KOA, West Chester, PA:  Off to Valley Forge today.  Missed the turnoff and ended up way north.  We didn’t see any signage heading west but was very visible heading back—after we turned around.  I learned a lot about Valley Forge and Gen. Washington’s winter camp.  There were 12,000 people in this camp at one time—including women and children.  The women were enlisted to do the laundry for the camp.  Each woman did laundry for as many as 60 men—each day.  A lot of the recruits were immigrants, and several languages were spoken in camp.  The recruits were promised land—100 acres I think.  What they failed to tell them was that the land was way west and considered Indian land.  Gen. Washington rented a house—a nice house—in Valley Forge.  And Martha wintered with him.  Came back and stopped for dinner at the historic Marshalton Inn—Est. in 1814.  Back home and watched golf.

The recruits of the Continental Army built their own cabins.  Non-officers were 12 per cabin.  Officers maybe 6 to a cabin.  Trees were cleared up to two miles in every direction.  So the recruits had to walk several miles to get logs for their cabins and wood for their fires.  And there would have been nothing but mud (and other things) in camp.  Certainly no grass.

Gen. George Washington's winter quarters.

Check out this old stone barn.

The historic Marshalton Inn where we dined alfresco on the front porch.

The Continental Army summer uniforms.