr. William Henry Pearson, Massachusetts. Mrs. Harvey C. Gresh, Pennsylvania. *Mrs. Alan Wood, Jr., Pennsylvania. Mr. HoUinshead N. Taylor, Pennsylvania. Mr. Jacob D. Sallade, Pennsylvania. J. W. Walker, Pennsylvania. Miss Edith Davies Kingsbury, Connecticut. Miss Hepsey Norris Wells, Pennsylvania. Mr. Arthur Emmons Pearson, Massachusetts. Mrs. Hampton L. Carson, Pennsylvania. ♦Deceased. 128 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. The Greatest Museum of National History. — The Valley Forge Historical Society has adopted a comprehensive plan for a museum of national history, representative of all periods of American history. It will include eight buildings in addition to the administration group or Washington Memo- rial. The periods and buildings will be as follows : The Aborigines — Pocahontas Hall. The European Background — Raleigh Hall. The Colonial Period — Franklin Hall. The War of the Revolution — Washington Hall. The Period of National Development — Jefferson Hall. The Civil War — Lincoln Hall. The Period of National Expansion — Roosevelt Hall. The World War— The Victory Hall. This plan will give to America the greatest museum of national history and will place at Valley Forge the greatest memorial of George Washington, in whose honor the entire group will be built. 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 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 eftort. 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. WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 129 "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; The First Chapel. 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. 130 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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. Leighton Coleman, Bishop of Delaware; the Hon. Wayne Mac- Veagh, and the Hon. Irving P. Wanger. On September lo, 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 2^^ 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 Theodore Roosevelt Memorial. — It is now planned to preserve the Chapel as a memorial of Theodore Roosevelt. It will be placed in Roosevelt Hall, a permanent fireproof building, when erected in another part of the grounds. 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. Mr. Nicola D'Ascenzo designed and made for the Cabin a mosaic portrait of Washington, with the Washington arms as a background. This beautiful art work was presented by the artist on Washington's Birthday, 1919. It adorns the large stone chimney breast. WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 131 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. 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 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 J. 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. The Conestcga wagon was made in 1797, and shows long and hard service. It was purchased near Logue's Corners and drawn the 25 miles to Valley Forge by Dr. Burk in his Ford car. It aroused great interest throughout the journey. 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 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 132 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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 CoLOxiAL Seals ix 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 over 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." 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. Betzwood is on WASHINGTON MEMORIAL CHAPEL. 133 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 East Valley Forge, Bridgeport and Norristown. Those intending 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. Copyright, Nicola D'Ascenzo The Washington Mosaic By Nicoi^a D'Ascenzo The National Arch to the Officers and Private Soldiers OF THE Continental Army. THE RIGHT LINE BOQLEVARD 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 field 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 (135) 13^ GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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 !" THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. 137 "Who dares"— this was the patriot's cry, As striding from the desk he came — "Come out with me, in Freedom's name, FoT 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 iq, 1777 — june l8, i778 Greene's division major-general nathaniel greene Muhlenberg's brigade brigadier-general j. peter g. muhlenberg commanding "german regiment," pennsylvania line, lieutenant-colonel lewis weltner raised july 12, 1 776 mustered out january i781 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, 138 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. Mr. Alexander D. Irwin, the present owner, 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. Tt 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 cm the door "Headquarters of General Weedon," and ordered the family to make ready to receive its uninvited guests. Mrs. THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. 139 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. The Hon. John R. K. Scott, a member of the Valley Forge Park Commission, makes the modern residence his summer home. 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. 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 iq, 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, I777, ATTACHED TO PENNSYLVANIA LINE AS I3TH REGIMENT INFANTRY, NOVEMBER 12, 1777; CONSOLIDATED WITH 2D REGIMENT INFANTRY. JULY I, I778) 2D REGIMENT, VIRGINIA INFANTRY, LIEUTENANT-COLONEL CHARLES DABNEY 6th REGIMENT, VIRGINIA INFANTRY, COLONEL JOHN GIBSON lOTH REGIMENT, VIRGINIA INFANTRY, COLONEL JOHN GREEN I4TH REGIMENT, VIRGINIA INFANTRY, LIEUTBNANT-COLONEL WILLIAM DAVIS 140 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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 Qth 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- THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. 141 ce 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 :aution. It is difficult to find anything to blame in his military work from the beginning, and impossible in those years in which be 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, id 142 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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 : lOTH MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY, COLONEL THOMAS MARSHALL IITH MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY, COLONEL BENJAMIN TUPl'ER 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- i THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. 143 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, I 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 af the hills upon which the army was encamped. Across the valley to the right, with its woodland setting, is the Washington Memorial Chapel, 144 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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. Learned's 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 : ][ j CONTINENTAL ARMY l. ;•; i VALLEY FORGE. DECEMBER IQ, 1777; JUNE l8, I778 [ I I DE kale'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 9TH 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. THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. 145 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 INFANTEY, 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 QUIETAM 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 I9 DECEMBER 1777" 19 JUNE 1778 The exedra was dedicated November 18, 1911, 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, Mr. W. 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 146 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. The Massachusetts Mon'umext. 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, ^ND I9 JUNE, I778 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 147 THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. 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. >i-he^brigades of bridadier-generals henry knox, john glover,, john patterson and ebenezer learned were represented at valley forqe^ 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 gushing 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 148 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE, I3TH MASS. INFANTRY col.|edw. wigglesvvorth lieut. col. dudley coleman JOMAR JOHN PORTER CAPT. JOSEPH MCNALL CAPT CAPT CAPT, CAPT. CAPT.^THOMAS]]VVILLINGTON CAPT. CAPT. AARON HAVNES NICHOLAS BLAISDELL DANIEL PILSBURY NATHANIEL ALEXANDER NOAH ALLEN ISRAEL DAVIS I5TH MASS. INFANTRY 'COL.Itimothy^bigelow lieut. col. henry haskell capt. sylvanus smith capt. joshua brown capt. william gates CAPT. EDMUND MUNRO CAPT, ADAM MARTIN CAPT. JOSEPH HODGSKIN CAPT. PAUL ELLIS CAPT. DANIEL BARNES JOHN PATTERSON 5 BRIGADE lOTH MASS. INFANTRY COL. THOMAS MARSHALL LIEUT. COL. EPHRAIM JACKSON MAJ. NATHANIEL WINSLOW CAPT. JOHN THOMAS^l CAPT. JACOB WALES CAPT. SAMUEL KING CAPT. JOSIAH SMITH CAPT. AMASA SOPER CAPT. CHRISTOPHER MARSHALL CAPT. WILLIAM WARNER CAPT. BENJAMIN WALCUTT IITH MASS. COL. BENJAMIN TUPPER LT. COL. NOAH MOULTON LITTE- FIELD ^ CAPT. MOSES GREENLEAF SURGEONS MATE JOHN JONES CAPT. BILLY PORTER INFANTRY 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. SILAS BURBANK CAPT. NATHAN WATKINS CAPT. DANIEL MERRILL THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. 149 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 -1^ CAPT. JOSHUA EDDY CAPT. ZABEDEE REDDING CAPT. ISAIAH STETSON CAPT. JOSEPH^WADSWORTH CAPT. JOHN LEMONT EBENEZER LEARNED'S BRIGADE 2D MASS. INFANTRY COL. JOHN^BAILEY CAPT. EPHRAIM BURR MAJ. ANDREW PETERS CAPT. ISAAC WARREN CAPT. JUDAH ALDEN CAPT. SAMUEL DARBY CAPT. SETH DREW CAPT. HUGH MAXWELL CAPT. GEORGE DUNHAM 8th MASS. INFANTRY COL. MICHAEL JACKSON CAPT. BENJAMIN BROWN LIEUT. COL. JOHN BROOKS CAPT. JOHN BURNHAM MAJ. WILLIAM HULL CAPT. JOHN WILEY CAPT. EBENEZER CLEAVELAND CAPT. JAMES BANCROFT CAPT. EPHRAIM CLEVELAND CAPT. JAMES VARNUM CAPT. JAMES KEITH ADJT. JONATHAN ALLEN 9TH MASS. INFANTRY COL. JAMES WESSON CAPT. JOHN BLANCHARD LIEUT. COL. EZRA BADLAM CAPT. ABRAHAM CHILDS LIEUT. COL. JAMES MELLEN CAPT. SAMUEL BARTLETT SURGEON JOHN THOMAS CAPT. NAHUM WARD CAPT. NATHAN DIX CAPT. SAMUEL CARR CAPT. JOSEPH PETTINGILL " CAPT. AMOS COGSWELL I 6th MASS. INFANTRY COL. HENRY JACKSON CAPT. WILLIAM NORTH LIEUT. COL. DAVID COBB CAPT. THOMAS CARTWRIGHT CAPT. JAMES JONES CAPT. GAWEN BROWN MAJ. JOHN STEELE TYLER CAPT. THOMAS HUNT The National Arch. THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. 151 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 aw^ay is the old "King of Prussia" tavern, v^hich they passed on the march, and along the road are the old milestones, the last of which told the soldiers that Philadelphia was i8 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 hrnrr ro ihe 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 t'lis 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. tqto, 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. 152 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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 IQ, I778 Over the arch is the following: ERECTED BY AUTHORITY OF THE ACT OF CONGRESS JUNE 25, IQIO. 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 16, I778 Within the arch on the right is a bronze tablet bearing the arms of the United States and below it the following Hst of officers : COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF GEORGE WASHINGTON MAJOR GENERALS BE 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 THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. 153 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 ARMITT 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. 154 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. "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. THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. 155 ■■'■■'■ 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, snrmo'nted by bronze eagles. On the bases are placed four bronze bas-reliefs of Generals Armstrong, Muhlenberg, Cadwalader, St. Clair, Bar- man, Irvine, Mifflin 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. .f-. =;r) GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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." 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 THE RIgIiT line BOULEVARD. 'il and appointed as I could wish, merely with bayonets and a single charge of ammuniticn, than to take them as tl.ey 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 wirh 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. 1 58 GUIDE TO VALLEY" FORGE. 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 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 BUTLEl RAISED JANUARY II, 1777; MUSTERED OUT NOVEMBER 3, I783 5TH REGIMENT INFANTRY, COLONEL FRANCIS JOHNSTON RAISED JANUARY I, 1777; MUSTERED OUT JANUARY I, I783 8th REGIMENT INFANTRY, COLONEL DANIEL BRODHEAD RAISED JULY 20, I776; MUSTERED OUT JANUARY I7, I781 IITH REGIMENT INFANTRY, COLONEL RICHARD HAMPTON RAISED OCTOBER 25, 1 776 CONSOLIDATED WITH lOTH REGIMENT INFANTRY JUNE 24, I778 THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. 1^^ 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 i, 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, Til 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. The Wayne Monument. THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. 1^1 Esq., and John Armstrong Herman, Esq. It was dedicated on the 20th of June, 1908, with impressive ceremonies, in which the Pennsylvania Society, Sons of the Revolution, and Battfery E, Third U. S. Artillery, took part. The orator of the day was the Hon. Samuel W. Pennypacker, LL. D. H. K. Bush-Brown was the sculp.or who has been most •successful in his effort to present Wayne as the ideal warrior, such as "every man in arms should wish to be." A replica of the statue has been erected at Stony Point, N. Y. The bronze tablets bear the arms of the Sta.e and the fol- lowing ii scrip. ioiia ; ANTHONY WAYNE COLONEL CHESTER COUNTY BATTALION OF MINUTE MEN, JULY 21, 1 775 COLONEL 4TH PENNSYLVANIA INFANTRY BATTALION, JANUARY 3, I776 BRIGADIER-GENERAL CONTINENTAL ARMY, FEBRUARY 21, 1777, TO NOVEMBER 3, 1 783 BRFVETTED MAJOR-GENERAL SEPTEMBER 30, 1 783 "resolved UNANIMOUSLY THAT THE THANKS OF CONGRESS BE PRESENTED TO BRIGADIER-GENERAL WAYNE FOR HIS BRAVE, PRUDENT AND SOLDIERLY CONDUCT IN THE SPIRITED AND \VE!.L-CONDUCTEn ATTACK OX STONY POINT; THAT A GOLD MEDAL EMRLEMATICAL OF THE ACTION BE STRUCK AND PRESENTED TO BRIGADIER- GENERAL WAYNE." MAJOR-GENERAL AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF UNITED STATES ARMY, MARCH 5. T7Q2. TO DECEMBER I5, T7g6 CHAIRMAN OF THE CHESTER COUNTY COMMITTEE, I774 DEPUTY TO THE PROVINCIAL CONVENTION, 1774 MEMBER OF THE ASSEMBLY, 1774, I784-I785 DELEGATE TO THE PROVINCIAL CONVENTION, 1 775 MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY, I775-I776 MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL OF CENSORS, I783 MEMBER OF THE PENNSYLVANIA CONVENTION TO RATIFY THE CONSTI- TUTION, 1787 BORN IN CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, JANUARY I, I745 DIED AT PRESQU' ISLE, PENNSYLVANIA, DECEMBER I5, I796 "lead ME forward" — WAYNE AT STONY POINT l62 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. Scott's Brigade. — This strategic point was occupied by- General Scott's Brigade. The line of earthworks is plainly seeni above the boulevard. The steps from the boulevard lead up ta a- lunette upon which the Commission has planted a battery, thus telling the use of the earthwork. Like Washington, Charles Scott had learned his first lessons of war in the ill-fated expedi- tion under Braddock, in which he served as a non-commissioned officer. At the outbreak of the war he raised the first company south of the James River, and was made colonel of the 3d Vir- ginia Battalion. At the conference of officers at Whitemarsb Knox's Headquarters. to decide whether an attack should be made on Philadelphia^ he voted with the minority in the affirmative. The others of the same opinion were Lord Stirling, Wayne and Woodford. His bravery was unquestioned, and at Monmou'.h he was the last to leave the field. From this point there is a beautiful view of the rich farm- lands and the Valley Forge hills. A grand panorama of the THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. 163 famous Chester Valley lies before one. To the right is Mount Joy, and directly in the foreground of the picture is General Knox's headquarters — a white house with red roof. The fields between and a long way beyond belong to the Hon. Philander C Knox's "Valley Forge Farm." His residence lies in the valley beyond, the old farmhouse being occupied by Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Tindle. General Knox's Headquarters. — Naturally one recalls the romance of General Knox and his young wife, who lived here during the time of the encampment. She was the daugh- ter of the Secretary of the province of Massachusetts, who was a strong Tory. Lucy Flucker was the belle of Massachusetts, and when her love for John Knox, the poor bookseller, was dis- covered her incensed father told her she must decide between her family and her lover. The choice had already been made, and the young lovers were married, her family soon leaving the •country. After the battles of Lexington and Concord, Knox gave up his business and entered the army, his devoted wife following him through all the campaigns. When Washington took command of the army he was «adly in need of cannon. The young Boston bookseller's sug- gestion to obtain a supply from the forts on Lake George and the Canadian frontier was ridiculed, but in a personal inter- view the enthusiastic patriot convinced Washington of the feasibility of the plan and Knox was given permission to carry it out. The result approved Washington's judgment of the man. Through almost trackless forests he dragged the cannon, fifty-five in all, hundreds of miles to the camp at Boston, where he was received amid the acclamations of the troops. His reward was a commission as a brigadier-general of artillery, and, better far, the friendship of Washington, whose constant companion he became. Mrs. Knox was a close friend of the Commander-in-Chief and his wife, both of whom came to rely upon her judgment. "In social and ceremonial affairs she was the arbiter in the army, and afterward the chief adviser of Mrs. Washington in New York and Philadelphia." Here she helped in the sewing and knifing at the headquarters, and by her spirit and cheer- Statue of Baron von Steuben. THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. 165 ful endurance of privarion greatly encouraged the suffering soldiers. The boulevard makes a sharp curve round the extremity of the hill before descending to cross to Mount Joy. Here the Commission has placed a marker, giving the fol- lowing information : scott's brigade brigadier-general charles scott commanding additional infantry regiment, pennsylvania line, colonel john patton (raised JANUARY II, 177/1 CONSOLIDATED WITH IITH REGIMENT INFANTRY, JANUARY I3, 1779) 4TH VIRGINIA INFANTRY 8tH VIRGINIA INFANTRY, COLONEL ABRAHAM BOWMAN T2TH VIRGINIA INFANTRY VIRGINIA REGIMENT INFANTRY -Af -LARGE. COLONEL WILLIAM GRAYSON 1 his pcint gives cue of the best views of the wooded slopes of what might have been the last stand for American liberty. Washington Redoubt occupies the commanding position just above the point where the boulevard crosses the Centreville Road. To the left of this lay Woodford's Brigade, the site being indicated near enough by the narrow clearing. Directly in front, on leaving the marker, one can see the statue of Steuben, and in the distance Waterman Monument, and above it on the hill the Cloister of the Colonies and the Washington Memorial Chapel, and to the left, the Defenders' Gate. Statue of Baron von Steuben. — The bronze statue of Major General Frederick Wilhelm von Steuben the famous drill-master of Valley Forge, is the work of J. Otto Schwizer, and was given by the National German-American Alliance. The formal presentation was made October 9, 1916, when Adjutant General Tlomas J. Stewart, accepted the statue on behalf of Governor Brumbaugh, and Mr. William H. Sayen on behalf of l66 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. the Valley Forge Park Commission, Addresses were made by Dr. C. J. Hexamer, Mr. Herman Ritter, Jr., and J. B. Mayer. The granite base bears a bas-relief, depicting a squad of soldiers drilling before the stern commander, and the following inscription : MAJOR GENERAL FREDERICK WILHELM VON STEUBEN ERECTED BY THE NATIONAL GERMAN-AMERICAN ALLIANCE, I915. Washington and Steuben met at Valley Forge, and Wash- ington's last official act as commander-in-chief was to write a cordial letter to the Baron in which he said : "Although I have taken frequent opportunities both in public and in private of acknowledging your great zeal, attention and abilities in per- . forming the duties of your office, yet I wish to make use of this my last moment of my public life to signify in the strongest terms my entire approbation of your conduct and to express my sense of the obligations the public is under to you for your faithful and meritorious services." Monument to the Unknown Dead. — At the sharp curve in the boulevard, Valley Forge Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, has erected a monument to the unknown dead at Valley Forge. The massive block of granite, standing near where the faded flags and rough stones mark the graves of unknown soldiers of the Revolution, and near the spot marked by the Commission as a burial ground, is most im- pressive. The bronze tablet bears this inscription : IN MEMORY OF UNKNOWN SOLDIERS BURIED AT VALLEY FORGE 1777 — 1778 ERECTED BY VALLEY FORGE CHAPTER DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION This monument was dedicated June i8, 191 1, when the oration was delivered by the Rev. Charles H. Rorer, D.D. The introductory address was made by the Hon. Samuel W. Penny- packer. Mrs. Joseph Fornance, Regent of the Valley Forge THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. 167 Chapter, unveiled the stone, assisted by Mrs. F. I. Naile and Mrs. Wilfrid Stauffer, and made the speech of presentation. The monument was accepted by Mr. William H. Sayen, President of the Valley Forge Park Commission, on behalf of the State of Pennsylvania. The chaplain of the day was the Rev. W. Herbert Burk. A Soldiers* Hospital. — In the wood on the right, pro- tected by the hill, stood one of the brigade hospitals, and on its Monument to the Unknown Dead. site the Park Commission has built a reproduction of the original. As it is completely furnished it is well worth visiting. A path to the right of the statue leads to it. In the orders of January 13, 1778, are the following direc- tions for the erection of the hospitals "The Flying Hospital Hutts are to be 15 feet wide and 25 long in the clear and the story at least 9 feet high to be covered with boards or Shingles i68 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGJ only without any dirt, Windows made on each side and a Chimney at one end, Two Such Hospitals are to be made for each Brigade at or near the Center and if the ground permit of it not more than lOO yards distance from the Brigade." Two days later the Quartermaster-General was "positively- ordered to provide Straw for the use of the Troops and the Surgeons to see that the sick when they are ordered to the Hutts assigned for the ' Hospital are plenty fully suplied with this article." From the orders of April 17th we learn that the regimental quartermasters were "directed to go Into the Country, and make contracts with proper Persons for bringing in Milk and other Necessaries for the Sick." Interior of the Hospital. Dr. Waldo, one of the surgeons at Valley Forge, has left this description of the sick soldier as he knew him : "There comes a Soldier — His bare feet are seen thro' his worn Shoes — ^his legs nearly naked from the tatter'd remains of an only pair of stockings — his Breeches not sufficient to cover his Nakedness — THE RIGHT LI N^E BOULEVARD. 169 his shirt hanging in Strings — his hair dishevell'd — his face meagre — his whole appearance pic::ures a person forsaken & discour- aged. He comes, and crys with an air of wretchedness & dis- pair — I am Sick — my feet lame — my legs are sore — my body cover'd with this tormenting Itch — my cloaths are worn out — my Constitution broken — my former Activiiy is exhausted by fatigue, hunger & Cold — I fail fast, I shall soon be no more I and all the reward I shall get will be — 'Poor Will is dead.' " Mr. Bolton says that "From the records of the general hos- pital at Sunbury, Penn., for 1777-80, it appears that about four- tenths of the patients (not counting the convalescents) were the wounded; about three-tenths suffered from diarrhoea or dysen- tery, and one-tenth from rheumatism. To state this in another form, lack of proper food and shelter crippled the army as much as did the fire of the enemy." Here at Valley Forge small-pox must be added to the list, as well as the irch. In such a camp filth was a large factor in disease and death. The smoke of gunpowder and pitch daily might conceal its presence for awhile, but it remained to do its deadly work. The hut is furnished with cots and an operating table, and a plentiful supply of herbs is suspended from the ceiling. Remains of the brigade bake ovens have been found close by. These were a necessity, as this brigade was so far dis- tant from the bakehouse. Betvxeen the boulevard and the Centreville Road lies the burial ground, v>hile to the right is the site of General Knox's stables. The Artillery Park was located on the ground along the Washington Lane. The Centreville Road, to the left, is the most direct route to Devon, three miles away. Visitors desiring to reach the Valley Creek Road should turn to the left, follow the Centreville Road as far as the first house on the right, turn to the right, pass General Knox's headquarters, and turn to the right at the creek. This makes a delightful roi-ite to Washington's head- quarters. Washington Lane, which passes in front of the inner line of fortifications, passes the site of General Knox's Artillery, the Camp School and the Grand Parade, and is the most direct route bt ' His e X c ell e:n c y/;\,; ' ■■ ■■■::■■ '^^'^'y-r^ GEORGE WASHINGTON, EsquirW;'; GENERAL and CO M M A N D K R in C 13 I E F of the Forces of the United SxATrs of A.'.;;i.!ca. , ■ \ ■ ■ ■ ■ : ■ . .' ■ ,'--'- "i Y A'irtue of the Power and 0ireclion to Me c(pe- ^| ciiJly given, I hereby enjoin and require all Peifons refiding- within feventy Miles of my Plead (>u:^i^ters tc;^ threih one Half of their Gr un by the i il Day of February, t and the other Half by the ift Day of March next enfuing,; on Pain, in Cafe of Failure, of iiaving all that (hall re- - main in Sheaves after the Period abo\-c ir.eniioned, feized by .the Commiilaries and Quarce.r-Mafters of the Army,', and p^id for as Straw. GIVEN under >uy Hand^ at.Hcad ^arters^ ::car ' the Valley Forge ^ in Philadelphia County^ this 20th ' Day of December^ i777' • G. IF ^4 S H-I N G T K By His Excellency's Comniand, Robert H. Harrison, Sec'y. aJ LANCASTER; PstMric sr JOHN D U N L A P. A Valley Forge Broadside. From the original in the possession of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. THE RIGHT LINE BOULEVARD. 171 to the Valley Forge Museum of American History and the Wash- ington Memorial Chapel. Turn to the right at the end of the lane. The Camp Road, the first to the left at Washington Redoubt, passes the site of a blacksmith shop, the site of Washington's Marquee, Maxwell's Brigade and Conway's Brigades terminates at Washington Lane near the River Road. The second road to the left at Washington Redoubt is the Inner Line Boulevard, the route described after the Washington Lane and Camp Road. ^ The Valley Forge Imp, a Gargoyle on the Washington Memorial Chapel. 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." fl73) 174 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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 ip, 1777 — 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 THE WASHINGTON LANE AND GULPH ROAD. 175 6th regiment infantry, lieutenant-colonel josiah harmak RAISED JANUARY I, 1777; MUSTERED OUT JUNE I, I783 9TH REGIMENT INFANTRY, LIEUTENANT-COLONEL GEORGE NAGEL RAISED OCTOBER 25, I776; MUSTERED OUT JANUARY I7, I781 I2TH REGIMENT INFANTRY, COLONEL WILLIAM COOKE RAISED OCTOBER I, I776; CONSOLIDATED WITH 3D REGIMENT INFANTRY, JULY I, 1778 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 : 'In a letter from General Conway to General Gates, he says. Heaven has determined to save your country, or a weak General and had 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 176 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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. THE WASHINGTON LANE AND GULPH ROAD. 177 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 bear5 the arms of Great Britain and the initials G. R., showing that it was once the property of King George III. f r 1 1 s. r. . , K ^ ■^^^ JW "•''^''^qKy ^H| H|;^«.:' '-- ' '-"^^^^iS^B^^HJI ^^■^^^^ .-....-•f^...;.- ..— .B 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- 178 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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. THE WASHINGTON LANE AND GULPH ROAD. 179 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 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 180 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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 respects 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 Washingtcm 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. THE WASHINGTON LANE AND GULPH ROAD. 181 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 Foige 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 (183) 184 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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. Washington Redoubt 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 THE INNER LINE BOULEVARD. 185 Second Virginia Regiment, having established for himself a xepuiation as a soldier in the French and Indian War. The choice was a wise one. At Hampton Roads and Great Bridge he and his Virginians acquitted themselves with honor in the struggle with Lord Dunmore. His ability was recognized, and in 1/77 he was appointed brigadier-general and given command of the First Virginia Brigade. Although he was wounded in the hand at the Batile of Brandywine, he took part in ;he Battle of Gcrmar.town. and was with ihe army in its encampment here. The Surprise View. 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 186 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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- 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 rotation, to dine with 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- 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 INNER LINE BOULEVARD. 187 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 meanderings 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 1 ^M 1 ■ B H 1 m ■j 1 1 ■i II HH 1 H H H '' '■'I'l ■^^ ^p 13 1 Line of Intrenchments. 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. 188 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. 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 been the effect of the elements upon the original work?" For- tunately we can answer that question satisfactorily, for in De- ■i wn '-f jl sf g Kill t^' i ^J timr'^^--n m w m fi^^l^fj Wf 'iE' In WtMl^^'' m^T^SSm,' l^r^l Wf||lj w ^^H^viili/'^^ilf'' ^^^^ 1 mm ■ V ■ pw«lilM| ^1 ^. ■ ^ \IL ^^H ^ ''^^,' !■ - I^HP"'"' ■• ■> ™ HjHEfl % . ' "^ ' ^i/' - * " 1 l^^gfr"-' » ■ ""' v^Li"^ c\v ^ "^^.r ■"'-' 1 ^^-""^ ' *• ,* > ~, 1 k *>»— V I i l; Intrenchments. 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 troops 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 had a full opportunity to reconnoiter the whole camp. On the east and south sides were intrenchments, with a ditch six feet THE INNER LINE BOULEVARD. 189 wide and three deep, the mound not four feet high, very nar- rov/ 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. 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." One much higher in authority had a different idea of these works. In response to the demand of the British Government for the reasons for the inactivity of the army, General Howe replied that he "did not attack the intrenched position at Val- ley Forge, a strong point, during the severe season, although everything was prepared with that intention, judging it im- prudent until the season should afford a prospect of reaping the advantages that ought to have resulted from success in that measure; but having good information in the spring that the enemy had strengthened the camp by additional works, and being certain of moving him from thence when the campaigns should open, he dropped thought of attack." The plan for the fortifications at Valley Forge was made by General Louis Lebeque Duportail, a graduate of the military school of Mezieres. He was an able engineer and one who is remembered for the valuable services which he rendered the American people throughout the war, and especially at York- town. The path on the left beyond the line of intrenchments leads to the lonely grave of an unknown soldier of the Revolu- tion. It was this grave that suggested to Vice-President Fair- banks those thoughts which he so beautifully expressed in his address in the Washington Memorial Chapel. The grave is only a short distance from the boulevard. Beyond this the Gulph Road is seen. Between it and the 190 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE, boulevard and the Camp Road were the huts of the New Jersey- troops. The New Jersey Monument. — The New Jersey Monu- ment was dedicated June i8, 1913. Miss Eleanor Wilson un- veiled the monument which was presented by the Hon. James F. Fielder, Governor of New Jersey, and accepted for the Governor of Pennsylvania by the Hon. Samuel W. Pennypacker, and for the Valley Forge Park Commission by Mr. William H. Sayen. The Rev. William Henry Stewart Demarest, D.D . LL.D., President of Rutgers College, was the orator of the day. The shaft is 35 feet high, and is surmounted by a Conti- nental soldier on guard. On the granite base is a bronze plate with the arms of New Jersey and below this a bronze tablet with the following inscription : ERECTED BY THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY UPON THE SITE OCCUPIED BY THE NEW JERSEY BRIGADE INFANTRY LINE CONTINENTAL ARMY BRIGADIER GENERAL WILLIAM MAXWELL ' FIRST REGIMENT COL. MATH IAS OGDEN i SECOND REGIMENT COL. ISRAEL SHREEVE I THIRD REGIMENT COL. ELIAS DAYTON FOURTH REGIMENT COL. EPHRAIN MARTIN DECEMBER IQ 1777— JUNE l8 I778 Cut in the plinth is the following: NEW JERSEY BRIGADE CONTINENTAL ARMY Col. William Maxwell was elected brigadier-general on Octo- ber 23, 1776, to command what was known as the "Second Es- tablishment," consisting of four battalions. Colonel Maxwell had entered the service of New Jersey upon the first call for troops issued October 9, 1775. At that time William Alexander, titular Lord Stirling, was made colonel of the First, or Eastern, Battalion, while Maxwell commanded the Second. The New Jersey Monument. 192 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. It is interesting to read of the enlistment of the First Es- tablishment, which served in the Hudson Valley and Canada. The men enlisted for a year, and were to be paid five dollars a calendar month. As a bounty each private was allowed "one felt hat, a pair of yarn stockings, and shoes, 'the men to find their own arms.' " A dollar a week was allowed for subsist- ence "whilst in quarters" and one and one-third dollars "whilst Site of Maxwell's Brigade. on march to join the army." It took so long to find arms and clothing for the troops that it was not until January that Colonel Maxwell could report at Albany to General Schuyler. At Ticon- deroga an inspection was made in October, when it was re- ported that the men were "destitute of many articles of dress, supplies of every kind they want, but shoes and stockings they are in the last necessity for, many having neither to their THE INNER LINE BOULEVARD. 193 feet." Evidently this did not dampen the ardor of the men, for many re-enlisted and thus became the nucleus of the "Second Establishment," that which encamped here. As the troops were reported as "sadly in need of clothing" at the time of the Battle of Monmouth, their condition in this camp must have been deplorable. The sufferings which Maxwell's men endured at Valley Forge in common with the rest of the army were nothing new. Valley Forge only repeated their experiences at Morristown during the previous winter. Washington writing on his birth- day in 'tj to Commissary Irvine said : "The cry of want of Provisions comes to me from all Quarters. General Maxwell writes word that his men are starving." They were ready, however, to give a good account of them- selves in the movements preceding the winter encampment. They formed the vanguard of the army which entered Dela- ware when the destination of General Howe was discovered, and occupied this dangerous position with honor. At Chadd's Ford and Birmingham Meeting House they made a gallant fight against overwhelming odds, and fought their way to Chester. Valley Forge is so inseparably connected with Washing- ton that everything which is commemorative of his personality has the greatest interest here. We associate these hills with his heroic endurance and patient suffering. It is good to have them reminiscent of his joy. The French Alliance.— At 6 o'clock on May 5, 1778, the following order was issued: "It having pleased the Almighty Ruler of the Universe propitiously to defend the cause of the United States of America, and finally, by raising us up a pow- erful friend, among the Princes of the Earth, to Estab- lish our Liberty and Independence upon lasting founda- tions; It becomes us to Set apart a day, for grate- fully acknowledging the Divine Goodness, and celebrating the Important event, which we owe to his Benign interposition — The Several Brigades are to be assembled for this purpose, at 9 o'clock To-morrow morning, when their Chaplains will com- municate the intelligence contain'd in the Postscript from the Pennsylvania Gazette of the 2d instant; & offer up a thanks giving, and deliver a discourse Suitable to the Occasion — " 194 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. At 9 o'clock on the happiest day at Valley Forge Wash- ington came here to worship, and the private prayer beneath the leafless trees had its antiphon in the public thanksgiving on this green clad hill. The Rev. Andrew Hunter, a Presby- terian minister, the brigade chaplain, preached the sermon, but of it we have no record. Fort Huntington, . "^ From the point where the boulevard crosses the Gulph Road there is a fine view of the Schuylkill Valley with Phoenix- ville in the distance. The staff at the foot of the hill marks the site of Washington's headquarters, whose tile roof can be seen to the left of it. Those whose time is limited should take this road, turning to the right at th'QfrWashingtOTi Inn. To the right one can trace the Gulph Road as far as the Right Line Boulevard. In the open space on the other side of the Gulph THE INNER LINE BOULEVARD. 195 Road from Maxwell's Brigade were the huts of Conway's. A better view of the site can be had farther along the boulevard, opposite the Camp Road, which can be traced almost its whole length as it skirts Mount Joy. The best point from which to see the sites of Conway's and Huntington's Brigades is the Washington Lane. By the Gulph Road the Commission has placed a battery. Beyond this, on the left, is the grave of an unknown soldier of the Revolution. Huntington Redoubt. — For some distance there have been no intrenchments, but the line is soon reached again, and just beyond the point where they first appear is the path to Huntington Redoubt. The traverse is lOO feet long, and the top of the earthwork is in some places 20 feet from the bottom of^ the fosse. "€^ In front of it there has been buried a soldier whose body* was discovered while making some improvements on one of: the farms in the neighborhood. From the location of the" body and the buttons found with it, it is presumed that he is- the soldier who suffered in consequence of Wayne's advice to^ a farmer. This man complained to Wayne that the soldiers- were robbing him, Wayne told him to shoot the next man he caught at it, which he did, killing a soldier who was milking one of his cows without the formality of a permission. The headstone bears the following inscription : HERE LIE THE REMAINS i OF A '-.'''■'!''] ; REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIER ' ^' j: "5^' " ; ; , SHOT ON A NEIGHBORING ,' FARM DURING THE WINTER , i OF 1777 AND 1778 To the right the Commission has placed a pump for the use of visitors to the Park. The hillside on which it is placed was the site of Huntington's Brigade. Picnic Grounds. — The Park Commission has placed tables and benches under the trees near the boulevard for the 196 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. use of picnic parties. Tables will be reserved by the guard if application be made to Mr. Samuel S. Hartranft, superintendent of the Park, Valley Forge, Pa. A large pavilion, for which the State of Pennsylvania made a special appropriation in 1909, stands near the boulevard. Its shelter is greatly appreciated by those who are caught in a shower while visiting the Park. The other picnic grounds at Valley Forge are those ad- joining the Washington Memorial Chapel. The Washington Chapel Grove is back of the Washington Memorial Chapel, and is provided with conveniences for picnic parties. At the end of the earthworks the Commission has buih a guardhouse overlooking the River Road. To this the boulevard makes a steep descent. Valley Forge Station, on the Reading Railway, can be reached more quickly by following the boule- vard on the other side of the road, but most persons will prefer to turn to the left and follow the River Road to Valley Forge. To reach the Washintgon Memorial Chapel, Port Kennedy Sta- tion, on the Reading Railway, and Betzwood, on the Penn- sylvania Railroad, turn to the right. ^ Copyright, 1002, by Jesse E Phillies ^^' VSHINTtTOV Painted at Valley Forge by Charles Willson Peale. WASHINGTON'S HEADQUARTERS. WASHINGTON'S headquarters are the chief object of interest beyond the line of fortifications. Following the River Road to the left in its descent to Valley Creek, one has a view on the right of the boulevard along the river and of the site of the huts of Mcintosh's Brigade and the Life Guards. Mcintosh's Brigade. — To mark the former the Commis- sion has placed a marker among the trees on the right. It bears the following inscription : continental army valley forge, december iq, 1777 — june l8, i778 Sullivan's division major-general john sullivan Mcintosh's brigade brigadier-general lachlan mc intosh commanding 1st north carolina infantry, colonel thomas clark 2d north carolina infantry, colonel john patton 3d north carolina infantry, colonel jethro sumner 4th north carolina infantry, colonel thomas polk 5th north carolina infantry, lieutenant-colonel william l. davidson 6th NORTH CAROLINA INFANTRY, COLONEL GIDEON LAMB 7TH NORTH CAROLINA INFANTRY, COLONEL JAMES HOGUN 8tH NORTH CAROLINA INFANTRY, COLONEL JAMES ARMSTRONG QTH NORTH CAROLINA INFANTRY, COLONEL JOHN WILLIAMS The commander of this brigade. Gen. Lachlan Mcintosh, was a man of striking personality. His father had gone from (198 200 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. Scotland to se.tle in Georgia under Gen. E. Oglethorpe, and was the originator of the protest of the colonists against the intro- duction of African slaves into the colony. While acting as a clerk in Charleston, S. C, Lachlan lived in the family of the pairiotic Henry Laurens. Later he studied mathematics and civil engineering, being also greatly interested in military tactics. He was appointed brigadier-general in 1776. Before the evacuation General Mcintosh was sent to the frontier of Pennsylvania and Virginia to quell an insurrection of the Western Indians. Washington had a high opinion of him, and in a letter to the President of Congress, May 12, 1778, said : "I part with this gentleman with much reluctance, as I esteem him an officer of great merit and worth. His firm dis- position and eqnal justice, his assi'hii y and gof d understand- ing, point him out as a proper p(.rson lo go, but I know his services here arc and will be materially wanted." The Bakehouse. — The Washington Inn stands at the jrncnon of the River Road and the Valley Creek Road. It includes the old "Mansion House" of the Potts estate, supposed to have been erected prior to 1768. When the house was en- larged the original building was not disturbed, but the newer por- tions were built around the old. This older portion is now used as a dining-room of the hotel. In 1773, Joseph Potts con- veyed an undivided moiety of Mount Joy Forge to William Dewees, who seems to have occupied the house as early as 1771, and to have carried on the iron works in connection with David Potts. On August 30. 17-"', the Board of War sent the following letter to President Wharton: "Sir: There is a large quantity of flour spoiling for the Want of baking. It lies at Valley Forge ; 1 am directed to request of you that you with the Coun- cil will be pleased to order Furloughs to be given to six Bakers out of the Militia for the purpose of baking the Flour into hard biscuit. Colon-. 1 Dewees will receive yot-r order & endeavor to iind out the Bakers. "Rich. Peters. Sec." WASHINGTON S HEADQUARTERS. 20L To help carry out this order it would seem that Colonel Dewees built the large ovens in the cellar. Unfortunately these were removed a few years ago. During the British occupation of Valley Forge the house was not destroyed, as it has been stated, but was ransacked and damaged. The story is told of how Mrs. Dewees gathered many of the valuables in one room and bravely told the sol- diers that they should enter it only over her dead body. Such heroism was appreciated and her treasures were saved. How- . The Bake House, now Washington Inn. ever, her feather beds were ripped open and emptied, and cme of her descendants has a bed made of these feathers. This ap- parently wanton act was prompted by the knowledge that a feather bed was most often the thrifty housewife's saving bank. When the American camp was established the ovens built by Colonel Dewees were used to bake much of the bread used in the army, when flour could be had. For those who were located 202 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. at some distance from these ovens others were established, and people in the neighborhood made a business of baking for the army, receiving a pound of flour in exchange for a pound of bread. To the soldiers of the army, therefore, this was known as the ""Bakehouse." It was not made the headquarters of any general, but within its walls some of the courts martial were held. For instance, on February 4, 1778, Philip Kirk was tried and found guilty of supplying the enemy with cattle, and was sentenced to be "Confin'd in some Goal in Pennsylvania during the Enemies Staying and both his real and personal Estate be- taken from him for the Use of the United States of America." Only the first part of this sentence was carried out, as Wash- ington was of the "opinion that Confiscation of Property is a matter not cognizable by Martial Law." On the same day, and for the same crime. John Williamson and David Dunn were sentenced tt) receive 250 and 200 lashes, respectively, on the bare back. Daniel Williamson was also to receive 200 lashes for "attempting to lake a number of Sheep into Philada." These sentences were executed the next morning on the Grand Parade, Washington making the humane provision that "a Surgeon from General Patterson's Brigade a'.tend and see that the Criminals do not receive more stripes than their strength will bear." The dam across Valley Creek has been rebuilt in a most substantial manner, and a number of boats are kept for the use of visitors to Valley Forge. Those who can spare the time should row to the head of the pond, where Valley Creek is crossed by a covered bridge. Beyond it lies "Valley Forge Farm," the summer home of the Hon, Philander C. Knox, Sec- retary of State. Most of the village of Valley Forge lies across the creek in Chester County. The road which passes through it is the most direct route to Phoenixville, four miles beyond. Near where it crosses Pickering Creek is Moore Hall, now the residence of Henry C. Pennypacker. This was the headquarters of the Com- mittee which Congress sent to Valley Forge to confer with Washington on the needs of the army WASHINGTON S HEADQUARTERS. 203 The "Mansion House" is just beyond the village, and, like the "Washington Inn," includes a building which was built before the Revolution. It was used by the army as a hospital. But the chief interest in this road lies where it crosses the creek and ascends the hill, for here it was that "Light-horse Harry," Capt. Henry Lee, made his thrilling escape from the British dragoons. He and Alexander Hamilton had been sent to superintend the removal of some stores from Valley Forge, and while engaged WHKK'^ ~ ~^ ' tf^^ ^^M ^^^S: ^^m J^ (uBCTJ^^'j^^^^j£flyj'"''~^~ ^^S W"^ 1 ^^^A^^Q^^y _^-^^ ""V^^^^^^^^^l ^H[B^^« -1'" iB|r f '^^^\j^i^^£rT^^' ''''VZZ^^^B^^^BIIH ' * '"' mm \ ^ ^Hi^m^ Hbj--" jllBliBiBilBIl u - WL JHi -.^mmm.' jl \\ Washington's Headquarters. in their work a detachment of British dragoons appeared. Ham- ilton and some of the men hastily embarked in a small boat, but Lee, fearful of delaying i., leaped upon his horse and endeavored to reach ihe bridge before his pursuers. He and his men safely crossed, escaping the enemy's fire at a distance of ten or twelve paces, and galloped up the hill closely fol- 204 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. lowed. The British soon gave up the chase and returned to endeavor to prevent the escape of Hamilton, who, with his men, was struggling with the swollen stream. From the sound of the firing Lee feared that Hamilton and his party had failed to escape, and immediately sent a despatch to Washington, telling of his experience and fears. Washington had hardly finished reading Lee's message when Hamilton appeared unscathed, but fearful for Lee's safety. On the hill across the creek were the huts of the artificers. This regiment was authorized by Congress in 1777, and as formed consisted chiefly of men from Connecticut. A contemporary map now owned by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania shows, what other maps do not, the location of a brigade at this point. This was the Carolinian Brigade, which belonged to Lord Stirling's Division, if the map be trust- worthy. To reach Washington's headquarters turn to the right at the Washington Inn. The State has acquired the land between the road and Valley Creek, and the ruins of the paper mill have been removed. The Commission will maintain the tract as a part of the Park. The Office of the Valley Forge Park Commission. — The house on the right is the office of the Valley Forge Park Commission and the residence of the efficient and courteous Superintendent of the Park, Col. Samuel S. Hartranft. The second house from the Inn has been fitted up by the Valley Forge Park Commission as its offices. A Camp Hospital. — The stone stable on the right is said to have been used as a hospital while the army was en- camped here. On the strength of this tradition it was purchased by the Valley Forge Memorial Association, and is now owned by the State. Washington's Headquarters. — Washington's headquar- ters are a substantial stone house, two stories high, containing five rooms, and connected by a covered way with a stone kitchen. As far as we can learn it was built prior to 1768. The ground on which it stands is a portion of Mount Joy Manor» Washington's headquarters. 205 which William Penn granted to his daughter Letitia on October 27, 1701. Passing through the ownership of several persons it came into the possession of John Potts, and at the time of the Revolution the house was owned by Mrs. Deborah Hewes, who rented it to Washington. The house is of small size, being only 21 feet 6 inches across the front and 30 feet 6 inches deep. It is in a most excel- lent state of preservation, and has to-day the same doors, win- dows, locks, etc., which were here when it was occupied by Washington. In front of this door Washington himself mounted guard, as tradition has it, in order to allow the hungry sentinel to go. inside to be cared for by Mrs. Washington. The hallway passes through the building and at the farther end opens out into the grounds at the back of the house. The doorway on the left leads to the kitchen, while the first on the right opens into the front room. In the hall has been placed a bronze tablet to commemo- rate the work done by the Valley Forge Memorial Association in preserving Washington's headquarters. It bears the follow- ing inscription : THIS TABLET COMMEMORATES THE PATRIOTIC SERVICE RENDERED BY THE CENTENNIAL AND MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION OF VALLEY FORGE GENEROUSLY AIDED BY THE PATRIOTIC ORDER SONS OF AMERICA IN ACQUIRING, RESTORING AND PRESERVING THIS HEADQUARTERS 1878 1906 The front room has an ample fireplace and closet, and is connected with the adjoining room by what is popularly called "the secret passage," a small entry. The Valley Park Commis- sion is furnishing the old house with the choicest pieces of furniture of the period. The whitewash has been removed and the walls painted, much to the regret of visitors, who preferred its primitive appearance. In this room one recalls the stately reception with which Mrs. Washington welcomed Gen. Charles Lee on the 20th of 206 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. May, upon his return from captivity. He was shown the great- est honor. Washington and his officers rode four miles from camp to meet him, and they passed to this house through the lines of the army. Here he was received by Mrs. Washington and "was entertained wi:h an elegant Dinner, and the music playing the whole Time." Washington's Windows.* Washington's Office. — The chief place of interest in the building is the next room. This was the office of Washing- ton. Here during that trying winter he wrote his reports to Congress and his letters tO' the Governors, pleading for their help for his starving men. Here came his officers, the Com- mittee from Congress and the countless ones who sought favors from the great commander. Here he learned of the Conway * That next to the door is the one mentioned WASHINGTON S HEADQUARTERS. 207 Cabal and oi the alliance with France. Here he spent the darkest days of his life and here he saw the dawn of the brightest ones. In this room should be read the following account which formed part of a letter of Mrs. Washington to Mrs. Lund Washington at Mount Vernon: "The general's headquarters have been made more tolerable by the addition of a log cabin to the house, built to dine in. The apartment for business is only about sixteen feet square, and has a large fireplace. The house is built of stone. The walls are very thick, and below a deep east window, out of which the general can look upon the encampment, he had a box made, which appears as a part of the casement, with a blind trap-door at top, in which he keeps his valuable papers." The room is even smaller than she imagined, being only about thirteen feet square. Washington's box for private papers is lOj^ inches deep. It is divided into two compartments 954 inches wide, one 17 inches long and the other 16. This gives one a very good idea of the preservation of this old house. There is the east window out of which you can look toward the encampment. Washington could see the quar- ters of the life guard, and beyond them the huts of the Southern troops. The trap-door does not fit as perfectly as it did in those days, for since then thousands have taken it off and put it back. A very pretty story is told of how Mrs. Washington came here from Whitemarsh. "On that cold wintry journey to Val- ley Forge, Mrs. Washington rode behind her husband on a pillion. He was on his powerful bay charger and accompanied by a single aide-de-camp, followed the last remnant of the army that left the encampment at Whitemarsh." All of which is pure fiction. On the ist of February, Washington wrote the following to John Parke Custis, his stepson: "Your mamma is not yet arrived, but if she left Mount Vernon on the twenty- sixth ultimo, as intended, may, I think, be expected every hour. Meade (Richard K. Meade, aide-de-camp to Washington) set off yesterday (as soon as I got notice of her intention) to meet her. We are in a dreary kind of a place, and uncomfortably 208 GUIDE TO VALLEY FORGE. provided; for other matters I shall refer you to the bearer, Colonel Fitzgerald (also an aide), who can give yooi the oc- currences of the camp, &c., better than can be related in a let- ter." Mrs. Washington reached Valley Forge a day or two after this letter was written. In a letter to Mrs. Warren she said : "The general is in camp in what is called the great valley on the Banks of the Schuylkill. Officers and men are chiefly in Hutts, which they say is tolerable comfortable; the army are as healthy as can well be expected in general. The Gen- eral's apartment is very small ; he has had a log cabin built to dine in, which has made our quarters much more tolerable than they were at first." The cupboard contains a number of relics, but the most interesting, on account of its association with the soldiers who were encamped here, is the old powder horn. While the army was starving a few head of cattle were driven into camp, and many of the men wanted the horns for powder horns. Wash- ington decided the matter by selecting a number between 1500 and 2000, and allowing the men to guess it. One guessed cor- rectly, 1776. He and the nine who guessed numbers nearest to this were awarded the horns. Jabez Rockwell was one of these. He made sure of his prize by cutting his name on it, and later added the record of its use. The inscription is as follows : JABEZ ROCKWELL OF RIDGEBURY CONN. HIS HORN, MADE IN CAMP AT VALLEY FORGE FIRST USED AT MONMOUTH, JUNE 28, I778 LAST AT YORK TOWN, I781 The Second Floor. — The first room has been furnished by Valley Forge Chapter, D. A. R., with an interesting collection of antique furniture. There is no doubt in my mind that the front room was Mrs. Washington's, and that General Lee's baggage was deposited in the little room at the end of the hall. WASHINGTON S HEADQUARTERS. 209 Mrs. Henry Drinker, one of a committee of Friends which sought the release of those confined at Winchester, has left this record of her visit under the date of April 7th: "Arrived at HdQuarters, at about ^ past one. We requested an audience with the General, and sat with his wife (a sociable, pretty kind of woman), until he came in. A number of officers were there who were very complaisant, Tench Tilghman among ye rest. 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." 210 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 INANNO 1785 The garret room once so uninteresting, has 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. 211 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. a, , Descending to the first floor one should pass through the doorway which at the foot of the stairs opens into the passage toithe 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 212 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 at.ack. 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. "yf/^i "^ ~7 Receipt for Rent of the Headquarters. 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. Near 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 IN DECEMBER 1888 BY THE STATE SECRETARY PATRIOTIC ORDER SONS OF AMERICA OF PENNSYLVANIA 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 ihan 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 oldj forge, the Valley Forge Farm and Lafayette's headquarters. I Crossing the Gulph Road at the Washington Inn, and pass- ing the woolen mill, the road follows all the windings o^ 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. Frcrm 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 be'.ween December. 1742. and April. 1752, by Stephen Evans, Daniel' Walker and Joseph Williams. Some time after 1751 a sawmills (214) THE VALLEY CREEK. 215 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 marie here. 216 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 AlcKinley 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 O'ccupied 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 int'^rest in the struggle THE VALLEY CREEK. 217 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, including his camp stove. 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. In 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 (218) MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION. 219 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. ■'Va[.l!-:v 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. TLropp 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 Penn3^packer, 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 aro'ise pub- lic interest in Valle}'^ Forge no one has been more zealous than the author of the broadside, for as Commissioner and Governor. through writings and through speeches, he strove to direct the attention of the American people to the place and its history. The first act passed by the Assembly provided $2~,ooo for the purpose of the Commission, and in 1895, $TO.ono were ap- propriated. The Park now includes about 1500 acres. The f220) VALLEY FORGE PARK COMMISSION. 221 State has expended several hundred thousand dollars on the purchase of ground, building of roads, etc., but the figures are not available. 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. Patton, Richmond L. Jones, John W. Jordan, John T. Win- drim, George J. Elliott, Edward F. Beale, and John R. K. Scott. Mr. Samuel S. Hartranft 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 (222) WASHINGTON AND VALLEY FORGE 223 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 was 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.