"Have you arranged your plans in regard to what places you will visit
and in what order you will take them?" asked Mr. Allison, addressing Mr.
Dinsmore.
"We have not," he replied; "that is, not very definitely; only that we
will visit New England and New York."
"Elsie looks as if she could make a suggestion," remarked Miss Rose, with
a smiling glance at the bright, animated face of the little girl.
"I should like to if I were old enough," said the child, dropping her
eyes and blushing as she perceived that at that moment she was the object
of the attention of every one at the table.
"We will consider you so, my dear," laughed Mr. Allison. "Come, give us
the benefit of your ideas."
Still Elsie hesitated till her father said pleasantly, "Yes, daughter,
let us have them. We can reject or adopt them as we see fit."
"Yes, papa," she returned. "I was just thinking that Valley Forge and
Paoli are both in this State, and I should like very much to see them
both."
"I call that a very good idea," said Mr. Edward Allison. "I have always
intended to visit those historical places, but have never done so yet."
"Then let us go," said Rose, "for I, too, should like very much to see
them; if the plan suits you, Mr. Dinsmore," she added, giving him a
smiling glance.
"Perfectly," he said; "it will be a new and interesting experience to me,
as I have never visited either spot, though quite familiar with their
history, as doubtless you all are."
"Then we may consider that matter as settled," remarked Edward with
satisfaction.
Elsie hardly knew whether to be more glad or sorry when the time came for
the final leave-taking; but the joyful thought that Miss Rose was to
accompany them fairly turned the scale in favor of the former feeling;
and though she brushed away a tear or two at parting from Sophy, she set
off with a bright and happy face.
They spent several weeks most delightfully in travelling about from place
to place, going first to Valley Forge--a little valley so called because
a man named Isaac Potts had a forge there on a creek which empties into
the Schuylkill River. He was an extensive iron manufacturer. The valley
is a deep, short hollow, seemingly scooped out from a low, rugged
mountain.
The Americans had their camp on a range of hills back of the village,
Washington his quarters at the house of Isaac Potts. It was a stone
building standing near the mouth of the creek. Our friends were invited
in by a cheerful old lady living there, and shown Washington's room. It
was very small, but they found it interesting. The old lady took them
into it, and, leading-the way to an east window, said: "From here
Washington could look to those slopes yonder and see a large part of his
camp." Then, lifting a blue sill, she showed a little trap-door and
beneath it a cavity, which she said had been arranged by Washington as
a hiding place for his papers.
On leaving that house, our little party went to view the ruins of an old
flour-mill near by.
"This was going in those revolutionary days," said the old lady, who was
still with them, "and soon after the battle of Brandywine, before the
encampment in this valley, the Americans had a large quantity of stores
here in this mill. Washington heard that the British General Howe had
sent troops to destroy them, and he sent some of his men, under Alexander
Hamilton and Captain Henry Lee, to get ahead of the British; which they
did. Knowing there was danger of a surprise, they had a flat-bottomed
boat ready to cross the river in, and two videttes out on the hill to the
south yonder"--pointing with her finger. "Well, the soldiers had crossed
the river and were just going to begin the work they had come to do, when
the guns of the videttes were heard, and they were seen running down the
hill with the British close after them. Lee, the videttes, and four of
the other men ran across the bridge--the enemy sending a shower of
bullets after them--while the others, with Hamilton, took to the boat.
They were fired upon too, but got away safely. The two parties had got
separated, and neither one knew just how the other had fared. Lee sent a
note to Washington telling his fears for Hamilton and his men; and while
Washington was reading it Hamilton rode up with a face full of distress,
and began telling the general his fears for Lee; then Washington relieved
him by handing him Lee's note to read."
Our party thanked the old lady for her story, and Mr. Dinsmore asked what
more there was to see.
"There's an observatory over yonder on that south hill," she said,
pointing to it. "It was there a large part of the American army was
quartered--on the hill, I mean. If you go up to the top of the building
you can see a good deal of the camping ground from it."
"Thank you," he returned, slipping a silver dollar into her hand. "We
are all greatly obliged for your kindness in showing us about this
interesting place and refreshing our memories in regard to its history."
The others thanked her also; then taking a carriage they drove to the
observatory she had pointed out.
They were told that it stood on the spot where Washington's marquee was
placed on his arrival at Valley Forge. It was a neat octagonal structure
about forty feet high, with a spiral staircase in the centre leading up
to an open gallery on the top. They went up, and found it gave them a
fine view of the greater part of what had been the camping ground. "Our
troops came here from Whitemarsh, if my memory serves me right," said
Edward Allison.
"Yes," assented Mr. Dinsmore. "It was Washington's decision that they
should do so, as here he would be near enough to watch the movements of
the British army, then in possession of Philadelphia. He wished, for one
thing, to keep the foraging parties in check, protecting the people from
their depredations."
"Wasn't it in the winter they were here, papa?" asked Elsie.
"Yes; and the poor fellows found it terribly cold; especially for men so
poorly provided as they were with what are esteemed by most civilized
people as the barest necessities of life--food, clothing, shoes, and
blankets."
"Yes, I remember reading about it--how their poor feet bled on the ground
as they marched over it, with neither shoes nor stockings," said Elsie,
tears springing to her eyes as she spoke. "And didn't they suffer from
hunger too, papa?"
"Yes, they did, poor fellows!" he sighed. "They endured a great deal in
the hope of winning freedom for themselves, their children, and their
country. They had not even material to raise their beds from the ground,
and in consequence many sickened and died from the dampness."
"It is really wonderful how they bore it all," said Edward. "They
certainly must have been true and ardent patriots."
"We were told that Washington's marquee stood just here in that time,"
said Elsie. "What did he want with it when he had a room in Mr. Potts'
house?"
"He occupied the marquee only while his men were building their huts,"
explained her father, "then afterward took up his quarters in that
house."
Our party now returned to their carriage and drove to Paoli--some nine
miles distant. They were told that the place of the massacre was about
a quarter of a mile from the highway, and leaving their vehicle at the
nearest point, they followed a path leading through open fields till they
came to the monument. They found it a blue clouded marble pedestal,
surmounted by a white marble pyramid, standing over the broad grave in
which lie the remains of the fifty-three Americans found in that field
the morning after the massacre, and buried by the neighboring farmers.
"Papa," said Elsie, "won't you please go over the story?"
"If a short rehearsal will not be unpleasant to our friends," he answered
kindly.
Both Rose and Edward assured him they would be glad to listen to it, and
he at once began.
"It was but a few days after the battle of Brandywine that Wayne was here
with about fifteen hundred men and four pieces of cannon, Washington
having given him directions to annoy the enemy's rear and try to cut off
his baggage train. This place was some two or three miles southwest of
the British lines, away from the public roads, and at that time covered
with a forest.
"But for the treachery of a Tory the British would have known nothing of
the whereabouts of these patriots who were struggling to free their
country from unbearable oppression. But Howe, learning it all from the
Tory, resolved to attempt to surprise and slaughter the Americans. He
despatched General Grey (who was afterwards a murderer and plunderer at
Tappan and along the New England coast) to steal upon the patriot camp at
night and destroy as many as he could.
"Wayne heard that something of the kind was intended, but did not believe
it. Still, he took every precaution; ordered his men to sleep on their
arms with their ammunition under their coats--to keep it dry I suppose,
as the night was dark and stormy.
"Grey and his men marched stealthily on them in the night, passing
through the woods and up a narrow defile. It was about one o'clock in the
morning that they gained Wayne's left. Grey was a most cruel wretch,
called the no-flint general because of his orders to his soldiers to take
the flints from their guns; his object being to compel them to use the
bayonet; his orders were to rush upon the patriots with the bayonet and
give no quarter. In that way, in the darkness and silence, they killed
several of the pickets near the highway.
"The patrolling officer missed these men, his suspicions were aroused,
and he hastened with his news to Wayne's tent. Wayne at once paraded his
men, but unfortunately in the light of his fires, which enabled the enemy
to see and shoot them down. Grey and his men came on in silence, but with
the fierceness of tigers; they leaped from the thick darkness upon the
Americans, who did not know from which quarter to expect them. The
Americans fired several volleys, but so sudden and violent was the attack
that their column was at once broken into fragments, and they fled in
confusion. One hundred and fifty Americans were killed and wounded in
this assault. It is said that some of the wounded were cruelly butchered
after surrendering and asking for quarter. But for Wayne's coolness and
skill his whole command would have been killed or taken prisoners. He
quickly rallied a few companies, ordered Colonel Humpton to wheel the
line, and with the cavalry and a part of the infantry successfully
covered a retreat."
"Then did all who had not already been killed get away from the British,
papa?" asked Elsie.
"Not quite all; they captured between seventy and eighty men, taking,
besides, a good many small arms, two pieces of cannon, and eight
wagon-loads of baggage and stores."
"Weren't some of the British killed?" she asked.
"Only one captain and three privates; and four men were wounded."
The story was finished, and having seen all there was to see in
connection with it, our travellers went on their way and pursued their
journey, not feeling at all hurried, seeing all they wanted to see, and
stopping to rest whenever they felt the need of it. Elsie enjoyed it all
thoroughly. There was no abatement of the tender, watchful care her
father had bestowed upon her in their former journey, and added to that
was the pleasant companionship of Miss Rose and her brother.
Mr. Edward was very kind and attentive to both his sister and Elsie,
always thinking of something to please them or add to their comfort; and
both he and Rose treated the little girl as though she were a dear,
younger sister.
Elsie was seldom absent from her father's side for many minutes, yet
sometimes in their walks she found herself left to Mr. Edward's care,
while Rose had Mr. Dinsmore's arm. But that did not trouble the little
girl; for loving them both so dearly, she was very anxious that they
should like each other; and then she could leave Mr. Edward and run to
her papa whenever she pleased, sure of being always received with the
same loving smile, and not at all as though they felt that she was in
the way.