The New Student's Reference Work/Valley Forge, Pa.

Valley Forge, Pa., a small village on the Schuylkill River, Chester County, 24 miles west of Philadelphia. The American army of about 11,000 encamped there on December 17, 1777, after the battles of Brandywine and Germantown. The place was chosen partly for its defensibility and partly to protect Congress, then in session at York, Pa. Many of the men died from exposure because of inadequate supplies. Here Baron Steuben disciplined and reorganized the army. From this camp Washington reoccupied Philadelphia in June of 1778. In 1893 Pennsylvania appropriated $25,000 towards making Valley Forge a state park, but the project was dropped because of the inadequacy of the fund.