Christmas at Valley Forge 1777 with George Washington



Christmas at Valley Forge, 1777
By: ETHELENE DYER JONES

Many of us have ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War. Whether they were with General Washington at Valley Forge or at Cowpens or King’s Mountain or any of the other notable battlegrounds of our War for Independence, they were there to lay down their very lives as the price for freedom.

Let us take a little time to recall Christmas, 1777, during that war…

Christmas in wartime is especially difficult, and so it was at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania in 1777.

“These are the times that try men’s souls,” wrote Thomas Paine in his well-circulated pamphlet entitled “The American Crisis.” His opening line became the pivotal description of the Continental Army that fought against great odds to win freedom.

Indeed, Valley Forge stands as a monument in time attesting to the trying times General George Washington and the Continental Army faced.

Was there any hope for the struggling nation against the British? Was the dream of freedom to be lost amidst the cold, illness, death and deprivation of harsh winter? The Continental Congress had been forced to flee Philadelphia under British occupation. Little hope remained for support or supplies to feed the starving troops.

There they were, twelve thousand tattered troops with their General, George Washington, encamped at Valley Forge. Despite the bitter cold and the seemingly insurmountable odds of disease, starvation and lack of provisions, from this lowest point of the Revolution, the troops were trained and drilled into fighting form. A miracle was taking place as men shuddered in the fields of Valley Forge.

Dr. Albigence Waldo was one of the doctors ministering to the troops at Valley Forge. His diary gives us insight into both the pathos and glimmers of hope of that Christmas, 1777: “Universal thanksgiving! A roasted pig last night! God be thanked for my health, which I have pretty well recovered. How much better should I feel, were I assured my family were in health. But the same good Being who preserves me is able to preserve them and bring me to the ardently wish’d for enjoyment of them again.”

On December 25 Dr. Waldo wrote: “We are still in tents.”

Of General Washington, Dr. Waldo stated: “He has always acted wisely…His conduct when closely scrutinized is uncensurable. Were his inferior generals as skillfull as himself—we should have the grandest choir of officers ever God made.”

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I hope you had a lovely Christmas, Steph.

Quote: Palinista wrote in post #2

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I hope you had a lovely Christmas, Steph.

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Quote: steph wrote in post #3

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Quote: Palinista wrote in post #2

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I hope you had a lovely Christmas, Steph.

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I did have a nice Christmas. The weather forecast changed the travel plans. I truly enjoyed the day just chilling. The really bad weather that was predicted didn't quite pan out so I'm thankful for that. I hope you had a great day too!

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I bet that was nice. There were a few storms but this area managed to miss the tornadoes and power outages. I was prepared though!

Here's a newer post from the blog that goes into greater detail.

Zitat

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These are the times that try men’s souls; the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.

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Within a day of its publication in Philadelphia, General Washington ordered it be read to his troops. While Paine’s writing could not feed or shelter the troops, it did serve to improve morale and help them feel a little more tolerant of their current conditions.[12] Some provisions, including much-needed blankets, arrived in the Continental Army camp on December 24.[13]

On December 20 an event took place that gave another boost to morale. General Lee’s division of 2,000 arrived in camp under the command of General John Sullivan.[14] General Lee had been captured by the British on December 12, when he ventured too far outside the protection of his troops in search of more comfortable lodgings (or, according to rumors, an assignation).[15] Later that same day General Gates’ division arrived in camp, reduced to 600 by ending enlistments and the need to keep the northern frontier secure.[14] Soon after, another 1,000 militia men from Philadelphia under Colonel John Cadwalader joined Washington. As a result of these reinforcements and smaller numbers of volunteers from the local area, Washington now had 6,000 listed as fit for duty. Of this number, a large portion were detailed to guard the ferries at Bristol and New Hope, Pennsylvania. Another group was placed to protect supplies at Newtown, Pennsylvania and to guard the sick and wounded who would remain behind when the army crossed the Delaware River.[10] This left Washington with about 2,400 men able to take offensive action against the Hessian and British troops in Central New Jersey.[16]