For the Bookshelf
Following the Drum: Women at the Valley Forge Encampment
By Nancy K. Loane
205 pages, 6" X 9", softcover: $29.95
Reviewed by Linda Scurlock
In her book, Following the Drum, Nancy K. Loane has written a wonderfully readable account of that cold, winter encampment at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, in 1777–1778 from the point of view of the women who shared it with the soldiers. Beginning with Martha Washington herself, Loane uses period documents, letters and records to bring her story to life.
Most students of the American Revolution are aware that Mrs. Washington traveled frequently to be with her husband throughout the war. Loane delves deeply into the circumstances and preparations surrounding Martha’s visits, but she doesn’t stop just with Valley Forge. She goes on to consider Martha’s visits to winter camp in other years as well. Loane uses Martha’s and George’s letters to show us how George requested Martha’s presence and how he made arrangements to facilitate her travel and to see, as best he could, to her comfort and safety. We can appreciate the interplay between Martha and George through their letters, and we get a better appreciation for the difficulties of 18th century travel, even at the upper echelons of society.
Two chapters are devoted to other prominent women who joined their husbands or fathers at Valley Forge, including Catherine Greene, Lucy Knox, Rebekah Biddle, Lady Stirling and Alice Shippen. It is apparent that many of these women endured the discomfort and danger in order to be near their loved ones, although some also seemed to see the circumstances in light of the possibility for entertainment and socializing. Most underwent innoculation for smallpox, including Martha Washington, prior to arriving at camp, a not-inconsiderable discomfort in and of itself. Many of the couples suffered the loss of children at some time during the war, and the poignant references to such loss in their letters dispel the modern-day notion that earlier generations somehow accepted these losses more easily then we do today. One cannot fail to discern the tender concern evident in the letters between spouses, also dispensing with the idea that commonly arranged 18th century marriages were loveless and cold.
While these upper-class women certainly enjoyed accommodations at camp far above those of common soldiers, they were not the comforts of home. Martha herself shared the small, stone Isaac Potts house with Washington’s “military family,” the officers and aides who served Washington and the servants who served all of them, altogether numbering around twenty-five people. Martha and George shared one small room in the Potts house, which had five rooms plus attic, basement and detached kitchen.
While present in camp, Martha took on the duties of overseeing the meals and other domestic endeavors, and in fact frequently brought various provisions with her to camp each winter. Other provisions she ordered or otherwise had procured, including food enough to feed frequent visitors. She often hosted a dozen or more officers at dinner, along with other guests, in these cramped quarters. She hosted some of these dinner parties in the log cabin that was built on the property for dining during the encampment. Martha commented that the cabin made things “much more tolarable [sic] than they were at first” (qtd. in Loane 17). After dinner the officers and ladies frequently took tea or coffee, during which each was called upon to offer a song for the evening’s entertainment. Dancing and cards were prohibited at camp.
Loane next considers the situation of the women in Washington’s “family.” These women included Hannah Till, a slave woman who purchased her freedom during the war with her wages as a cook. Hannah’s husband, Isaac, also worked as a cook for Washington and also earned enough to purchase his freedom during the war.
Another woman of Washington’s family was Margaret Thomas, a free black woman who washed, mended and cared for George’s and Martha’s clothing, as well as the bed and table linens. Mrs. Mary Smith was his housekeeper until she was dismissed under suspicion of being a spy. Washington next hired Mrs. Elizabeth Thompson to keep house for him. Also mentioned are the women attached to Washington’s personal guard.
Even lower down the rung are the women of the common sort who worked and traveled with the soldiers themselves. Perhaps it is these campwomen who are most often misunderstood. Approximately 400 of these women, not to mention their children, traveled with Washington’s army into Valley Forge that winter. These women were cooks, washerwomen and sometimes nurses. They were wives and daughters, and certainly some of them were prostitutes, even though those were prohibited by Washington from traveling with the army. And during battle many took up arms and became soldiers. Some even received a pension for their service.
It is hard to imagine what would induce a common sort of woman to leave her home and follow the army, how desperate she must have been that she would give up whatever she knew of comfort for that life. For me that speaks most strongly of the true circumstances of 18th century life for the common folk. Surely some of them were drawn by the excitement of change, travel or adventure, but most would have simply faced starvation otherwise. When her man joined the army and marched away, she no longer had any way to feed herself or her children. At least following along would offer her the opportunity to share whatever rations he received and moreover to earn a pittance working in some capacity.
Today it’s easy to see the “big picture” of the American Revolution. We understand the issues and we’ve studied the strategies of each battle. We honor the courage of those who lead us to independence along an uncertain path. But Following the Drum helps us see the details. Looking at the war through the eyes of the women who followed the drum helps us better understand the reality of 18th century life and warfare and the impact it had on the entire society of 18th century America.
You can order Following the Drum from Scurlock Publishing by calling 800-228-6389 or online at [store.scurlockpublishing.com].
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