Threshold to Valley Forge

When George Washington and the Continental Army marched into Gulph Mills in December 1777, they were “uncheered by any recent triumph.” Washington’s army had lost at Brandywine, at Germantown, and at Paoli and the British had captured Philadelphia, the largest city in the American colonies. Even worse, the Continental Congress had recently visited the patriot camp in Whitemarsh to inspect Washington’s work, questioning if he was the right man to lead the Continental Army. Members of the Continental Congress and local legislators pushed for one more battle with the British before going into winter quarters, but the soldiers and generals were in no condition to engage the enemy. The army was bruised, famished, and despondent. At the same time, the new nation was trying to secure its existence. The states began debating whether to adopt the Articles of Confederation that the Continental Congress had passed in the previous month. Benjamin Franklin and the members of the American Commission were in France, lobbying the King Louis XVI and his government to officially support the United States.

From December 12–19, 1777, Washington’s Army encamped in the towering hills of Gulph Mills, Pennsylvania, fifteen miles from Philadelphia. Known as the Threshold to Valley Forge, the Gulph Mills Encampment is often forgotten or minimized, falling as it did between the more famous military engagements of the Philadelphia Campaign and the well-known experience of the army at Valley Forge. Yet, the Gulph Mills Encampment was a significant microcosm of the Revolutionary War. It included encounters with the British and the local community; little food, clothing, and shelter for the troops; the celebration of the new nation’s first Thanksgiving, and tough decisions by Washington, including his momentous decision to make Valley Forge the army’s winter quarters. Based largely on writings and documents from soldiers, generals, local residents, the Continental Congress, the British Army, and others, this book reveals the fascinating details of George Washington’s and the Continental Army’s last stand before and as they moved into winter quarters at Valley Forge.