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114-558: The farmhouse was demolished about 1843, and the mansion was completed on its site about 1845. The Wetherill Family owned the property for 121 years—1825 to 1946. A private cemetery contains the graves of some of Fatland's owners, and of Free Quakers who supported the Revolutionary War. The Perkiomen Creek empties in to the Schuylkill River just north of Valley Forge. The river curves in an oxbow and forms

228-622: A bird sanctuary and house museum honoring John James Audubon. Twenty-five years later, it was announced that the planned route for the Pottstown Expressway was to go through the Audubon property. Camiel was credited with / blamed for applying political pressure to reroute the superhighway around the bird sanctuary: Central to the arguments concerning politicians appears to be the controversial "Camiel Loop." [Montgomery County Planning Commission associate director] Plutte said that

342-457: A "dangerous mutiny" fomenting, because of the lack of provision. Washington continued with a dire warning to Congress: "unless some great and capital change suddenly takes place in that line, this Army must inevitably be reduced to one or other of these three things, Starve, dissolve, or disperse, in order to obtain subsistence in the best manner they can." While Washington dealt with serious circumstances, he may have exaggerated slightly to obtain

456-496: A Prussian drill master who had recently arrived from Europe, instituted a rigorous training program for the troops. He drilled the soldiers, improving their battle and formation techniques. Under Steuben's leadership, the Continentals practiced volley fire, improved their maneuverability, standardized their march paces, exercised skirmishing operations, and drilled bayonet proficiency. These new efforts to train and discipline

570-402: A catastrophe." In a letter to his wife Adrienne , Lafayette described the huts as "small barracks, which are scarcely more cheerful than dungeons." The Continental Army that marched into Valley Forge consisted of about 12,000 people, including soldiers, artificers, women, and children. Throughout the winter, patriot commanders and legislators faced the challenge of supplying a population

684-450: A clog upon every movement." Yet women on the whole proved invaluable, whether on the march or at an encampment like Valley Forge. They often earned income either by laundering clothes or by nursing troops, which kept soldiers cleaner and healthier. In turn, this made the troops appear more professional and disciplined. Lucy Flucker Knox , Catharine Littlefield "Caty" Greene , and other senior officers' wives journeyed to Valley Forge at

798-535: A concentration of soldiers at Valley Forge, Washington ordered nearly 2,000 soldiers to encamp at Wilmington, Delaware. He posted the army's mounted troops at Trenton, New Jersey , and additional outposts at Downingtown and Radnor , Pennsylvania, among other places. In the two winter encampments prior to Valley Forge, the Continental army had sheltered themselves in a combination of tents, constructed huts, civilian barns and other buildings. Valley Forge marked

912-580: A daughter. Wetherill inherited Mill Grove, bought up farms owned by the Bakewells and the Pawlings, and became the great landowner of the peninsula. He subsequently bequeathed the properties to his children and grandchildren. "These properties were improved with stately mansions and outbuildings with beautiful lawns and surroundings. (Also erected were summer residences on some of the properties.)" Dr. William Wetherill (1804–1872), inherited Fatland. He

1026-647: A detachment of his life guard and aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman , surveilled British troops at Valley Forge from the north side of the river. The river was swollen, which prevented the British from crossing. At Washington's direction, his aide urgently wrote to General Alexander McDougall —"... the River has fallen and is fordable at almost any place, the Enemy can have no Reason to delay passing much longer. He would have wrote [ sic ] you personally, but

1140-569: A dwelling-house 45x35 feet, built of stone, ... Smith's house and Shop, Ice house, spring house, poultry house, smoke house, large stone barn with stables for 40 head of horses and cows ..." Ewing sold the property to Englishman William Woodhouse Bakewell (1759–1821) who, with his wife, 4 daughters and 2 sons, occupied it in January 1804. Bakewell's wife, Lucy Green Bakewell (1765–1804), died during their first year living there. Their eldest daughter, also named Lucy (1787–1874), took on

1254-553: A formal ceremony consisting of a rapid and sequential firing of guns down the ranks. Continental officer George Ewing wrote that "the troops then shouted, three cheers and 'Long live the King of France!' after this…three cheers and shout of 'God Save the friendly Powers of Europe!'…and cheers and a shout of 'God Save the American States!'" Each soldier received an extra gill of rum (about four ounces) to enjoy that day, and after

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1368-534: A free black woman who worked as a laundress at Washington's Headquarters . Hannah Till's legal owner Reverend John Mason lent her out to Washington, but Hannah secured an arrangement whereby she eventually bought her freedom. By Spring 1778, Wappinger , Oneida and Tuscarora warriors who were on the side of the Patriots, with prominent Oneida leader Joseph Louis Cook of the St. Regis Mohawk among them, had joined

1482-480: A general policy" to prevent such intelligence from reaching the British. The outlook for the army's situation improved when a five-man congressional delegation arrived on January 24. The delegates consisted of " Francis Dana of Massachusetts, Nathaniel Folsom of New Hampshire, John Harvie of Virginia, Gouverneur Morris of New York, and Joseph Reed of Pennsylvania." According to historian Wayne Bodle, they came to understand through their visit "how vulnerable

1596-463: A half pounds of flour or bread, one pound of salted beef or fish, or three-quarters pound of salted pork, or one and a half pounds of flour or bread, a half pound of bacon or salted pork, a half pint of peas or beans, and one gill of whiskey or spirits. In practice, however, the army could not reliably supply the full ration. Perishable foods began to rot before reaching the troops because of poor storage, transportation problems, or confusion regarding

1710-443: A large peach orchard bearing plentifully. The other contains 250 acres [Mill Grove Farm] ..." This auction took place, but neither property sold. Instead, James Vaux (1748–1842) purchased Fatland Farm by private sale more than a year later, on June 18, 1772. Vaux renamed the property "Vaux Hill." The 300-acre (121.4 hectares) farm spanned the middle of the peninsula. Part of its western boundary, shared with Henry Pawling's farm,

1824-519: A limited water supply for cooking, washing, and bathing. Dead horse remains often lay unburied, and Washington found the smell of some places intolerable. Neither plumbing nor a standardized system of trash collection existed. To combat the spread of contagion, Washington commanded soldiers to burn tar or "the Powder of a Musquet Cartridge " in the huts everyday, to cleanse the air of putrefaction. On May 27, Washington had ordered his soldiers remove

1938-631: A merchant. When Bakewell advertised Fatland Ford for sale in 1813, he listed "a [steam] threshing-mill, which threshes 12 bushels of barley in an hour," and livestock of "200 Sheep of the English Morena breeds, span of oxen and other cattle, 4 asses, 7 horses, ... 30 pigs of the English Berkshire breed." The sale was not successful; Bakewell was still the owner of the property when he died there in 1821. Lucy Green Bakewell had been buried at "Fatland Ford" in 1804. Bakewell remarried, and

2052-546: A peninsula with the creek. Early settlers called the area the "Fatlands of Egypt" because of its frequent flooding and rich alluvial soil. James Morgan dammed the creek and built a grist mill and miller's house on the north side of the Perkiomen Peninsula in 1749. He built the country seat "Mill Grove" in 1762. In a February 28, 1771 advertisement in The Pennsylvania Gazette , he announced

2166-555: A quicker response from the Continental Congress. That winter was not particularly harsh at Valley Forge, but many soldiers remained unfit for duty, owing to the disease, lack of proper clothing and uniforms ("naked" referred to a ragged or improperly attired individual). Years later, Lafayette recalled that "the unfortunate soldiers were in want of everything; they had neither coats, hats, shirts, nor shoes; their feet and legs froze till they had become almost black, and it

2280-668: A river crossing in times of high water , and an escape route should British attack from the south. The floating bridge was destroyed by ice in 1779. The British army, in September, 1777, passed from Valley Forge to the left bank of the Schuylkill by the Fatland Ford; not many months later [June 19, 1778], when the American forces evacuated Valley Forge, they crossed at the same place, as just mentioned. Both armies swarmed over

2394-456: A showcase right next to Valley Forge Park." The Camiels spent several years renovating the mansion, rehabilitating the overgrown estate, and returning it to being a working farm. About 1950, they sold off a section along the south side of Pawlings Road, between the mansion and Saint Gabriel's Hall, for a housing development. In 1951, following 138 years of family ownership, Herbert Johnson Wetherill sold Mill Grove to Montgomery County to create

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2508-435: A week, without any kind of flesh, and the rest for three or four days. Naked and starving as they are, we cannot enough admire the incomparable patience and fidelity of the soldiery, that they have not been ere this excited by their sufferings, to a general mutiny or dispersion. Strong symptoms, however, discontent have appeared in particular instances; and nothing but the most active efforts every where can long avert so shocking

2622-420: A year later at Valley Forge, smallpox broke out again. An investigation uncovered that 3,000–4,000 troops had not received inoculations, despite having long-term enlistments. So, Washington ordered inoculations for any soldiers vulnerable to the disease. A precursor to vaccination (introduced by Edward Jenner in 1798), inoculation gave the patient a milder form of smallpox with better recovery rates than if

2736-612: Is but 12£ per acre, the buildings included. The house is so situated that it commands one of the finest prospects in Pennsylvania, and, being on a rising ground, is dry and healthy. The whole together forms one of the most beautiful spots I have seen in the United States. Sutcliff also visited Mill Grove , then owned by Jean Audubon, a retired French sea captain living in Nantes, France . Lead deposits had been discovered on

2850-613: Is employed in viewing the ground and making disposition of the Army which arrived yesterday." Vaux invited Washington to dine and stay the night—the life guard secured Fatland Ford overnight. Washington and his troops departed early the following morning. That same morning, British Captain John Montroser recorded in his journal: "[September] 22nd. — At 5 this morning ... the Light Infantry and Grenadiers passed over

2964-560: Is recorded as a farmer, owning a farm of 300 acres of land, dwelling, four horses, six cows, one servant (colored), and one riding chair." He later served in the Pennsylvania Legislature . Vaux sold Vaux Hill to John Echline Allen, about 1794. There are no known images of the "good stone dwelling house" described in 1771, or of the house as expanded by Vaux. By 1803, the farm was owned by James S. Ewing, who advertised it for sale in September. He listed its buildings: "...

3078-564: Is wrought at a very easy expense, there was a great probability of its being a very valuable acquisition." The "Frenchman" Sutcliff met may have been Dacosta, or it may have been the captain's 19-year-old son (and future naturalist) John James Audubon —they had arrived in America together the year before. Audubon and 17-year-old Lucy Bakewell fell in love, although her father thought both of them too young to marry. Informed by letter of his son's intentions, Captain Audubon initially opposed

3192-555: The Christian Brothers . Architects Wilson Brothers & Company designed its Italianate orange-brick-and-red-tile-roofed building, which included a tall campanile , or belltower. Archbishop Patrick John Ryan dedicated the building on May 8, 1898, with more than 3,000 in attendance. Its initial capacity was for housing 200 boys, but the capacity increased to 500 boys with additions that opened in September 1905. An additional 100 acres were purchased in 1902, which extended

3306-603: The Continental Army 's first large-scale construction of living quarters. While no accurate account exists for the number of log huts built, experts estimate a range between 1,300 and 1,600 structures. There are no known contemporary images of the Valley Forge cantonment. The correspondence of General Washington and other soldiers’ letters and notebooks are the only accounts of what took place. Brigadier General Louis Lebègue de Presle Duportail selected grounds for

3420-482: The Delaware River , architect John Haviland designed a "western counterpart" for Dr. Wetherill, "Fatland Hall," overlooking the Schuylkill River. The size and arrangement of the mansion's center hall and formal rooms were similar to James Vaux's expanded farmhouse, but with much higher ceilings: "Fatland is special for the scale of the portico and its juxtaposed miniature service wing." The overall composition

3534-578: The Franklin Institute . He also invented navigational instruments for ships, and a musical instrument called a trombone flute . Dr. Wetherill never married, and was buried in the private cemetery. He was the last Wetherill to own Fatland. Samuel Wetherill, Jr. provided supplies to the Continental Army at Valley Forge , and was "read out of meeting" (disowned) by the Society of Friends in 1779, after refusing to renounce those actions. Defying

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3648-725: The Second Continental Congress was forced to flee the revolutionary capital Philadelphia to escape what they perceived was an imminent British attack on the city following Washington's defeat in the Battle of Brandywine , a key battle during the British Army's Philadelphia campaign , which sought to capture Philadelphia. Unable to defend Philadelphia, Washington led his 12,000-man army into winter quarters at Valley Forge, located approximately 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Philadelphia. At Valley Forge,

3762-659: The Thirteen Colonies . About 30% of Continental soldiers at Valley Forge did not speak English as their first language. Many soldiers and commanders hailed from German -speaking communities, as with Pennsylvania-born Brigadier General Peter Muhlenberg . Still others spoke Scottish- or Irish-Gaelic , and a few descended from French-speaking Huguenot and Dutch-speaking communities in New York . Local residents sometimes conversed in Welsh . Several senior officers in

3876-412: The pacifism of their religion, " Free Quakers " supported or fought in the Revolutionary War. Wetherill became a founder of Philadelphia's Free Quaker Meeting (chartered February 20, 1781), and served as its clerk and preacher. With brother-in-law Timothy Matlack, another charter member, he designed its meeting house (1783–84), at 5th and Arch Streets . The meeting established its own burying ground, on

3990-615: The Americans at Valley Forge. Most served as scouts , keeping an eye out for British raiding parties in the area, and in May 1778, they fought under Lafayette at Barren Hill . In the oral history of the Oneida people, a prominent Oneida woman named Polly Cooper brought "hundreds of bushels of white corn " to hungry troops, teaching them how to process it for safe consumption. During the Revolutionary War, most Native American tribes sided with

4104-472: The British Army destroyed property and confiscated supplies and food, inspiring growing enmity among the area's civilians. Meanwhile, small-scale cooperative operations between the Continental Army and the New Jersey Patriot militia harassed and exhausted British forces. The armies clashed on the morning of June 28, beginning the Battle of Monmouth , where Continental Army soldiers under

4218-560: The British in order to protect their traditional homelands from the encroachment of American settlers. However, several tribes, including the Oneida, sided with the Patriots due in part to ties with American settlers, such as Presbyterian minister Samuel Kirkland . The Seven Nations of Canada and the Iroquois at what would be the Six Nations Reserve , who were mostly emigrants from the colony of New York, were brought to

4332-548: The Clouds five days later, on September 16, several hundred soldiers under General Wilhelm von Knyphausen raided the supply magazine at Valley Forge on September 18. Despite the best efforts of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Hamilton and Captain Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee , the two Continental Army officers decided to evacuate the supplies at Valley Forge, and British soldiers captured supplies, destroyed others, and burned down

4446-526: The Continental Army originally came from France , Prussia , Poland , Ireland , and Hungary . Although Native American and African American men served the Continental Army as drovers, wagoners, and laborers, others fought as soldiers, particularly from Rhode Island and Massachusetts . The smallest of the states, Rhode Island had difficulty meeting recruitment quotas for white men, spurring Brigadier General James Mitchell Varnum to suggest

4560-472: The Continental Army struggled to manage a disastrous supply crisis while simultaneously retraining and reorganizing their units in an effort to mount successful counterattacks against the British. During the encampment at Valley Forge, an estimated 1,700 to 2,000 soldiers died from disease, possibly exacerbated by malnutrition. In 1976, in recognition of the enormous historical significance of Valley Forge in American history, Valley Forge National Historical Park

4674-466: The Continental Army's performance on the battlefield. Valley Forge long occupied a prominent place in U.S. storytelling and memory. The encampment in Pennsylvania later became a historic national park where many efforts were taken to preserve and capture the meaning and feelings many had behind the location’s historic significance and well-known myths; this perceived enduring atmosphere regarding

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4788-667: The Continental Congress also believed that the army might be able to launch a winter campaign. Interested parties suggested other sites for an encampment, including Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Delaware . Following the inconclusive Battle of Whitemarsh from December 5–8, however, increasing numbers of officers and politicians began to appreciate the need to defend the greater Philadelphia region from British attack. Considering these questions, an encampment at Valley Forge had notable advantages. Valley Forge's high terrain meant that enemy attacks would be difficult. Its location allowed for soldiers to be readily detached to protect

4902-584: The Crown 's valuable possessions in the West Indies . The British also feared a French naval blockade of Philadelphia , leading Clinton to abandon it for New York City , a loyalist stronghold. On June 18, Washington and his troops marched after them, with the remainder vacating Valley Forge one day later, exactly six months after the Continental Army arrived in Valley Forge. As they marched through south and central New Jersey on their way to New York City ,

5016-624: The Enemy has never as yet been adapted by the Commander in Chief." The most organized threat to Washington's leadership was the so-called Conway Cabal . The cabal consisted of a handful of military officers and American politicians who attempted to replace Washington with Major General Horatio Gates as the head of the Continental army. The movement was nominally led by Thomas Conway, a foreign Continental army general and critic of Washington's leadership. A series of leaks and embarrassing exposures in

5130-699: The Five Freedoms (from creeds, from clergy, from public worship, from organized membership, from evangelization). Today, the descendants of the original Free Quakers hold an annual meeting of the Religious Society of Free Quakers at the Free Quaker Meetinghouse in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania. This Quaker-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Valley Forge Valley Forge

5244-748: The Free Quakers," was established on February 20, 1781 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania. More commonly known as Free Quakers , the Society was founded by members of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers , who had been expelled for failure to adhere to the Peace Testimony during the American Revolutionary War . Many of its early members were prominent Quakers involved in the American Revolution before

5358-607: The Mount Joy Iron Forge in Valley Forge. Capital improvements made by John Potts and his family over the following decade permitted the small community to expand its ironworks , establish mills, and construct new dwellings for the village's residents. Valley Forge was surrounded by rich farmland, where mainly Welsh Quaker farmers grew wheat, rye, hay, Indian corn , and other crops, and raised livestock, including cattle, sheep, pigs, and barnyard fowl. Settlers of German and Swedish descent also lived nearby. In

5472-562: The Philadelphia Democratic City Committee from 1970 to 1976. He was appointed one of five commissioners to the powerful Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in 1975, serving on it until his death. State Senator Vince Fumo : "Pete was a pilot. I used to listen for hours in amazement, when he would tell the stories about how he found Fatland Farm, flying over it in a plane, hidden behind so many trees. He bought it and pulled all those trees out and made it into

5586-591: The Pottstown Expressway, and his 1979 sale of 154 acres (62.3 hectare) between the expressway and the Schyulkill River to Valley Forge National Historical Park . On July 16, 1990, Robert Owen Safford (1934–2011) and his wife Barbara Harvey (b. 1947) purchased the mansion on 18 acres from Camiel for $ 2.1 million. The couple changed the name of the property back to "Vaux Hill," the name James Vaux had given it in 1772. The Saffords expanded

5700-529: The Schuylkill about one mile the army halted to dry themselves and rest." General Washington and the Continental Army returned to the area in December 1777, and began the six month Valley Forge encampment. Most of the troops were quartered south of the river, but Vaux's farm was the site of troop encampments and support facilities. General John Sullivan supervised construction of a floating-log bridge slightly downstream from Fatland Ford. This bridge provided

5814-441: The Schuylkill at Fatland Ford without a single shot and took post." Early that evening, General Howe crossed the ford and made Vaux Hill his headquarters. Vaux dined with Howe, who asked about the rebel officer who had been spotted the previous day. When informed that it had been Washington himself, Howe reportedly replied: "Oh, I wish I had known that. I would have tried to catch him!" The opposing commanders-in-chief probably slept in

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5928-459: The Valley Forge encampment, mostly at general hospitals located in six different towns. Valley Forge had the highest mortality rate of any Continental Army encampment, and even most military engagements of the war. Despite the mortality rate, Washington did curb the spread of smallpox , which had plagued the Continental Army since the American Revolution had begun in 1775. In January 1777, Washington had ordered mass inoculation of his troops, but

6042-482: The Vaux Hill plantation like devastating clouds of locusts. Tearing down fences, destroying trees and doing thousands of pounds' worth of damage in various ways, they wrought such havoc that Mr. Vaux's estate was seriously embarrassed in consequence. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania paid Vaux £1,000 in compensation for damage done to his property during the war. "In the 1785 assessment of Providence township, James Vaux

6156-490: The army also improved morale among the soldiers. Initially, France remained reluctant to directly involve themselves in the war against Great Britain. In part, they worried that revolutionary fervor might spread into their own empire (which it did by 1789), but they also did not think the American colonists could win. However, the October 1777 surrender of British General John Burgoyne 's army at Saratoga won for Americans

6270-520: The army's proposal. Mifflin heeded Dewees' concerns but established a magazine at Valley Forge anyway. After the British landed at the Head of Elk in present-day Elkton, Maryland , on August 25, 1777, the British Army maneuvered out of the Chesapeake basin and headed north as part of the Philadelphia campaign . Following the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777, and the abortive Battle of

6384-466: The assistance they needed from other foreign powers. France and the United States subsequently signed a treaty on February 6, 1778, creating a military alliance between the two countries. In response, Great Britain declared war on France five weeks later, on March 17. On May 6, having already received word of the French alliance, Washington ordered the Continental Army to perform a Grand Feu de Joie ,

6498-495: The behest of their husbands. On December 22, Martha Washington predicted that her husband would send for her as soon as his army went into winter quarter, and that "if he does I must go." Indeed, she did, traveling in wartime with a group of slaves over poor roads, reaching her destination in early February. Washington's aide-de-camp Colonel Richard Kidder Meade met her at the Susquehanna ferry dock to escort her into

6612-412: The blood from their feet, and almost as often without provisions as with; marching through frost and snow and at Christmas taking up their winter quarters within a day's march of the enemy, without a house or hut to cover them till they could be built, and submitting to it without a murmur is a mark of patience and obedience which in my opinion can scarce be paralleled." The Valley Forge encampment became

6726-471: The brigade encampments and planned the defenses. Afterwards, brigadier generals appointed officers from each regiment to mark out the precise spot for every officer and all enlisted men's huts. Despite commanders' attempts at standardization, the huts varied in terms of size, materials, and construction techniques. Military historian John B. B. Trussell Jr. writes that many squads "dug their floors almost two feet below ground level," to reduce wind exposure or

6840-618: The brink of war by the Anglo-American conflict. Poor organization was a major challenge facing the Continental Army during the Valley Forge winter. Two years of war, shuffling leadership, and uneven recruitment resulted in irregular unit organization and strength. During the Valley Forge encampment, the army was reorganized into five divisions under Major Generals Charles Lee , Marquis de Lafayette, Johan de Kalb , and William Alexander "Lord Stirling" , with Brigadier General Anthony Wayne serving in place of Mifflin. Unit strength and

6954-674: The closing of another Philadelphia cemetery, and his cenotaph also was moved to Fatland. Numerous Wetherill family members have been and continue to be buried in the private cemetery. On November 19, 1895, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia purchased a 185-acre tract of land adjacent to Fatland, to the west. Formerly part of Henry Pawling's farm, there the Archdiocese built the Philadelphia Protectory for Boys, an orphanage staffed by

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7068-514: The command of General Charles Lee engaged the British in approximately five hours of continuous fighting in a ferocious heat. That evening, British General Sir Henry Clinton moved the British Army out of Freehold , and resumed their march to Manhattan . Both sides claimed elements of victory. The British Army completed its march to New York City, while the Continental Army had forced a battle and performed admirably on an open field. The standardized training instilled at Valley Forge had improved

7182-414: The cost of rerouting the Pottstown Expressway around the home of Peter J. Camiel caused the price of the highway to jump from $ 5 million to $ 8 million, and most recently to more than $ 10 million in the past six months. As the highway leaves the connection with Betzwood Bridge and aims northwest toward Pottstown, it veers sharply south [ sic west], down and around Camiel's farm, "Fatland." The parabolic dip in

7296-471: The countryside. Proximity to the Schuylkill River could facilitate supply movements down the river. Wide, open areas provided space for drilling and training. On December 19, Washington conducted his 12,000-man army to Valley Forge to establish the encampment. The encampment was primarily situated along the high, flat ground east of Mount Joy and south of the Schuylkill River. In addition to

7410-544: The duties of hostess. Bakewell renamed the property "Fatland Ford," and operated it as a gentleman's farm . Robert Sutcliff, a relative of Bakewell's estate manager, visited in August 1804: This plantation, consists of 300 acres of good land, 200 of which are cleared, and 100 covered with wood. On the estate is a well finished square stone house, about 15 yards [13.7 m] in length, with a wide boarded floor piazza, both in back and front. These afford excellent accommodation during

7524-501: The east side of 5th Street between Locust and Spruce Streets. Membership dwindled as the Free Quakers died off, and their meeting house was closed in 1836. As the turn of the 20th century approached, the Free Quaker Burying Ground plot became attractive for commercial development. It was in anticipation of its sale that Col. John Macomb Wetherill (Samuel Wetherill, Jr.'s great-grandson) directed in his 1895 will that

7638-399: The eldest son of William H. and a U.S. Army surgeon and inventor, inherited Fatland in 1927. He had been a member of Robert Peary 's 1893-94 Greenland expedition, on which he collected plant specimens. He also delivered Mrs. Peary 's daughter Marie, whom the popular press dubbed the "Snow Baby." An inveterate tinkerer, his diagnostic medical devices were awarded the 1906 Longstreth Medal by

7752-455: The encampment. Over the next six months, Martha hosted political leaders and military officials, managing domestic staff within the confined space of Washington's Headquarters . Martha was one of many important women at Valley Forge. She also organized meals and kept spirits high during the rough times at the encampment. Valley Forge had a high percentage of racial and ethnic diversity, since Washington's army comprised individuals from each of

7866-477: The end of December 1777 Washington had no way to feed or to adequately clothe the soldiers. Washington chose the area partly for its strategic benefits, but wintertime road conditions impeded supply wagons on route to the encampment. That winter, starvation and disease killed more than 1,000 soldiers and perhaps as many as 1,500 horses. The men suffered from continual, gnawing hunger and cold. Washington ordered that soldiers' rations include either one to one and

7980-625: The end of the American Revolutionary War, the number of Free Quakers began to dwindle as some members died and others were either accepted back into the Society of Friends or by other religious institutions. The final meeting of the Free Quakers was held in 1836. There is a small group of Free Quakers in Indiana who continue the tradition of the Five Principles (Inner Light, peace, simplicity, justice, stewardship) and

8094-492: The enlistment of slaves for his 1st Rhode Island Regiment . Over a four-month period in 1778, the Rhode Island General Assembly allowed for their recruitment. In exchange for enlisting, soldiers of the 1st Rhode Island Regiment gained immediate emancipation, and their former owners received financial compensation equal to the slave's market value. They bought freedom for 117 enslaved recruits before

8208-421: The estate up for sale with an asking price of $ 9 million for the 8,900-square-foot mansion on 15 acres, with the barn on 3 acres available for a separate sale. In February 2016, the asking price was reduced to $ 7 million. The current property was sold for $ 2.74 million on May 28, 2021. Free Quakers The Religious Society of Free Quakers , originally called "The Religious Society of Friends, by some styled

8322-586: The fall and winter of 1777 and 1778 dissolved the cabal, and Washington's reputation improved. Increasing military efficiency, morale, and discipline improved the army's well being, along with a better supply of food and arms. The Continental Army had been hindered in battle because units administered training from a variety of field manuals, making coordinated battle movements awkward and difficult. They struggled with basic formations and lacked uniformity, thanks to multiple drilling techniques taught in various ways by different officers. Baron Friedrich von Steuben ,

8436-473: The farm, and Captain Audubon formed a partnership with French businessman Francis Dacosta to mine the ore. Sutcliff wrote: "In the plantation adjoining to my relation's, we visited a lead mine on the banks of the Perkiomin [ sic ], which was then worked by a Frenchman. He invited us to go down into it, where, at the depth of about 12 feet, I saw a vein of lead ore 18 inches in thickness; and as it

8550-513: The first time Washington ordered the Continental Army primarily to concentrate into a more permanent post, which required them to construct their own shelters. This strategic shift encouraged a whole new host of problems for the American Patriots . Washington later wrote of the march into Valley Forge, "To see men without clothes to cover their nakedness, without blankets to lay on, without shoes by which their marches might be traced by

8664-446: The forges and other buildings. Political, strategic, and environmental factors all influenced the Continental Army 's decision to establish their encampment near Valley Forge , in the winter of 1777–1778. The site was selected after George Washington conferred with his officers to select a strategic location that would prove most advantageous to the Continental Army. On October 29, 1777, Washington first presented his generals with

8778-478: The lands of Henry Pawling, Esq., and extends along the same to the Perkiomen; there are about 150 acres cleared, 20 whereof are good watered meadow and a great quantity more may be made; the woodland well timbered and the whole well watered, with the conveniency of watering every field on the plantation; there is a good stone dwelling house, brew house, with a large frame barn, three good bearing apple orchards, with

8892-496: The law allowing them to do so was repealed, but these free African American Soldiers continued to enlist in the military. By January 1778, nearly 10% of Washington's effective force consisted of African-American troops. Commanders brought servants and enslaved people with them into the encampment, usually black people. Washington's enslaved domestic staff included his manservant William Lee , as well as cooks Hannah Till and her husband Isaac. William Lee had married Margaret Thomas,

9006-470: The lead mine to Dacosta in September 1806, and moved to New York City to work as a clerk in the counting house of Bakewell's brother. In August 1807, he and a partner opened a pioneer store in Louisville, Kentucky. On April 8, 1808, John James Audubon and Lucy Bakewell were married at "Fatland Ford." The next morning, the newlyweds departed for Louisville, where Audubon continued his short-lived career as

9120-477: The mansion, erecting a west wing and end pavilion that mirrored the east wing and end pavilion—thus creating an overall symmetrical building (for the first time). They remodeled the mansion's interior, and filled it with sumptuous European furniture and decorative arts. Following Safford's 2011 death, his widow sold the decorative arts at Freeman's Auction House in Philadelphia. In 2014, Mrs. Safford put

9234-399: The marriage. With money borrowed from the Bakewells, Audubon sailed for France in January 1805 to sort out what to do about Mill Grove and the lead mine, and to obtain his father's permission to marry. He returned to the United States in May 1806 having attained his majority and his father's blessing. Bakewell also consented to the engagement. Audubon sold Mill Grove and his father's interest in

9348-495: The mine, and "mined and smelted over 100 tons from small veins on Perkiomen Creek in Montgomery County, Pa., on Mill Grove farm." The depleted mine was closed again in the 1820s. Samuel Wetherill 3rd (1764–1829) purchased "Fatland Ford" in 1825, and changed its name to just "Fatland." He had been his father's partner, and inherited the family business. He and his wife, Rachel Price (1766–1844), had 5 sons and

9462-517: The mud-and-straw chinking from huts "to render them as airy as possible." Outbreaks of typhoid and dysentery spread through contaminated food and water. Soldiers contracted influenza and pneumonia, while still others succumbed to typhus , caused by body lice . Although the inconsistent delivery of food rations did not cause starvation, it probably exacerbated the health of ailing soldiers. Some patients might have suffered from more than one ailment. In total, about 1,700–2,000 troops died during

9576-502: The new army could be to logistical disruption, owing to its size, its organizational complexity, and its increasing mobility." Washington and his aides convinced them to implement recommended reforms to the supply department. In March 1778, Congress also appointed Nathanael Greene as Quartermaster General , who reluctantly accepted at Washington's behest. One of the Continental Army's most able generals, Greene did not want an administrative position. Yet he and his staff better supplied

9690-460: The number of logs required for construction. In addition, some huts had thatched straw roofs, while others consisted of brush, canvas, or clapboards. On February 16, 1778 from Valley Forge, Washington reached out to George Clinton , then governor of the Province of New York , for support, writing, "for some days past, there has been little less, than a famine in camp. A part of the army has been

9804-436: The old path of Fatland Ford Road. Antiquarian Harold Donaldson Eberlein wrote about Fatland in 1912. By the time he revisited the estate in 1939, the landscape had changed: "So closely is the house screened by great ancient trees that only in winter can you catch a glimpse from a distance of its stately white porticoes gleaming through the interlacing branches." Dr. Henry Emerson Wetherill died at Fatland in 1946. Later that year

9918-420: The patient had acquired the disease naturally. The procedure provided lifetime immunity from a disease with a roughly 15–33% mortality rate. In June 1778, when the Continental Army marched out of Valley Forge, they had completed "the first large-scale, state-sponsored immunization campaign in history." By continuing the inoculation program for new recruits, Washington better maintained military strength among

10032-676: The private cemetery at Fatland be expanded. In 1905, remains from sixty-one graves were removed from the Free Quaker Burying Ground and reinterred at Fatland. Included were those of Samuel Wetherill, Jr. and his wife and relatives, including Timothy Matlack , scribe of the Second Continental Congress —whose penmanship can be seen in the Declaration of Independence . Many of the tombstones had severely eroded, and were illegible or identifiable only by initials. The remains of Ira Allen , one of Vermont's Green Mountain Boys , had been lost with

10146-490: The private cemetery to a trust, directed that it be expanded and improved, and established an endowment for its maintenance. Ownership of Fatland passed to the colonel's younger brother, William H. Wetherill, Jr. (1838–1927) and wife Elizabeth Proctor (1842–1914), under whom the property was "greatly beautified." He carried out the improvements to the private cemetery, and had Wetherill ancestors and others reburied there. Dr. Henry Emerson Wetherill (1871–1946),

10260-588: The property to the Schuylkill River and included Fatland Island (part of Fatland Ford). The name of the Reading Railroad passenger station opposite the west end of the peninsula was changed to Protectory Station, by 1898. The protectory was renamed Saint Gabriel's Hall in 1962. Operated by the Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, "St. Gabe's" is now a juvenile detention facility. Its border with Fatland follows

10374-481: The property was purchased by the Philadelphia Democratic politician Peter J. Camiel (1910–1991) and his wife Nina (1913–2007). Camiel was one of 12 children of Polish Jewish immigrants, a former boxer, longshoreman and union organizer. He made himself a millionaire as a wholesale beer distributor. Camiel served as a Pennsylvania State Senator from 1953 to 1964, and as chairman of

10488-436: The question of where to quarter the Continental Army in the winter of 1777–1778. In addition to suggestions from his officers, Washington also had to contend with the recommendations of politicians. Pennsylvania state legislators and the Second Continental Congress expected the Continental Army to select an encampment site that could protect the countryside around the revolutionary capital of Philadelphia . Some members of

10602-520: The regular, Continental Army troops throughout the remainder of the war. While each hut housed a squad of twelve enlisted soldiers, sometimes soldiers' families joined them to share that space as well. Throughout the encampment period, Mary Ludwig Hays and approximately 250–400 other women had followed their soldier husbands or sweethearts to Valley Forge, sometimes with children in tow. Washington once wrote that "the multitude of women in particular, especially those who are pregnant, or have children, are

10716-549: The road mean several miles of additional roadway, roadway that Pottstown was denied. Plutte said the Camiel loop was installed to avert a "potential challenge" arising out of an environmental study. Camiel's farm is near the Audubon Sanctuary, which according to original plans, would have had to surrender land to the highway crews. Federal funds, which pay for 70 per cent of the Pottstown Expressway, could be jeopardized by

10830-412: The same bed on consecutive nights. As Howe slept, the British Army began a night crossing from Valley Forge. Montroser: "[September] 23rd. — Just after 12 o'clock this night the whole army moved to the opposite side, on the north side of the river Schuylkill by the way of Fatland Ford, and by 10 a. m. the whole baggage and all had happily passed it. After the principal body had got on the north side of

10944-493: The size of a colonial city. In May and June 1777, the Continental Congress authorized the reorganization of the supply department. Implementation of those changes never fully took effect, because of the fighting surrounding Philadelphia. Consequently, the supply chain had broken down even before the Continental Army arrived at Valley Forge. In large part, supplies dried up through the neglect of Congress so that by

11058-471: The society was established. Notable Free Quakers at the early meetings included Samuel Wetherill , who served as clerk and preacher; Timothy Matlack and his brother White Matlack ; William Crispin ; Colonel Clement Biddle and his brother Owen Biddle ; Benjamin Say ; Christopher Marshall ; Joseph Warner; and Peter Thompson . Other notable Free Quakers include Lydia Darragh and Betsy Ross . Following

11172-442: The summer of 1777, the Continental Army 's quartermaster general, Thomas Mifflin , decided to station a portion of the Continental Army's supplies in buildings around the forges because the region had a variety of structures and was a secluded location surrounded by two hills. Fearing such a concentration of military supplies would become a target for British raids, the forge's ironmaster, William Dewees Jr., expressed concerns about

11286-434: The summer season ... Besides the dwelling house, there is an excellent kitchen, and offices adjoining; with a large barn, and stables sufficient to accommodate 40 horses and cows; all well built of stone. The estate extends the whole breadth betwixt the Schuylkill and Perkiomen. On the former river there is a Shad Fishery which is of considerable value ... This estate, with all its appendages, cost about 3600£ sterling, which

11400-475: The supplies' whereabouts. Other rations became lost or captured by the enemy. Traveling to market proved dangerous for some vendors. When combined with the Continental Army's lack of hard currency, prices for perishable goods inflated. Therefore, during the first few days of constructing their huts, the Continentals primarily ate firecakes , a tasteless mixture of flour and water cooked upon heated rocks. In his memoir, Joseph Plumb Martin wrote that "to go into

11514-476: The taking of the park land, Plutte said. Whether Camiel acted from selfish or selfless motives (or a combination of both), the rerouting of the Pottstown Expressway spared Mill Grove – now a National Historic Landmark – and minimized the adverse effect on Fatland. The Camiels owned the property for 44 years, and were buried together in its private cemetery. Camiel's land sales dramatically reduced Fatland's acreage—his housing development, land for

11628-505: The terms of service became more standardized, improving the Continental Army's efficiency. Washington enjoyed support among enlisted soldiers, but commissioned officers and congressional officials were not as enthusiastic. During the winter encampment at Valley Forge, Washington's detractors attacked his leadership ability in both private correspondence and in public publications. One anonymous letter in January 1778 disparaged Washington: "The proper methods of attacking, beating, and conquering

11742-408: The troops at a time when the weather and road conditions began to improve. The Schuylkill River also thawed, allowing the Continental Army to more easily transport convoys from the main supply depot at Reading . Maintaining cleanliness was a challenge for the Continental Army . Scabies and other deadly ailments broke out because of the filthy conditions in the encampment. The Continental Army had

11856-469: The troops' dismissal, Washington and other officers drank many patriotic toasts and concluded the day "with harmless Mirth and jollity." As empires, both France and Great Britain had territory around the world that required protection. Sir Henry Clinton replaced General Sir William Howe as British Commander-in-Chief of Land Forces in North America, and had to divert troops from Philadelphia to

11970-482: The upcoming auction of two adjacent properties, Fatland Farm and Mill Grove Farm: To be sold at public venue on the 4th day of March, upon the premises, if not sold before at private sale, by the subscriber, in Providence township, Philadelphia county, two valuable plantations, one of which consisting of 300 acres (Fatland farm), bounding near a mile on the Schuylkill river, whereas a good shad fishery; it also bounds

12084-489: The wild woods and build us habitations to stay (not to live) in, in such a weak, starved and naked condition, was appalling in the highest degree." Resentment swelled within the ranks towards those deemed responsible for their hardship. On December 23, Washington wrote Henry Laurens , the President of the Continental Congress. Washington related how his commanders had just exerted themselves with some difficulty to quell

12198-577: Was a Philadelphia physician, and partner – with his brother John, who inherited Mill Grove – in the Wetherill White Lead Works. He and his wife Isabella Macomb (1807–1871) had 16 children, 12 of whom lived to adulthood. Dr. Wetherill demolished Fatland's stone farmhouse, about 1843, and replaced it with a Greek Revival mansion built upon the farmhouse's foundations. Possibly inspired by "Andalusia" (1834–36), Nicholas Biddle 's great Greek Revival mansion overlooking

12312-416: Was asymmetrical, the first floor of the single wing (to the east) consisted of the formal dining room, and pantries and the family dining room in the end pavilion . The kitchen was in the basement below, and servant rooms were above. The end pavilion featured painted-wood-columned porticoes on the front and rear facades. The great Ionic columns of the main block's porticoes were of white marble. The mansion

12426-612: Was completed about 1845. A stone tablet in its south gable reads: "J. Vaux, 1776; rebuilt by William Wetherill, 1843." " Bayard Taylor , the historian and traveler, claimed [the view from the piazza] was the most beautiful view along the beautiful Schuylkill river." Fatland was inherited by Dr. Wetherill's son, Col. John Macomb Wetherill (1828–1895), a Civil War veteran who managed the family's Pennsylvania coal lands, and never married. He gave permission for William Bakewell's remains to be reinterred at Fatland, and directed that he himself be buried there. In his will, Col. Wetherill deeded

12540-481: Was established and named a national historic site , which protects and preserves over 3,500 acres of the original Valley Forge encampment site. The park is a popular tourist destination, drawing 1.3 million visitors in 2011. In 1777, Valley Forge consisted of a small proto-industrial community located at the juncture of the Valley Creek and the Schuylkill River . In 1742, Quaker industrialists established

12654-468: Was initially buried in Philadelphia. His descendants later had him reinterred beside his first wife. Dacosta's lead mine initially was unprofitable, with costs too great to compete with imported lead from England. The War of 1812 caused imports to be cut off, and the price of lead in the United States to soar. Samuel Wetherill, Jr., a Philadelphia white lead importer and paint manufacturer, purchased Mill Grove for $ 7,000 in 1813. Wetherill & Son reopened

12768-425: Was often necessary to amputate them." On January 7, Christopher Marshall related how "ten teams of oxen, fit for slaughtering, came into camp, driven by loyal Philadelphia women. They also brought 2,000 shirts, smuggled from the city, sewn under the eyes of the enemy." While these women provided crucial assistance, most people remained relatively unaware of the Continental Army's plight—"an unavoidable result of

12882-543: Was the road south to Fatland Ford, a shallow crossing of the Schuylkill River, opposite Valley Forge. Vaux was an English farmer and Quaker , who emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1771. He expanded the existing stone farmhouse in 1776, and constructed its stone barn. The following year he married Susanna Warder (1749–1812) of Philadelphia, also a Quaker. Vaux took no side in the Revolutionary War . On September 21, 1777, General George Washington , accompanied by

12996-426: Was the winter encampment of the Continental Army , under the command of George Washington , during the American Revolutionary War . The Valley Forge encampment lasted six months, from December 19, 1777, to June 19, 1778. It was the third and harshest of the eight winter encampments that Washington and the Continental Army endured during the war. Three months prior to the encampment at Valley Forge, in September 1777,

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