174Pennsylvania Troop Trip

Troop 174

Revised April 22, 2005

Pennsylvania Troop Trip
April 29 - May 1, 2005

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Liberty Bell________Prayer at Valley Forge______

Overview

We plan to go to Philadelphia and Valley Forge, PA. On Saturday, April 30 we plan to hike all day on the "Colonial Philadelphia Tour" portion of the BSA "Colonial Patriot Award". On Sunday, May 1 we plan to hike the 9 mile BSA "Valley Forge Historical Trail" and complete the requirements to earn the medal, and go to the World of Scouting Museum in Valley Forge. Valley Forge, PA is about 160 miles from Grace Lutheran Church, and the driving time is a minimum of 2 hours 50 minutes.

Lodging

Troop 174 will tent camp at the Scout tent camping area at the Valley Forge Volunteer Fire Company, 630 Valley Forge Rd., Valley Forge, PA. Directions. The 14 acres camping area is within one mile of the Valley Forge National Historical Park.

Cost

Overview

Fees of $25 per person covering the campsite, all admissions, and Saturday supper. Parking: $13 per car in Philadelphia. Additional costs for weekend food brought from home, souvenirs, transportation, etc. to be determined.

Details

Food

Bring your own food for Saturday and Sunday breakfasts and lunches. Lunches should be quick bag lunches.
Saturday supper at 7:00 p.m. at Old Country Buffet in Norristown, PA. (Cost is included in the $25 trip fee.)

Transportation

Parking in Philadelphia about $13 - 3 story parking area under Independence Visitor Center. Bring cash to pay.
Follow-the-leader driving is against BSA policy. All drivers should have all maps necessary.

Admission fees

Betsy Ross House - $2 youth, $3 adults. (Cost is included in the $25 trip fee.)
National Constitution Center - $5 for 12 years old and under, $7 for 13 years old and over. (Cost is included in the $25 trip fee.)

Groups:

$4 per person for groups of 20 or more people.
1 adult chaperone per 10 youth is required. The chaperone must accompany the youth at all times. Chaperone tickets for the group are free.

World of Scouting Museum - $1 youth, $2 adults. (Cost is included in the $25 trip fee.)
Washington's Headquarters in Valley Forge - $3 for 12 years old and older. (Cost is included in the $25 trip fee.)

Lodging

$3 per person for the weekend. (Cost is included in the $25 trip fee.)

Souvenirs

individual choice

What to bring - Label everything with your name

Wear

activity uniform while traveling to and from Pennsylvania
activity uniform at our camp site
official uniform during day on Saturday and Sunday

Backpack or duffle bag for items listed below
Hot cup, labeled with your name
Mess kit
Bring your own food for Saturday and Sunday breakfasts and lunches. Lunches should be quick bag lunches.
Sleeping bag
Sleeping pad, optional
Pillow, optional
No electronic devices (radios, Gameboys, etc.), except Walkman or radio with headphones.
Personal cleanup kit - toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, small plastic bottle of biodegradable soap, small towel and washcloth, etc.
Rain gear, such as a poncho
Clothes – dress for weather
Extra underwear
Socks
Liner socks
Hiking shorts, optional
Long pants
Well broken in hiking shoes
Well broken in athletic shoes
Flashlight with extra batteries
Warm jacket
Warm clothes to layer
Sunscreen
Hat with brim for shade
Folding chair or stool, optional
Watch
Camera, optional
Travel alarm clock for adults
Adults bring family radios
Money for admission fees, souvenirs
Maps and driving directions
Each group of scouts must bring a minimum of two compasses for the Valley Forge Historical Trail.

Day pack items

Day pack
2 refillable water bottles labeled with your name
Personal first aid kit, including 8 bandaids and moleskin
Extra 2 pairs of socks (outer and liner) to change in the middle of the day
Rain gear, such as poncho
Hat
Pair of athletic shoes, optional
Compass
Pencil or pen
Map - get at Visitors Center
Gallon sized zip lock bag labeled with your name for map
Weekend schedule in zip lock bag
Camera, optional

Label your day pack with:

Your first initial and last name
Boy Scouts Troop 174 Yorktown Heights, NY
Telephone number

Rules

Follow the "Scout Law".
No climbing on cannons or monuments
Quiet hours 11pm to 6am
Use the buddy system
Stay with your group
No weapons, so no pocket knife. A pocket knife may be confiscated during the security screening.
Good behavior – representing troop and BSA
Campsite

Keep it clean.
Ground fires are allowed.
Clean the campsite Sunday before we leave.

Schedule

Friday, April 29

Arrive at Valley Forge campsite in the evening.
Troop 174 will tent camp at the Scout tent camping area at the Valley Forge Volunteer Fire Company, 630 Valley Park Rd., Valley Forge, PA. Directions.
Supper on your own.

Saturday, April 30 - Historic Philadelphia

Drive to Philadelphia - Area map. Directions. Parking.
Today we are doing the Colonial Philadelphia Tour portion of the BSA Colonial Patriot Award. The Colonial Philadelphia Tour is a walking tour to 29 historic points. These points are marked below with **.
"Entering religious shrines is not required where it may conflict with the beliefs of your particular faith."

Independence National Historical Park. Map.

Independence Visitor Center

Open 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Get free park brochure and park map.
View "Independence," a free 30 minute film by John Huston.
Get your free timed ticket for Independence Hall before going through security screening. Allow extra time to go through security screening, which may take up to one hour on a busy day.
There are no rest room facilities within the secure area of the park (Liberty Bell Center and Independence Square), so be sure to use the facilities in the Independence Visitor Center or those located on the corner of 5th and Chestnut Streets before entering the Liberty Bell Center. After leaving the security screening facility you will be directed into the Liberty Bell Center where you can enjoy exhibits explaining the history of the Liberty Bell. Once you leave the Center, you will have a choice of either leaving the secure area of the park (if you do you will not be permitted to reenter without going through the security screening facility again) or crossing the street onto Independence Square. Once on the Square you can visit Independence Hall (with a timed ticket), the Great Essentials Exhibit where you can see original copies of our country's founding documents, Congress Hall, Old City Hall and Philosophical Hall.

** Independence Hall

Open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Free timed tour ticket is required.
Constructed between 1732 and 1756 as the State House of the Province of Pennsylvania, it is considered a fine example of Georgian architecture. From 1775 to 1783 (except for the winter of 1777 - 1778 when Philadelphia was occupied by the British Army) this was the meeting place for the Second Continental Congress. It was in the Assembly Room of this building that George Washington was appointed commander in chief of the Continental Army in 1775 and the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. In the same room the design of the American flag was agreed upon in 1777, the Articles of Confederation were adopted in 1781, and the U. S. Constitution was drafted in 1787. The Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were signed here. The building, inside and out, has been restored whenever possible to its original late-18th century appearance. Most of the furnishing are period pieces. The "rising sun" chair used by George Washington as he presided over the Constitutional Convention is original. The inkstand used to sign the Declaration of Independence is original.

Liberty Bell Center

Open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Video presentation and exhibits about the Liberty Bell
View the Liberty Bell in a glass chamber at the south end of the Center.

A bell for the Pennsylvania State House was cast in 1752 in London, England, however, it cracked soon after it arrived in Philadelphia. Local craftsmen John Pass and John Stow recast the bell in 1753, using metal from the English bell. Their names appear on the front of the bell, along with the city and the date. By 1846 a thin crack began to affect the sound of the bell. The bell was repaired in 1846 and rang for a George Washington birthday celebration, but the bell cracked again and has not been rung since. No one knows why the bell cracked either time. Today, even though it no longer rings, its message of liberty and freedom reaches people all over the world. The bell weighs about 2000 pounds. It is made of 70% copper, 25% tin, and small amounts of lead, zinc, arsenic, gold, and silver. It hangs from what is believed to be its original yoke, made from American elm, also known as slippery elm.
On July 8, 1776 the bell rang to announce the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.
The inscription on the Liberty Bell is "Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the inhabitants thereof" (Leviticus 25:10). The old State House bell was first called the "Liberty Bell" by a group trying to outlaw slavery. These abolitionists remembered the words on the bell and, in the 1830s, adopted it as a symbol of their cause.

** Independence Square and Historic State House Row
** Congress Hall

House Chamber open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.. Senate Chamber open 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Free. Ranger-led programs are available.
Constructed in 1787 - 1789 as the Philadelphia County Court House, this building served as the meeting place of the U. S. Congress from 1790 - 1800. The House of Representatives met on the main floor, while the Senate assembled upstairs. Among the historic events that took place here were the presidential inaugurations of George Washington (his second) and John Adams; the establishment of the First Bank of the United States, the Federal Mint, and the Department of the Navy; and the ratification of Jay's Treaty with England.

** Old City Hall (1789)

Open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Built as the City Hall of Philadelphia, the building was used by the U. S. Supreme Court from the time the building was completed in 1791 until 1800 when the Federal Government was moved to Washington D. C.

** American Philosophical Society - Philosophical Hall

Open 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Allow at least 20 minutes to view exhibits.
Free.
Be sure to get a Gallery Guide on arrival.
To accommodate weekend visitors to Independence Hall, only the park-side entrance of Philosophical Hall (on Independence Square) is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. At these times, museum visitors will need to go through National Park Service security screening on Market Street between 5th and 6th Streets (in the old Liberty Bell Pavilion), walk through the Liberty Bell Center, cross Chestnut Street, and go behind Independence Hall and to the left to reach the park-side entrance of Philosophical Hall.
On April 30 there will be no tours offered.

Normally advance reservations are required for groups of ten or more. To schedule a guided tour of the current exhibition for your group or class, please e-mail mteeling@amphilsoc.org or call 215-440-3427 during normal business hours.

The American Philosophical Society (APS) was America’s first academy of science. It was founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1743. Members included George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Paine, Benjamin Rush, James Madison, John Marshall, Lafayette, von Steuben, and Kosciusko.
Philosophical Hall, the Society’s headquarters, also housed an important library collection and the country’s first major museum. Before there was a Smithsonian Institution or a Library of Congress, the APS collected everything under the sun, including documents penned by the Founding Fathers, models of clever inventions, plants found by Lewis and Clark on America’s western frontier, and much more. All these objects contributed to “promoting useful knowledge among the British plantations in America,” the mission of the APS laid out in 1743 by its founder, Benjamin Franklin.
A new exhibition at Philadelphia’s oldest new museum, "Treasures Revealed: 260 Years of Collecting at the American Philosophical Society", presents highlights from this remarkable collection. Visitors will see important documents, scientific specimens, patent models, portraits, maps, rare books and manuscripts—as well as painter’s palettes, lantern slides, Sumatran writing sticks and silhouettes of famous patriots from Peale’s Museum.
On current exhibition and not to be missed are

Library

Rare books include first editions of Newton's Principia, Franklin's Experiments and Observations, and Darwin's Origin of Species.
The Manuscript Collection includes the Benjamin Franklin Papers, the papers of the artist Charles Willson Peale and family, and the papers of Franz Boas, founder of modern American anthropology.
Special research projects such as the Society's History of Genetics Project, The Papers of Charles Darwin, and The Papers of Benjamin Henry Latrobe are here.

** Second Bank of the United States (1819)

Open 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
Free.
Designed by William Strickland, this building, built between 1819 and 1824, is one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in the United States.
The Second Bank was incorporated in 1816 and was one of the most influential financial institutions in the world until 1832, when it became the center of bitter controversy between bank president Nicholas Biddle and President Andrew Jackson. The bank ceased to exist in 1836 after Jackson vetoed the bill to renew its charter. The building continued for a short time to house a banking institution under a Pennsylvania charter. From 1845 to 1935 the building served as the Philadelphia Customs House.

** New Hall Military Museum

Open Wednesday - Sunday by tour only. Inquire at Visitor Center Desk.
The New Hall Military Museum is devoted to interpreting the role of the military in early American history. This building is a reconstruction of the one built by the Carpenters' Company in 1791, and it originally housed the office of the first Secretary of War, Henry Knox, and his staff. The building currently houses exhibits highlighting the origins of the United States Army, Marine Corps and Navy with displays featuring weapons, uniforms, battle flags and more.

** Pemberton House

A Georgian brick home built in 1775 by Joseph Pemberton, a Quaker merchant.

** Carpenters' Hall

Open 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
Built in 1770 by the Carpenters' Company of the City and County of Philadelphia, a guild founded in 1724 to help its members develop architectural skills and to aid their families in times of need. The delegates to the First Continental Congress met here in September 1774 to air their grievances against King George III. In the spring of 1775, the Second Continental Congress transferred its sessions to the more commodious State House (now Independence Hall), but Carpenters' Hall continued to be used by various political groups. During the Revolutionary War the Hall served as a hospital and an arsenal for American forces. The building is still owned and maintained by the Carpenters' Company.

** First Bank of the United States

The First Bank of the United States was chartered by Congress and President Washington in 1791 under the direction of the Treasury Secretary, Alexander Hamilton. Architecturally, the First Bank of the United States building won wide acclaim upon its completion in 1797, and it is believed to be one of the first examples of Classical monumental design. The constitutionality of the First Bank of the United States sparked the first great debate between "strict constructionalists" and "loose constructionalists" regarding the interpretation of The United States Constitution.

** Christ Church (built in 1727)

Known as "The Nation's Church" because of the famous Revolutionary-era leaders who worshiped here, Christ Church was founded in 1695.
Those who worshiped regularly at Christ Church include George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross, Robert Morris, Absalom Jones, Benjamin Rush, John Penn (William Penn's grandson), Francis Hopkinson and many others.
It is one of the finest Georgian structures in America. The steeple, financed by a lottery organized by Benjamin Franklin, was the tallest structure in the colonies for 83 years. The interior of the church is as impressive as the exterior. It includes the baptismal font from the 1300s donated by All Hallows Church London in which William Penn was baptized, a pulpit from 1769 built by Thomas Folwell and a chandelier still in use since its installation in 1740.
It was the first parish of the Church of England (Anglican) in Pennsylvania. It is also the church where the American Episcopal Church was born.

** Elfreth's Alley

"Since 1702 ... Our Nation's Oldest Residential Street"
Elfreth's Alley is a National Historic Landmark and the nation's oldest residential street. Each year the Alley welcomes thousands of visitors to stroll along the cobblestones and experience the 18th century homes - still private residences today.

** Betsy Ross House. Directions and parking.

Betsy Ross made the first American flag.
Fee: $2 students and children, $3 adults
Open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Virtual tour of Betsy Ross House.

** St. George's Methodist Church

Oldest Methodist church in the world.

** Christ Church Burial Ground (1730)

Free.
Five signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried here, including Benjamin Franklin.
Free admission, but may sign up in advance for a group tour at $1 per person. Pay on arrival. Tour can be tailored to your particular interests and the time you have available.

** Oldest Friends' Meeting House

Open 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Donation requested.
This is the oldest Friends Meeting House still in use in Philadelphia and the largest in the world. It was built in 1804 and enlarged in 1811.
The Meeting House's land was donated by William Penn.

** Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia history of Philadelphia museum

Open 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
Free to youth 12 and under. $3 for youth 13-17 years old. $5 for adults.

** Old Morris Mansion (1787) - not open to the public
** Burial Grounds of the Congregation Mikveh Israel

Twenty-six years before William Penn, the Quaker leader who founded Philadelphia set foot in the New World in 1682, a few Jews were trading with the Native Americans along the South River of the New Netherlands (later known as the Delaware River). The Jewish community in New Amsterdam numbered some two dozen souls who had first arrived in the trading post on the Hudson River in the autumn of 1654. Exiles from Brazil, they had gained permission to stay in Manhattan from the Dutch West India Company, sponsor of the colony.
Mikveh Israel, "The Hope of Israel," was founded in 1740. The first Hebrew Sunday School in America emanated from Mikveh Israel. It is known today as the Hebrew Sunday School Society, and it continues to be an active part of Jewish education. Gratz College, the first Hebrew teacher's college in the Western hemisphere, was endowed by congregant Hyman Gratz. Mikveh Israel's Dr. Adler and Judge Mayer Sulzberger, the first Jewish judge in Philadelphia, helped found the American Jewish Committee, the Jewish Publication Society of America, and the Jewish Welfare Board. Congregant Moses Aaron Dropsie endowed Dropsie University. Many noted scholars have been associated with Mikveh Israel. They include the late Professors Max L. Margolis, Dr. Solomon Zeitlin, Dr. Solomon Grayzel, among others. Over the years, greats of World Jewry such as Sir Moses Montefiore, have been identified with the congregation.

** Pennsylvania Hospital

The first hospital in the United States.
Founded in 1751 by Dr. Thomas Bond and Benjamin Franklin "to care for the sick-poor and insane who were wandering the streets of Philadelphia." At the time, Philadelphia was the fastest growing city in the 13 colonies.
So pleased was Franklin that he later stated: "I do not remember any of my political manoeuvres, the success of which gave me at the time more pleasure..."

** Old Pine Street Presbyterian Church

Built in 1768, then rebuilt in 1837 and 1857.
Although Philadelphia is associated with William Penn and other Quakers, in fact by 1739, Presbyterians outnumbered all other religious denominations in Philadelphia.
During the British occupation of Philadelphia in 1777, British troops used the building as a hospital. They tore up the pews and pulpit to make fires to warm their sick and dying. Later the Church was used as a stable. 100 mercenary Hessian troops are buried in the cemetery.

** St. Peter's Episcopal Church

Opened in 1761.
Notable people buried here include George Mifflin Dallas, Vice President of the U.S. for whom Dallas, Texas is named, Charles Willson Peale, famous portrait painter, Commodore Stephen Decatur, hero of the Battle of Tripoli in 1814, and the Chiefs of Eight Indian Tribes who were stricken with small pox while visiting Philadelphia in 1793 to meet with President Washington.

** Old St. Joseph's Church

Founded in 1733
Old St. Joseph's Church is the oldest Roman Catholic Church in Philadelphia.

** Powel House

Built in 1765, this elegant Georgian brick house was the home of Samuel Powel who served as the last Mayor of Philadelphia under the British Crown. Powel was also the first Mayor of Philadelphia after the creation of the United States. Powel and his wife frequently entertained notable guests such as John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington.
Martha and George Washington’s 20th wedding anniversary was celebrated with a dinner and dancing in the Powel House ballroom. George was there but we’re not sure Martha attended! Today, the Powel House Collection includes a lock of George Washington’s hair and wood from his coffin.

** Bishop White House

Open by tour only. Free tickets are available on the day of your visit at the Independence Visitor Center. Tours are limited to 10 people, and tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The tour takes approximately one hour and includes the Todd House.
The Rev. Dr. William White, rector of Christ Church and St. Peter's Church and the first Episcopal Bishop of Pennsylvania, lived in this house from the time it was built in 1787 until his death in 1836. White chose its location because it lay midway between the two churches he served. The house has been restored to reflect the lifestyle of upper-class Philadelphians during the late 18th century. Many of the items in the house actually belonged to the Bishop.

** Todd House

Open by tour only. Tours are limited to 10 people. The tour takes approximately one hour and includes the Bishop White House.
Free tickets are available on the day of your visit at the Independence Visitor Center.
Built in 1775 it was occupied from 1791 -1793 by lawyer John Todd, and his wife Dolley Payne. Todd died during the 1793 yellow fever epidemic. Following her husband's death, Dolley married James Madison, destined to become the fourth President of the United States. The couple subsequently moved to the Madison estate in Virginia. The Todd House reflects the lifestyle of 18th century Philadelphia's middle class.

** St. Mary's Catholic Church

Built in 1763, Old St. Mary's became the first Catholic Cathedral of the Diocese of Philadelphia in 1810. George Washington, John Adams and other members of the Continental Congress attended services at Old St. Mary's Church. John Barry, "Father of the American Navy," is buried here.

** Holy Trinity Catholic Church

Established for German and French-speaking people in 1789.
The church established the first Catholic orphan asylum in America in 1797.
The lovers of Longfellow's poem "Evangeline" are said to be buried here.

** Washington Square

It was one of Philadelphia's five original squares as laid out in 1682 by William Penn's surveyor, Thomas Holme. It was then called Southeast Square, as Quakers did not believe in naming places after people. Within 25 years of Penn's arrival, however, the square was being used as a potter's field and a burial yard for strangers in the city. It served in this capacity from 1704 to 1794, a period roughly (and curiously) paralleling the dates of Benjamin Franklin's tenure on earth (1706-1790). Burials were generally done on the cheap: bodies bound in canvas — sans coffins.
Beginning in 1776, fallen troops from Washington's Army were buried in the Square. Pits 20 feet by 30 feet in length were dug along 7th and Walnut Streets which were then filled by coffins piled one atop another until space in the mass grave ran out. Long trenches the width of the Square were hastily dug on the Square's south side. John Adams wrote a sad letter filled with lamentation to his wife, Abigail, on April 13, 1777. "I have spent an hour, this morning, in the congregation of the dead. I took a walk into the Potters Field, a burying ground...and I never in my whole life was affected with so much melancholy."
When the British occupied Philadelphia in 1777, they used the Walnut Street Jail, which then faced the Square, to hold prisoners of war. Draconian conditions caused death in droves.
The tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution is located in Washington Square. A stone backdrop bears the inscription "Freedom is a light for which many men have died in darkness." Before this stands a life-size statue of Washington by Jean Antoine Houdon, a French sculptor who was considered one of the most distinguished neoclassicists. The sculpture is a 1922 bronze cast of a marble original dating from about 1790, the only full-length statue of Washington modeled from life. The general's left hand rests on a column of fasces, the classical bundle of rods that symbolizes official authority and political unity. At the statue's feet a sarcophagus holds the remains of an unknown Revolutionary soldier. A memorial flame burns in front, and lining the slate-paved plaza are fourteen flagpoles designed to bear battle standards or other flags representing the original thirteen colonies and the unified nation they formed. A five-day archeological search in 1956 uncovered the unknown soldier's remains in the northwest section of the square, where coffins had been stacked one on top of the other in huge burial pits. One skeleton was carefully exhumed and transferred to the memorial sarcophagus. The inscription reads: "Beneath this stone rests a soldier of Washington's army who died to give you liberty." Each Fourth of July, a wreath laying ceremony takes place at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution.
Nearby is a more cheerful monument in the form of a living tree; the Bicentennial Moon Tree, a sycamore planted in honor of the nation's Bicentennial, grown from a seed carried to the moon by Apollo astronaut Stuart Roosa.
In 1825 the 6.4-acre Southeast Square was renamed Washington Square to honor the great general and first President, and also to the legions of Revolutionary soldiers and sailors buried here.

National Constitution Center

Open 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Fee: $5 Children (12 and under), $7 (13 years old and over).
The first museum in the world devoted to dramatically telling the story of The United States Constitution from Revolutionary times to the present through more than 100 interactive and multimedia exhibits, film, photographs, text, sculpture and artifacts. Watch "Freedom Rising" which brings to life the historical context of The Constitution and its impact on our lives today. Take the Presidential Oath-of-Office and vote for your favorite President of all-time.

7:00 p.m. supper at Old Country Buffet. $10 per person, included in the $25 trip fee. Menu includes buffet and daily featured items.

2800 DeKalb Pike

Sunday, May 1 - Valley Forge

Today we are doing the BSA "Valley Forge Historical Trail", which includes a 9 mile hike, exhibits, and a film in Valley Forge National Historical Park. The requirements are marked below with **. Trail map. Valley Forge NHP map.
All exhibits and buildings in the Valley Forge National Historical Park are free admission, except for George Washington's Headquarters.

Park in the lower parking lot in front of the Visitor Center.
It was here at Valley Forge that General George Washington forged his Continental Army into a fighting force, during the difficult winter encampment from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778. Of all places associated with America's War for Independence, none conveys the suffering, sacrifice and ultimate triumph more than Valley Forge. No battles were fought, no bayonet charges or artillery bombardments took place. Nonetheless, some 2,000 soldiers died - more Americans than were killed at the battles of Brandywine and Germantown combined. Valley Forge is the story of an army's epic struggle to survive against terrible odds, hunger, disease, insufficient clothing and medicine, and the unrelenting forces of nature.
On December 19, 1777, a tired, ill-equipped, and despondent army limped its way into the fields and hills lying just east of the confluence of Valley Creek and the Schuylkill River. This was an army that had met with only limited success, not because it lacked heart but rather because it lacked the skills and equipment necessary to meet its country's goal of defeating the British army in open battle and compelling them to leave the United States. Six months later, on June 19, 1778, a new, better equipped and well trained American army emerged from Valley Forge ready to prove to the world that it could now stand up to the best the British army had to offer.
Boy Scouts have been going to the annual Valley Forge Pilgrimage at the Valley Forge National Historical Park in February since 1912. It is the oldest continuing scout activity in our nation.
The initiators of the original Valley Forge Historical Trail were the Delmont Order of the Arrow, Lodge 43.
To earn the "Valley Forge Historical Trail" medal:

See the exhibits and the introductory film in the Welcome Center.
Complete the 9 mile hike of the Valley Forge Historical Trail, which begins and ends at the Welcome Center. Both hiking and orienteering skills are needed.
Answer the questions in the "Valley Forge Historical Trail" booklet as you follow the trail.

Those who complete the 9 mile hike and complete the requirements in the booklet may earn the Valley Forge Historical Trail medal. The medal is based on the 1932 Boys' Life calendar painting, "A Scout is Loyal", of George Washington standing with a Boy Scout by Norman Rockwell.
Rules:

Stay on the designated trails. Do not walk on the earthworks because you may destroy the grass cover and cause erosion. The earthworks are the original fortifications built by Washington's soldiers over 225 years ago.
Do not climb on the reconstructed huts.
Do not picnic in areas marked "Historic Zones". Carry out all litter.

Welcome Center

Open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.
Get free park map.
** See the free 18 minute orientation film, "Valley Forge: A Winter Encampment", shown every half-hour from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This film takes a step back in time to show that the victory won at Valley Forge was not that of weapons, but of will.
** See "A Glimpse into Time", an exhibit about the Valley Forge encampment, the weapons and equipment once used by the officers, soldiers, and camp followers during the American Revolution.

** Muhlenberg Brigade huts - reconstructed huts. The originals were built by the Virginia troops of General Muhlenberg and Weedon.

The Soldier Life at Muhlenberg Brigade. It offers visitors a glimpse of what life was like for the soldiers at Valley Forge, and how they lived during the six months of their winter encampment. Saturdays and Sundays, 10:00am to 4:30pm. Weather permitting.

Musket Firing Demonstration at Muhlenberg Brigade teaches visitors how Washington's soldiers were taught to load and fire their musket and to use this weapon on the battlefield. Saturdays and Sundays, 2:30pm. Weather permitting.
Musket Drill - the 13 steps to load and fire a musket.
MPG Video of loading and firing a musket.

** Redoubt #2 - reconstructed earthen fortification
** Weedon's Brigade marker

** Follow the orienteering directions in the trail brochure.

** National Memorial Arch

The granite Arch is built in a style similar to the Arch of Titus, in Rome, and it faces Gulph Road, over which the weary and ragged regiments marched to their camps.
"And here, in this place of sacrifice, in this vale of humiliation, in this valley of the shadow of that death out of which the life of America rose regenerate and free, let us believe with an abiding Faith that to them Union will seem as dear and liberty as sweet and progress as glorious as they were to our fathers and are to you and me, and that the institutions which have made us happy, preserved by the virtue of our children, shall bless the remotest generation of the time to come." --Henry Armitt Brown
** Follow the orienteering directions in the trail brochure.

** General Poor's Brigade reconstructed huts

** Follow the orienteering directions in the trail brochure.

** Pennsylvania column monuments

** Follow the orienteering directions in the trail brochure.

** Artillery Park

Most of the cannon brought to Valley Forge were massed in the Artillery Park. Here, under the command of Brig. Gen. Henry Knox, artillery was stored and repaired and gun crews were trained and drilled. In the event of an attack, the cannon could be dispatched from this central location to wherever they were needed.
** Follow the orienteering directions in the trail brochure.

** Redoubt #3 (Fort Washington)

Redoubt 3 (Fort Washington) anchored the other end of the inner defense line. Overlooking one of the encampment roads, this work defended the southern approaches to Valley Forge.
** Follow the orienteering directions in the trail brochure.

** New Jersey Monument

** Follow the orienteering directions in the trail brochure.

** George Washington's Headquarters and Museum

Open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
$3 for 12 years old and older admission fee for George Washington's Headquarters.
This building is the original house lived in by George Washington during the winter of 1777-1778. It served as both military headquarters for the entire Continental army and living quarters for General Washington, his wife, and some staff.
Within a week of the army's arrival at Valley Forge, General Washington recognized that he would need a place to organize and orchestrate the plans for the entire army that, in addition to the troops at Valley Forge, were spread throughout the colonies to the north and south of the encampment. Although the majority of the troops residing at Valley Forge through the winter of 1777 and spring of 1778 lived in huts, many of the General Officers shared or rented local farm houses. This practice was customarily done to accommodate the needs of a general's staff and aides. General Washington rented this house, owned by Isaac Potts, from its occupant, Mrs. Deborah Hewes. Here the General and his staff received local officials and foreign dignitaries, in addition to coordinating the daily operations of the of the entire continental army. Washington's original stone headquarters has been restored and furnished.
"Washington: Commander-in-Chief" at Washington's Headquarters is a presentation about the role George Washington played as the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. Daily, 12:30pm, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, and 3:30pm.

** Dewees house where court martials were held.

** Follow the orienteering directions in the trail brochure.

** Horseshoe Trail marked by yellow blazes.

** Follow the orienteering directions in the trail brochure.

** Site of the original iron forge on Valley Creek. Valley Forge gets its name from the iron forges that were built along Valley Creek. These forges were destroyed by British forces during the fall of 1777 to prevent them from providing supplies and weaponry to the Continental Army.
.** Covered bridge over Valley Creek, built in 1865.

** Follow the orienteering directions in the trail brochure.

** General Woodford's Virinia brigade huts

** Follow the orienteering directions in the trail brochure.

** Wooden abatis and reconstructed earthworks.

** Follow the orienteering directions in the trail brochure.

** Redoubt #4, and Grand Parade Ground

Redoubt 4 (Fort Huntington) anchored one end of the inner, or second, line of defense. The area around this work was occupied by troops commanded by Brig. Gen. Jedediah Huntington.
A local resident, R. Francis Wood unearthed some bones on his farm and had written park superintendent A. H. Bowen for permission to inter them on park property. He wrote: "They are the remains of a soldier of the Revolutionary Army, who was shot on the farm by the then owner, presumably for stealing and with the authorization of a continental officer." Permission was granted, and Wood buried the soldier near the redoubt then called Fort Huntington (now Redoubt #4), putting up a simple stone, which actually became the first monument in the new park. Today, park rangers refer to it as the "chicken thief monument."
** Follow the orienteering directions in the trail brochure.

** General Vernum's headquarters

This early 18th-century farmhouse, which overlooks the Grand Parade, served as quarters for Gen. James Varnum, the commander of the Rhode Island troops.
General von Steuben's Statue

General von Steuben trained the soldiers of the Continental Army in the finer points of marching and maneuvering. A large part of General von Steuben's success in training the soldiers of Washington's army at Valley Forge was achieved by his reliance on the power of example. He formed a model company of 100 selected men and undertook its drill in person.
At Valley Forge von Steuben standardized most basic field maneuvers and tactics, introduced a manual of arms for loading and firing a musket, trained the men in the use of the bayonet, and made the American officers aware of their duties. All these changes were improvements that led to effectiveness on the battlefield. Washington's soldiers now had the skills to successfully fight the British.
The statue of von Steuben is one of only two statues in the park of the generals who served at Valley Forge.

** Follow the orienteering directions in the trail brochure.

** Star Redoubt (now Redoubt #1)

Redoubt 1 commanded the high ground with an unobstructed view of the Schuylkill river and Sullivan's Bridge 300 yards below. The redoubt was built to guard the bridge and the encampment's northern supply routes, and was manned by Varnum's Rhode Island Brigade from huts nearby.
Bridging the Schuylkill was one of General Washington's most pressing concerns. The army needed access to the land across the river, and a quick escape route in case of an overwhelming British attack.
** Follow the orienteering directions in the trail brochure.

** Waterman Monument - Daughters of the American Revolution Monument

The monument marks the approximate location of the only identified grave of a Continental Soldier who died at Valley Forge.
John Waterman died of smallpox in the spring of 1778. His comrades marked his grave with a stone. By 1943 people had chipped pieces of stone off the original 18th century gravestone so the Daughters of the American Revolution put it in a museum for safekeeping. The headstone is now the property of the National Park Service at Valley Forge, and its former location has become uncertain. The obelisk now known as Waterman's monument was erected in 1901 "close to the grave" of John Waterman.
The Waterman Monument is popularly but incorrectly called the "Waterman Monument". The name "Waterman Monument'' should not be used in connection with this Memorial. "References to this monument should emphasize its commemorative purpose ie: Its dedication to "Soldiers who died at Valley Forge", and known as the 1901 Daughters of the American Revolution Monument. It was never intended as a monument solely to John Waterman. It was erected on the site of one of Valley Forge's supposed burial grounds and was dedicated to all those who died at Valley Forge. Its inscription reads: "To the memory of the soldiers of Washington's army who sleep in Valley Forge." Yet even the park commission indicated confusion in their 1902 report when they described it as a memorial to "the endurance of the Revolutionary Patriots who during this severe winter, underwent the hardships incident to the severe cold, and withstood the ravages of disease which almost wiped the army out of existence." On the contrary, the area's first impressive monument was dedicated to those at Valley Forge who did not endure, withstand, or survive. The obelisk was not intended to replace Waterman's headstone.
** Follow the orienteering directions in the trail brochure.

Also of interest:

Washington Memorial Chapel and Carillon Tower.

Chapel is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Located on private property within the park.
This early 20th century church commemorates George Washington's service to his country.
Carillon recitals follow 11:15 am Sunday service.
Adjacent to the Washington Memorial Chapel is the Washington Memorial Museum, maintained by the Valley Forge Historical Society. It contains contains thousands of relics, including General Washington's field tent.

Memorial to Unknown Soldier

Although it is estimated that between 1,500 and 3,000 troops and auxiliaries died during the Valley Forge encampment, it is not known how many were buried here, since many soldiers died in hospitals far from camp. It is certain, however, that a number of burials took place at or near camp, and this monument marks one of the traditional sites. Location: off Outerline Drive past General Wayne's statue.

Resource Guide for Teachers and Students
Muster Roll

Search for soldiers who were at Valley Forge in 1777-1778.

World of Scouting Museum One of the finest and largest collections of Scouting memorabilia in the entire country. Thousands of Boy Scout and Girl Scout items are displayed.

Open 12 noon to 5:00 p.m.
Located behind the Washington Memorial Chapel
Fee: $1 youth, $2 adults (18 years old and up)
One of the most priceless pieces on view is the original Boy Scout sash from 1923, which served as a prototype from which the BSA fashioned others. Originally, badges were worn on the sleeves of the uniform shirt.
Other items include a 1910 uniform, a 1911 first issue of Boys Life, Dan Beard's bugle, two original boxes (one still with the cookies) of Girl Scout cookies from the 1930's, copies of the first Official British Scout Handbook from 1908 and the American Scout Handbook from 1910, an original first American Girl Scout Handbook signed by Juliette Low from 1913, handwritten letters and artwork by Baden-Powell, rarely-seen early felt Order of the Arrow sashes and a selection of rare early OA patches, a Boy Scout rifle with a fleur-de-lis on each shell, and much more.

Leave and drive home.
Supper on your own.
Arrive home.

Monday, May 2

At home set up tent to dry and clean it
Clean troop cooking gear
7:30 p.m. Return clean, dry tent and troop cooking gear to Quartermaster at Troop meeting

"Liberty Bell" image courtesy of clippix.com . "Prayer at Valley Forge" image courtesy of ace-clipart.com .

Boy Scout Troop 174, Yorktown, NY. http://troop174.info