I have been to Valley Forge several times. It is always humbling. My daughter and I went there in May of this year. I always marvel at the suffering that took place on those hallowed grounds so that we might have the freedoms we enjoy today. They built huts to hold 12 men but had few blankets. They had little food, most often it was a small portion of one-half cup of water flavored with whatever they could find. They wore tattered clothing, and when someone stood as a sentry with no boots, they stood on a felt hat hundreds wore cloth about their feet and left bloody footprints in the snow. This picture is of George Washing and Marquis de Lafayette, a French aristocrat who came here to assist the cause of freedom at the age of nineteen. He fought in eight battles including Valley Forge, Brandywine, and Mammoth. He was shot in the leg but continued to command men under him.
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