Bullhunter
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318th FIS Jet Shop 1975-78
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Post by Bullhunter on Nov 10, 2009 8:14:35 GMT 9
I've been working on our Christmas Letter and typing about our vacation this past September. I also am aware of Veterans Day only days away. That being said,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,: As I type about our drive and walk through Valley Forge, PA and look at all the photos we took I get a big appreciation for the hardships and sacrifices the Colonial Army suffered. The log and mud buildings scatted around with their stone fireplaces is truly something to see. I'm from northeast Pennsylvania and I know how the state's winters can be. I also find my mind wondering back to the handful of farmers, blacksmiths, and settlers that stood against the British Army and fired the shots heard around the world. Although grossly out numbered they chased the British Army clear back to Boston. People commonly remember WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Operation Free Iraq, and now Operation Enduring Freedom. We must remember where it all started and who started it. After Valley Forge we spent 3 days in the historical district of Philly, PA. For us old military history buffs I post more historical photos. Maybe others have historical photos to share :thumbsup
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Bullhunter
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318th FIS Jet Shop 1975-78
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Post by Bullhunter on Nov 11, 2009 3:11:07 GMT 9
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Post by dude on Nov 11, 2009 9:25:11 GMT 9
Washington did not want to winter his army at Valley Forge. So why did he?
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Bullhunter
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318th FIS Jet Shop 1975-78
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Post by Bullhunter on Nov 11, 2009 13:58:19 GMT 9
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Post by dude on Nov 12, 2009 14:21:23 GMT 9
Well Ms Stokes certainly weaves an interesting tail; just one I never heard before. My source comes from Vol I of The War of the Revolution by Christopher Ward. According to Ward the decision to winter at Valley Forge was actually a compromise. Washington and his generals all knew that they commanded an army that was in no shape to carry out a winter campaign. (This was a time when one could follow the army's route by the trail of blood in the snow left by thousands of soldiers without shoes.) As such, the army leadership had their minds set on Willmington, DE as the place to go into winter quarters. Willmington was favored for three reasons: 1) to prevent the enemy from moving on the lower counties of the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake; 2) opportunity to annoy British shipping; and prospect of milder weather with easier access to supplies. The last reason being the one Washington himself proposed. However, Pennsylvania had different ideas. By now, with the British occupying Philadelphia, the Congress was resident in York. When the Pennsylvania Council and Assembly heard of Washington's plans, it protested to Congress arguing that both Pennsylvania and New Jersey would be ravaged if the army wintered in Delaware. The Congress sent the letter of protest to Washington and the Pennsylvania Council and Assembly received a response from Washington that was shall we say, not kind. Washington was already at Valley Forge when he wrote the letter and his army was literally in no shape to go much further. So they basically just stopped marching and went into camp even though everyone was well aware that Chester County had been virtually picked cleaned by the campaiging of both armies that year. Washington's generals were not happy. De Kalb said, "The idea of wintering in this desert can only have been put into the head of the commanding general by an interested speculator or a disaffected man." Varnum said, "I have from the beginning viewed this situation with horror! It is unparallelled in the history of mankind to establish winter quarters in a country wasted and without single magazine." I find it ironic that two major historical events in this state, Valley Forge and Gettysburgh, both have a connection to shoes. I guess the moral is if you want lasting peace, send shoes to Pennsylvania. :tailed-devil
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