Valley Forge

On our last day in Philadelphia we decided to visit Valley Forge with Jim & Tina.  We knew a little bit about it but it wasn’t what we thought.  No battles were fought here.  It was an encampment for the American Continental Army in the Revolutionary War during the winter of 1777-1778 where George Washington stayed.

He chose Valley Forge because of the close proximity to Philadelphia, which was under British control, and to stop the British from advancing further into Pennsylvania.

The troops at Valley Forge had little experience and were not very well trained.  They had little to do during the winter except build their “huts”.  They were happy to do so because they didn’t have much to wear and the work kept them warm.

The most important outcome of the encampment was the army’s maturing into a more professional force.  In February 1778 a former Prussian (Germany) army officer, Baron Friedrich Wilhelm Augustus von Steuben arrived in camp to train the troops.  Von Steuben’s hands-on training program helped the army become a more proficient machine.  The Baron inspired the troops and gave them a new sense of purpose as they stuck to the task of securing independence.

Uniform

The “huts” they built

Inside an officer’s quarters

Enlisted men’s quarters (slept 12)

Washington’s Headquarters

Episcopalian Church

The Courtyard

National Memorial Arch

Baron Von Stueben (pronounced “stoyben”)

Then it was on to dinner at another one of those weird sounding towns in Pennsylvania

I can’t forget to include some pictures of my niece, Shannon’s block party.  They closed off both ends of the block to vehicles and had LOTS of games for the kids and even some for the adults.  It was SO much fun!

Sadly, we have now left Philadelphia.  We spent a whole month here getting to know my sister’s family.  What a wonderful group they are!  I will always have my Philly Bear that the kids and grandkids got with their game coupons at Dave & Buster’s on our first day here.  I love you guys and really miss you already!!