"my Constitution got quite shatter’d"
Hundreds of letters and documents written at Valley Forge have been published in collections that represent the best-remembered men of the Revolution. There are also documents of uncounted numbers by lesser officers and staff functionaries that have never been published, or have been printed long ago and are no longer readily available.
The intent of this effort is to present a selection of these, in the sixth of several such volumes, to allow greater understanding and appreciation of the Valley Forge Encampment. Hundreds of officers left the army during the six-month Encampment, some being forced out, but many others voluntarily resigned. The departure of nearly fifty officers is represented in these documents. Captain John House of New Hampshire seemed quite sad to request permission to resign because his “Constitution was quite shatter’d.” The impact of the army on the civilians in Southeastern Pennsylvania is also represented in this selection.
Documents are arranged chronologically, and the original spelling and punctuation has been retained. A descriptive note at the foot of each entry gives the source location of each document, and identifies the writer and recipient the first time each individual appears. The author scoured the National Archives and more than 20 other state archives, university libraries, and historical societies in his search for these rare papers.
An index to full-names, places and subjects adds to the value of this work.
Joseph Lee Boyle
2007, 5½x8½, paper, index, 210 pp.
ISBN: 9780788442919
101-B4291
