We could see Valley Forge from the hotel that hosted our BGU event. Several of our fellow musicians took breaks to visit the site, all sharing that it was worth seeing and there were some very pleasant walking trails. After 5 days in the music room, we were ready for a walk so we made time for a stop on our way out of town.
The activities at the Valley Forge, PA encampment during the winter of 1777-1778 laid the groundwork for a critical turning point in the revolutionary war. That winter is considered to be the founding of the modern US military.
George Washington, having been chosen by Congress to lead the Continental Army, commanded a ragtag group of militia men from 12 colonies with varying amounts of fighting experience and skills. Ben Franklin, having met Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben from Prussia while in Europe and impressed with his military accomplishments, recommended to Washington that the Baron be recruited to train the troops. Over the course of a brutal winter, von Steuben conducted training and military drills transforming the troops into the professional Continental Army. This newly trained force defeated the British in the Battle of Monmouth in NJ as the British retreated from Philadelphia in 1778.
It was indeed a pleasant place to walk on an unseasonably warm, clear fall day. After some time with the exhibits in the visitor center and watching the featured film on the history of Valley Forge, we walked the main 5 mile loop through the grounds. We walked past redoubts – defensive pits dug into the earth – and reconstructed 224 square feet, 6-man huts. There were memorial plaques in honor of each of the individual militia from the original colonies as well as the National Memorial Arch honoring the brave soldiers who endured the brutal winter of 1777-78.
Likely due to renovation of and construction detours around Washington’s office, headquarters and temporary home, we managed to miss the statue of George Washington, however we did find the statue of Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, and also the Washington Memorial Chapel – an active Episcopal parish, as well as specialty monuments commemorating the Patriots of African Descent and the Daughters of the Revolution.
It was a very enjoyable and interesting walk through this bit of Revolutionary War history.
For anyone interested, more Valley Forge pix…