Valley Forge Park Honors 1777 Arrival of Continental Army

The Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board will celebrate the December 19 “March-in” event at Valley Forge National Historical Park by encouraging Revolutionary War buffs to get out into the rest of Montgomery County and discover the key role the area played in the shaping of the nation.

Collected as a series of customizable itineraries (encompassing everything from a multi-day stay to only a few hours), the VFTCB’s Patriot Trails information tracks the movements of the Continental Army under General George Washington, a press release states.

The March-in program at Valley Forge, a cornerstone location for Patriot Trails, remembers a cold December day in 1777 when the army – already feeling the impact of weather and a lack of supplies –hunkered down for the winter, according to the release.

With temperatures dropping recently into the teens, it might not be too hard for visitors to gain a deeper appreciation for some of the travails faced by soldiers during that famous winter.

Washington’s troops came to Valley Forge not exactly screaming cohesiveness. Hailing from 13 separate colonies, they had numerous different ways of marching in formation, of loading and firing even of dealing with housing and sanitation issues. They were also tired, sick, underfed and outgunned, the release states. By the time they left the following June, thanks to the rigorous training time and some much-needed funding from France, they were a unified fighting force.

The 6 p.m. event at Valley Forge National Historical Park for December 19 includes:

• 18th Century Music, featuring festive carols and dancing
• Meet General Washington, who, embodied by expert Dean Malissa, will speak on the trials and tribulations of our quest for independence
• American Heritage Chocolate samplings, demonstrating an 18th century hot chocolate recipe
• Performances by the Freedom High School Fife and Drum Corps
• Candle-lit ranger-led walks along the ¼-mile along the Joseph Plumb Martin Trail
• Tours of the Muhlenberg Brigade Hut Area
• Visits to the new Fort John Moore/Redoubt #2, a recreated earthen defensive structure built to protect the encampment against a possible British attack

Image courtesy VCTB.