- 7 weeks ago
🌍 *American War for Independence: Valley Forge, The Crucible - A Chilling Chapter in History* 🌍
Welcome to another compelling episode of "Moments In Time"! In this instalment, we journey back to the winter of 1777-78, a critical period in the American Revolutionary War, as we explore the harrowing yet transformative experience of the Continental Army at Valley Forge.
As the British Army advanced with overwhelming force, General George Washington and his troops faced not only the enemy but also the brutal realities of winter. With limited supplies, inadequate shelter, and dwindling morale, the situation seemed dire. However, instead of succumbing to despair, Washington's leadership shone through, turning this bleak encampment into a beacon of hope and resilience.
Join us as we delve into the pivotal moments that defined this winter. We’ll uncover how Baron Frederick Von Steuben, a Prussian military officer, played a crucial role in reshaping the Continental Army. His rigorous training methods and innovative tactics transformed a rag-tag group of soldiers into a disciplined and effective fighting force.
This episode is not just about survival; it’s about the spirit of determination and the unwavering commitment to freedom that characterized the American struggle for independence. Through personal stories, expert interviews, and historical analysis, we’ll paint a vivid picture of life at Valley Forge and the indomitable will of those who fought for a new nation.
Whether you’re a history buff or just curious about the American Revolution, this episode promises to inspire and educate. Don’t miss out on this incredible journey through one of the most significant moments in American history!
*Key Highlights:*
The challenges faced by the Continental Army during the winter of 1777-78
General George Washington's leadership strategies.
The impact of Baron Frederick Von Steuben's training on the army's effectiveness.
Personal stories of soldiers and their experiences at Valley Forge.
The broader implications of Valley Forge on the American Revolutionary War.
🔔 *If you enjoy exploring historical mysteries and uncovering the untold stories of the past, make sure to hit the "follow" button on our channel.
Welcome to another compelling episode of "Moments In Time"! In this instalment, we journey back to the winter of 1777-78, a critical period in the American Revolutionary War, as we explore the harrowing yet transformative experience of the Continental Army at Valley Forge.
As the British Army advanced with overwhelming force, General George Washington and his troops faced not only the enemy but also the brutal realities of winter. With limited supplies, inadequate shelter, and dwindling morale, the situation seemed dire. However, instead of succumbing to despair, Washington's leadership shone through, turning this bleak encampment into a beacon of hope and resilience.
Join us as we delve into the pivotal moments that defined this winter. We’ll uncover how Baron Frederick Von Steuben, a Prussian military officer, played a crucial role in reshaping the Continental Army. His rigorous training methods and innovative tactics transformed a rag-tag group of soldiers into a disciplined and effective fighting force.
This episode is not just about survival; it’s about the spirit of determination and the unwavering commitment to freedom that characterized the American struggle for independence. Through personal stories, expert interviews, and historical analysis, we’ll paint a vivid picture of life at Valley Forge and the indomitable will of those who fought for a new nation.
Whether you’re a history buff or just curious about the American Revolution, this episode promises to inspire and educate. Don’t miss out on this incredible journey through one of the most significant moments in American history!
*Key Highlights:*
The challenges faced by the Continental Army during the winter of 1777-78
General George Washington's leadership strategies.
The impact of Baron Frederick Von Steuben's training on the army's effectiveness.
Personal stories of soldiers and their experiences at Valley Forge.
The broader implications of Valley Forge on the American Revolutionary War.
🔔 *If you enjoy exploring historical mysteries and uncovering the untold stories of the past, make sure to hit the "follow" button on our channel.
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TVTranscript
00:00How does a revolution die?
00:06Slowly, painfully, one man at a time.
00:12January 10th, 1778.
00:15A young soldier stands convicted.
00:18His crime, desertion.
00:20His likely motives for running away,
00:22a square meal and a chance to see his family.
00:26Most of the soldiers here are his age, in their 20s.
00:34Hundreds like him will run away, turn their backs on a lost cause.
00:41Desertion was the death of the army.
00:45And desertion is about to be the death of an infant nation.
00:50For the man who ordered the execution, it's a day of reckoning.
00:53The revolution was in chaos.
00:56The army was demoralized by the feeling that the people no longer supported them.
01:03For the leader of the army, it's time for a grim reality check.
01:17It's all on the shoulders of a man who seems hopelessly out of his depth.
01:21A man named George Washington.
01:25Washington will wind up at the end of a rope, a British rope, himself, unless he gets help.
01:31He bets America's future on a long shot, a hot-headed warrior from the old world that some call an imposter.
01:38December 19th, 1777.
01:56December 19th, 1777.
01:58Meet General George Washington, loser.
02:04In just three months, he has lost three catastrophic battles in a row.
02:10Soon, even the founding fathers are on the run.
02:16They had been trying to stop the British from seizing Philadelphia, which was basically the capital of America because the Continental Congress was meeting there.
02:25And yet it didn't work.
02:27They had to fall back, and the British occupied the capital, and the Continental Congress had to flee like refugees in the night.
02:35Signing their names to the Declaration of Independence has condemned them to death for treason against the Crown.
02:43As Commander-in-Chief, George Washington's name would probably top the executioner's list.
02:50Now, he retreats with only 12,000 troops to a forlorn piece of real estate 20 miles from Philadelphia, known as Valley Forge.
03:01What he doesn't know is that more of his men will die here than in any battle of the Revolution.
03:09And for those who do survive, the cruel months awaiting them will put their loyalty to the ultimate test.
03:16And yet somehow, in a way that astonishes historians to this day, Valley Forge will spark a miracle, which literally forged a nation.
03:25To discover what made a miracle tick, scientists dissect the legend at Valley Forge National Park near Philadelphia.
03:35Every excavation that is done here, every bit of this past, that is so critical to the understanding of our republic.
03:48Archaeologist David Orr has spent 25 years exploring hallowed ground to unearth the magic of this time and place.
03:56Sometimes even the smallest artifacts loom large.
04:02In this case, a British button has a lot to say about American ingenuity.
04:09Yeah, this is a British regimental button, and it's not just the only one we found.
04:13We found a lot of them here.
04:158th Regiment, King's 8th Regiment button.
04:19We suspect that the Continental Army was recycling British uniforms, and this is clear evidence of that.
04:25The evidence suggests that Americans were stealing the redcoats off the British and dyeing them to make them their own.
04:36Too bad they can't steal the Brit's spit and polish on the battlefield.
04:42Since the summer of 1776, the British army descends on the colonies with a vengeance.
04:47King George unleashes a massive invasion to crush America's rebellion.
04:54300 ships, 30,000 troops, the full force of the most powerful nation on earth.
05:00Leading the Americans against the onslaught is a man who at least looks the part.
05:08He never chopped down the cherry tree or threw a silver dollar across the Potomac.
05:12Those were myths invented later.
05:14But except for his false teeth, everything else about George Washington is the genuine article.
05:20This man was in his prime.
05:23He was in his mid-40s.
05:26He was 6'3", muscular.
05:30He was almost unique.
05:32He was a giant, which makes for him look like a commander.
05:36Washington is literally larger than life.
05:39But as a military strategist, some of his own people think he's no mental giant.
05:44Before the war, George was a gentleman farmer who hadn't seen combat for 17 years.
05:48But now, he's against the best of the best.
05:53Washington doesn't just have the Brits to worry about.
05:56His own commanders are China.
05:58After his rival, General Horatio Gates wins a stunning victory over the British at Saratoga.
06:04Dr. Benjamin Rush, one of Washington's critics, nails it.
06:08I have heard several officers who have served under Gates compare his army
06:12to a well-regulated family.
06:15The same gentlemen have compared General Washington's imitation of an army
06:19to an unformed mob.
06:23Calling America's first G.I.s a mob seems like a compliment
06:26as Washington's army limps into Valley Forge in December of 1777.
06:32The morale of the Continental troops when they came to Valley Forge couldn't have been lower.
06:37They were very, very tired soldiers.
06:44And if you marched over the bad roads of the period,
06:48your shoes just fell apart within a couple of days.
06:51Private Joseph Plum Martin of Connecticut remembers the agonizing march to Valley Forge.
06:57I made myself a pair of moccasins, which kept my feet from the frozen ground.
07:03The only alternative was to go barefoot, as hundreds of my companions had to,
07:09till they might be tracked by their blood upon the rough, frozen ground.
07:13Among the exhausted new arrivals at Valley Forge,
07:17archaeologist Julia Steele's great-great-great-grandfather.
07:22My ancestor, William Raymond, was in the Connecticut line of the Continental Army.
07:28It's hard for me to even imagine what my ancestor would have experienced here.
07:33Luckily for Steele and the team here,
07:36the sufferings of ordinary soldiers find a voice
07:39in the Journal of Private Joseph Plum Martin.
07:43It was dark.
07:44There was no water to be found,
07:46and I was perishing with thirst.
07:48I lay here two nights and one day
07:50and had not a morsel of anything to eat.
07:53To the troops arriving that day,
07:55Valley Forge looks like George Washington's worst idea yet.
07:59Historian Thomas Fleming has analyzed the impact on morale.
08:03There was nothing there.
08:04The place looked to them like the worst possible choice for a winter camp.
08:10And the average soldier must have thought,
08:13my God, what's wrong with George Washington?
08:16Only now, by analyzing the evidence in depth,
08:20does David Orr find that there was a method
08:22to George Washington's seeming madness.
08:25Washington selected the site,
08:27first of all, because of the nature of the land itself.
08:30There was a rise, easily defensible,
08:34and he had the river to his back.
08:36Washington orders his men to build huts out of logs.
08:40Primitive structures,
08:41now being excavated for the first time by archaeologists.
08:44You need just a little more work.
08:46Just a little more traveling here.
08:48We want to see this arch.
08:49Clean that separation line.
08:51We want to get that line clear.
08:53Finally, after over 200 years,
08:55the foundations of the huts
08:57that once housed the Pennsylvania Brigade
08:59come to light.
09:00So my colleagues here are digging
09:03just about the edge of the hut's side
09:07where a log wall would be.
09:10Despite the death, horror, and hardships,
09:13David Orr thinks the discoveries suggest
09:15a carefully planned community.
09:18Washington is a great leader.
09:19The archaeology reflects that
09:21because the archaeology does not show chaos here.
09:25The archaeology shows order.
09:27The excavations pinpoint for the first time
09:30the precise locations of the barracks.
09:33They match up exactly to Washington's designs.
09:3718 feet by 16 feet, 12 men per cabin.
09:40So you can imagine huts,
09:42maybe 2,000 huts,
09:45in farm fields,
09:47straight as arrows,
09:48lining the countryside
09:51with fires.
09:53An amazing scene.
09:55During the winter of 1777 into 78,
09:58this now empty landscape was home
10:01was home to up to 15,000 people,
10:03making it the fifth biggest settlement
10:06on the continent.
10:09At the dig site,
10:11archaeologist David Orr
10:12has analyzed the living conditions.
10:14These must have been miserable places.
10:17They weren't adequately drained.
10:19They had to constantly struggle
10:22to get dry clothes
10:23because they'd be saturated with the wet.
10:27Temperatures hover below freezing.
10:29Warm clothes are so scarce,
10:31soldiers must pool all they have
10:33to lend to the unlucky grunt
10:34assigned to sentry duty in the snow.
10:37The camp is awash with mud and sewage.
10:39Cholera and typhoid sweep through the ranks.
10:42Throughout the six months of the encampment,
10:46it's estimated that somewhere
10:47between 3,000 and 4,000 soldiers died,
10:51much more than any battle of the revolution.
10:55And yet today,
10:57not a single trace of a human body
10:59has been discovered.
11:00We have archaeological evidence of no graves.
11:04There may be a few graves here,
11:05it's hard to be sure,
11:07but there's certainly no cemetery,
11:08no military cemetery.
11:09And there was no desire by Washington
11:13to do such a thing.
11:16At Valley Forge,
11:17it's George Washington's duty
11:19to hide the painful truth from his men.
11:23But Washington hides nothing
11:24from the Continental Congress.
11:26The commander-in-chief lays out the options
11:31in stark terms.
11:33I am now convinced,
11:35beyond a doubt,
11:38that unless some great and capital change
11:41suddenly takes place in that line,
11:44this army must inevitably be reduced
11:47by one or other of these three things.
11:52Starve,
11:54dissolve,
11:57or disperse.
11:59To make Valley Forge succeed,
12:02a man renowned for his honesty
12:04is about to discover
12:05he must become
12:06a master of deception.
12:08January 1778.
12:12As the temperature plummets,
12:14an army of amateurs
12:15from 13 squabbling colonies
12:17seems ready to self-destruct.
12:19One soldier,
12:21Joseph Plum Martin,
12:22sizes up his detachment.
12:24The regiment that I belonged to
12:26was made up of about
12:27one-half New Englanders,
12:28and the remainder
12:29were chiefly Pennsylvanians,
12:31sets of people as opposite
12:33in manners and customs
12:34as light and darkness.
12:36Consequently,
12:38there was not much cordiality
12:39existing between us.
12:41We tend to think of
12:43the American army
12:44and the revolution
12:45as all basically
12:47of English dissent.
12:48But this simply wasn't true.
12:50It's not just an army of locals.
12:53The revolution has drawn
12:54idealists and adventurers
12:56from all over the world.
12:57The Irish comprised,
12:59by a rough estimate,
13:01about 30% of the troops
13:03in Washington's army.
13:05Germans, Poles,
13:06and especially Frenchmen,
13:07swell the ranks.
13:09And so too does another group,
13:11eager to join the struggle.
13:12Eventually,
13:13one out of seven
13:14of the soldiers
13:16in Washington's army
13:16were black,
13:17and it was an integrated army.
13:19They lived with the whites.
13:20They weren't segregated
13:21in any way, shape, or form.
13:23It would not be
13:24until the Korean War
13:25that American forces
13:26would be integrated again.
13:30White or black,
13:31native or foreign-born,
13:33the combined needs
13:34of 15,000 men
13:35are enormous.
13:37For three months
13:38in Valley Forge,
13:39they needed 7,000
13:41head of cattle
13:42and 17,000
13:44barrels of flour.
13:46It was staggering
13:47to think of
13:48how much food
13:48they needed.
13:50He wrote letters
13:51to Congress,
13:52which are among
13:53the most vivid letters
13:55that any general
13:55ever wrote
13:56about the condition
13:57of his men.
13:58Washington spells it out
14:03for the Founding Fathers.
14:06Naked and starving
14:07as they are,
14:08we cannot enough
14:10admire the incomparable
14:11patience and fidelity
14:12of the soldiery.
14:14We know they weren't naked,
14:15but starving?
14:17How much did his troops
14:18really have to eat?
14:20At Valley Forge today,
14:22David Orr and his team
14:23intend to find out.
14:24If you look
14:27at the soil itself,
14:28you can see
14:29it's a reddish soil.
14:30That's what happens
14:31to the soil
14:31when it's burned.
14:32You can see
14:33the stone hearth.
14:35When we excavated it,
14:36we found the remains
14:37of animal bones.
14:39We saw how they were cut.
14:41We saw how they were prepared.
14:42You know,
14:43they're boiled.
14:44We have all the standard
14:46large farm animals,
14:47cattle, sheep,
14:48pigs, goats.
14:49Forensic expert
14:50Pam Crabtree
14:51has analyzed the bones.
14:53Yeah, here's a piece
14:55of a pelvis
14:55and we can see
14:56the piece of the
14:56chopped mark right here.
14:58And that's not surprising
14:59because it looks as if
15:00many of the animals
15:01were driven into the camp
15:02and then slaughtered,
15:03butchered,
15:04cooked,
15:05and consumed on site.
15:08No wild animals either.
15:10No deer.
15:10No deer,
15:10even though they're
15:11all over the park today.
15:13The Americans
15:14were expert marksmen.
15:16If they were truly starving,
15:18why weren't they
15:18hunting for food?
15:19There they were able
15:21among their mates
15:22to sit and enjoy
15:23a fairly substantial meal.
15:26Maybe not as frequent
15:27as they'd like,
15:28but a fairly substantial meal.
15:31Valley Forge
15:31was hurting for supplies.
15:33These guys ate
15:34every piece of the animal,
15:35head and feet included.
15:37But starving?
15:38Some experts believe
15:39Washington was strategically
15:40stretching the truth
15:41a yard or two.
15:43Shocking.
15:44At Valley Forge,
15:46the army had,
15:48you might say,
15:49a publicist,
15:51a supreme
15:51and very superior publicist.
15:54His name was George Washington.
15:56He called them
15:57naked and starving.
16:00Now that, at times,
16:01was something
16:01of an exaggeration.
16:03Anything to provoke
16:04a response
16:05to get what he needed
16:06for his men.
16:08Washington was a master
16:09of getting from Congress
16:11what he needed
16:13to keep this army
16:14in the field.
16:15If Washington bent the truth
16:17to raise support
16:17for his men,
16:19he outright lied
16:20to the British
16:20by leaking disinformation
16:22in dispatches
16:23he knew would fall
16:24into enemy hands.
16:28Sirs,
16:29it is with great encouragement
16:31that I write to inform you
16:34that our army
16:35has drastically improved.
16:38With the arrival
16:39of the New Jersey militia,
16:41our numbers
16:42of enlisted regiments
16:43has just reached
16:4440,000 fully uniformed.
16:48He personally
16:49wrote out
16:50in his own handwriting
16:51the returns
16:53of the army
16:54in which they listed
16:55how many men
16:56in each brigade
16:57and so forth.
16:58He quintupled them all.
17:00And then he arranged
17:01for one of his double agents
17:02to take it in
17:03and he gave it
17:05to General Howe.
17:06And Howe was so ecstatic
17:07because he looked
17:08and he recognized
17:08Washington's handwriting.
17:09And then they read
17:10these returns
17:11and they said,
17:12oh my God,
17:13I had no idea
17:14Washington's army
17:15was this big.
17:16And that was another reason
17:18why Howe decided
17:19not to attack Washington
17:20because he thought
17:20Washington had
17:2230 or 40,000 men
17:23out there.
17:25Washington scams
17:26the British
17:26when at this point
17:27he may only have
17:28as few as 5,000 troops.
17:30But he can't hide
17:31the cold realities
17:32from his own men.
17:34They desert
17:34at an alarming rate.
17:36One out of every 10
17:39members of the
17:40Washington's army
17:41while he was
17:42at Valley Forge
17:42deserted.
17:44That's a pretty
17:44high percentage.
17:48January 10th, 1778.
17:51Three men stand
17:52convicted of desertion.
17:54Washington must make
17:55a terrible choice.
17:56Is cowboy declared?
17:58To show mercy
17:59or set an example.
18:01He didn't like
18:02to hang people.
18:04But if a man
18:04was caught deserting
18:05say twice
18:06or three times
18:08there's a very
18:09strong chance
18:10that he would be
18:10court-martialed
18:11and it had to be
18:12dealt with very firmly.
18:14And there were men
18:14that were hanged
18:15at Valley Forge
18:16for desertion.
18:17Washington pardons
18:18two of the three men.
18:20But for John Riley,
18:22a soldier from
18:22Washington's home
18:23state of Virginia,
18:25there will be
18:26no more reprieves.
18:27While his soldiers
18:45are leaving in droves,
18:46another group
18:47at Valley Forge
18:48works against
18:48Washington from within.
18:51His own officers.
18:55Near the camp kitchens,
18:56archaeologists
18:57excavate a hut
18:58different from
18:59the others.
19:00The layout is
19:01more spacious,
19:02the structure
19:02more substantial.
19:04This is a very
19:05typical officer's hut
19:06here at Valley Forge.
19:07Quite spacious,
19:09well preserved,
19:10but in this special
19:10place we're getting
19:12a glimpse of all
19:13sorts of other
19:13activity.
19:15This is a shoe
19:17buckle which would
19:17be typical for
19:18a continental officer
19:20on part of his
19:21ornamental assembly.
19:23Probably made out
19:24of brass.
19:24While the grunt
19:26troops make do
19:27with homemade
19:28shoes and stolen
19:29uniforms,
19:30many officers
19:31enjoy the comforts
19:32of home.
19:34We have seen
19:34wine bottles,
19:36we have seen
19:36tea bowls,
19:38wine glasses.
19:40This place
19:41really shows
19:42the difference
19:42between officers
19:43and enlisted men.
19:46Officers big on
19:47ego,
19:48badmouth their leader.
19:50A certain
19:51Colonel Pickering
19:51takes a potshot.
19:52Before I came
19:54to the army,
19:55I entertained
19:55an exalted opinion
19:56of General Washington's
19:57military talents.
20:00But I have since
20:01seen nothing
20:02to enhance it.
20:04Yielding to the
20:05negative reports
20:06in the Continental
20:06Congress,
20:07John Adams,
20:08once a Washington
20:09fan,
20:09caves in.
20:11We must have
20:12another leader.
20:13General Washington
20:14is no longer
20:15able to hold
20:16our little army
20:16together.
20:18Washington was
20:18indeed on
20:19political thin
20:20ice,
20:20and he knew
20:22it.
20:24According to
20:25American legend,
20:26this is about
20:27the time when
20:27George Washington
20:28gets on his
20:29knees in the
20:29snow and
20:31prays.
20:32It's an
20:32inspiring story
20:33and a
20:37memorable image.
20:38But some
20:39experts doubt
20:40it ever happened.
20:43I don't think
20:44Washington prayed
20:44at Valley Forge.
20:45He was not
20:46a praying man.
20:47The God
20:49that he
20:49worshipped
20:50was not
20:51a God
20:51to whom
20:51you prayed.
20:52He was
20:52the ruler
20:53of the
20:53universe,
20:54but not
20:55a God
20:56who interceded
20:56in human
20:57affairs.
20:58Whether
20:59George Washington
20:59prayed at
21:00Valley Forge
21:01or not,
21:02the answer
21:03to the
21:03prayers of
21:04a new
21:04nation
21:04is on
21:05its way
21:05and from
21:06a most
21:07unlikely
21:07place.
21:12Two and a
21:13half years
21:13into the
21:14revolution,
21:14conditions
21:15at Valley
21:16Forge
21:16are worse
21:17than ever.
21:18Washington
21:18himself
21:19visits
21:19dying
21:20troops
21:20in
21:20makeshift
21:21hospitals
21:21scattered
21:22around
21:22the
21:22camp.
21:24At one
21:25point,
21:25there were
21:25as many
21:26as 2,500
21:27to 3,000
21:28men who
21:29were listed
21:30as too
21:30sick to
21:31report for
21:31duty.
21:32Surprisingly,
21:34archaeologists
21:34today believe
21:35that the
21:35hospitals were
21:36deliberately
21:37located to
21:37make them
21:38not convenient
21:39to the
21:39troops.
21:41It's a
21:42good 400
21:43meters
21:44from the
21:45rest of
21:46the huts.
21:47At that
21:48time period,
21:49the poor
21:50sick soldier
21:50would have
21:51been carried
21:52in the
21:52middle of
21:53the night
21:53to a
21:53hospital
21:54hut
21:54with other
21:55dead and
21:56dying
21:56people.
21:57Why would
21:58Washington
21:58build
21:59hospitals so
21:59far from
22:00his men?
22:01Archaeologists
22:02have come up
22:03with an
22:03intriguing
22:03theory.
22:05Washington
22:05wanted to
22:06segregate
22:07the sick
22:08for morale
22:09purposes so
22:10that the
22:10well soldier
22:11would not
22:11have it
22:12weighing on
22:12their mind
22:13looking at
22:13ill comrades
22:15or your
22:15dying
22:16comrades.
22:19February
22:1910th,
22:201778.
22:22The morale
22:22of George
22:23Washington
22:23and his
22:24men is
22:24about to
22:25get a
22:25shot in
22:25the arm
22:26with the
22:27arrival of
22:27a long
22:28awaited
22:28guest.
22:31There's one
22:32more item
22:32I want you
22:33to take
22:33care of
22:33personally
22:34in there.
22:35Welcome
22:35to you.
22:37How are
22:37you,
22:37my dear?
22:38She has
22:38risked
22:39capture by
22:39the British
22:40to be
22:40with her
22:41husband.
22:42I will
22:42tell you,
22:42you are
22:43a sight
22:43for sore
22:44eyes.
22:45They really
22:46did love
22:46each other,
22:47I think,
22:47but she
22:48also knew
22:48that she
22:49added a
22:50dimension
22:51to Washington's
22:52life.
22:54But Martha
22:54would come
22:55to these
22:55sick soldiers
22:56and do
22:57her best
22:58for them.
22:58She'd bring
22:59food from
23:00headquarters,
23:01wine,
23:02little touches
23:03of things
23:03like that
23:04that made
23:04them feel
23:04a little
23:05better.
23:06Martha
23:06tends to
23:07the sick
23:07and even
23:08knit socks
23:09for the
23:09troops.
23:10But just
23:11as Martha
23:11works wonders
23:12for the
23:13soldiers'
23:13morale,
23:14so another
23:15new arrival
23:15is about
23:16to give
23:16them badly
23:17needed
23:17backbone.
23:19February
23:1923rd,
23:201778,
23:22a stranger
23:23arrives at
23:23Valley Forge.
23:26George
23:26Washington
23:27considers him
23:28so important
23:28that he
23:29rides out
23:29to meet
23:30the man
23:30in person.
23:33Sent here
23:34by Benjamin
23:34Franklin,
23:35America's
23:36chief diplomat
23:36in France,
23:37the stranger
23:38is an
23:38unlikely
23:39volunteer.
23:41Welcome
23:41to Valley Forge,
23:42General.
23:43Pleasure to
23:44see you.
23:45His name,
23:46Baron Friedrich
23:47Wilhelm Augustus
23:48von Steuben,
23:49a lieutenant
23:50general in
23:50the mighty
23:51Prussian army
23:51of Frederick
23:52the Great.
23:54Now,
23:54Frederick the
23:54Great was
23:55the most
23:55famous soldier
23:56of his day,
23:57and his army
23:58was considered
23:58the best army
23:59in Europe.
24:00So anybody
24:01that could say
24:02he was a lieutenant
24:02general got
24:03immediate attention
24:04anywhere in the
24:05world.
24:06years later,
24:08an eyewitness
24:08still remembers
24:09the impact
24:10of von Steuben's
24:11arrival.
24:12Never before
24:13or since
24:14have I had
24:15such an impression
24:15of an ancient
24:16fabled god
24:17of war,
24:18the trappings
24:19of his horse,
24:20the enormous
24:20holsters of his
24:21pistols,
24:22his large size,
24:23and his strikingly
24:25martial aspect.
24:28Von Steuben
24:29speaks no English,
24:30Washington,
24:31no German.
24:32An aide helps
24:33translate,
24:34and Washington
24:34soon finds
24:35that in military
24:36matters,
24:36they speak
24:37the same language.
24:39The commander-in-chief
24:40asked von Steuben
24:41to review the troops.
24:43After a quick
24:44inspection,
24:45his verdict
24:45cuts to the bone.
24:47He inspected
24:48everything,
24:48he saw what was
24:49going on,
24:50and so forth,
24:50and then he came
24:51back and gave
24:52Washington a
24:52devastating critique
24:54of the way
24:55things were being
24:56run.
24:57Von Steuben
24:57was appalled
24:59to discover
24:59that the officers
25:01in the American
25:02Army did not
25:02drill their troops.
25:05Halt!
25:05Damn it!
25:06Halt!
25:06The idea
25:07they had
25:08of their duty
25:08was only
25:10to put themselves
25:11at the head
25:11of their regiment
25:12when they were
25:13going into action.
25:15Von Steuben
25:15knows he has
25:16to turn the army
25:17around,
25:18but how?
25:19He later writes,
25:21Matters had
25:21to be remedied,
25:22but there
25:23to commence
25:24was the great
25:25difficulty.
25:26With Washington's
25:27blessing,
25:28the Prussian
25:28takes charge
25:29of a hundred
25:30men,
25:30an elite unit
25:31he will train
25:32to his high
25:33standards.
25:36Without speaking
25:37a word of English,
25:39Von Steuben
25:39knows how to get
25:40his soldiers'
25:41attention.
25:42You can see
25:43why he attracted
25:43crowds from all
25:45of Valley Forge
25:46to watch it,
25:46because it was
25:47a great show.
25:48He was not at all
25:49above losing
25:50his temper.
25:51He was a classic
25:52drill sergeant.
25:57He'd throw
25:58his hat on the
25:59ground and
25:59he would
26:00explode with
26:01these incredible
26:02curses in
26:03German and
26:04French.
26:05The curses
26:06weren't translated
26:06because they
26:07didn't need to
26:07be translated.
26:09And then when
26:10he picked up
26:10a few English
26:11curses,
26:11he threw
26:11them in too.
26:13But the
26:13amazing thing
26:14was that
26:15they didn't
26:16resent it.
26:18Quickly,
26:19the Prussian
26:19earns the troops
26:20respect.
26:21But the
26:22soldiers impress
26:22Von Steuben
26:23as well.
26:25He writes
26:26in a letter
26:27that reflects
26:27it best
26:28to a friend
26:28of his.
26:29With a
26:30Prussian
26:30soldier,
26:31you can
26:31tell him,
26:32grab that
26:32shovel,
26:33dig that
26:33hole,
26:34and he'll
26:34do it.
26:35Without
26:36question.
26:37You say
26:37the same
26:38thing with
26:38an American
26:39soldier,
26:39he's going
26:39to look
26:40you dead
26:40in the eye
26:40and say,
26:41why?
26:43Von Steuben
26:43concentrates
26:44on teaching
26:45the awkward
26:45Americans how
26:46to handle
26:46their muskets
26:47with European
26:48finesse.
26:48Oh, wow,
26:52look at that.
26:53Look at that.
26:55There we go.
26:56That's the
26:57hammer and
26:57cock assembly
26:58from an
26:59English
26:59flatlock musket.
27:01Most likely
27:02a captured
27:02English musket
27:03that Americans
27:04were training
27:04with under
27:05Von Steuben.
27:09Every soldier
27:13would have
27:13had one of
27:13these.
27:16For a
27:16soldier in
27:17combat,
27:17the number
27:18of seconds
27:18it takes
27:19to load
27:19and fire
27:20one of
27:20these
27:20flintlocks
27:21spells the
27:22difference
27:22between
27:23life and
27:23death.
27:26Ready.
27:27Ready.
27:28Present.
27:30Fire.
27:32Time is
27:32of the
27:33essence.
27:33A soldier
27:34would have
27:34a pre-made
27:34cartridge.
27:35He'd take
27:35the cartridge
27:36out of his
27:36pouch.
27:37Bring the
27:37cock,
27:37the half
27:38cock,
27:38move the
27:38frizzant
27:39forward,
27:40withdraw
27:40paper cartridge,
27:42bite the
27:42end of the
27:42cartridge off,
27:44prime the
27:45pan by
27:46placing powder
27:46in the pan,
27:47and then close
27:48the frizzant down
27:48on top,
27:49placing the
27:49cartridge in
27:50the ball,
27:50in the muggle,
27:51drawing the
27:52rammer,
27:53ramming cartridge,
27:55replacing the
27:55rammer into the
27:56thimbles.
27:59Full cock.
28:02The thought is to
28:03fire as fast as
28:05you can at the
28:06enemy because that
28:07is a way of
28:08keeping them from
28:09firing as fast as
28:10they can on you.
28:11to accomplish that,
28:15all soldiers in
28:16that line have to
28:17be working in
28:18unison together to
28:19be able to fire
28:19together, to be
28:20able to load
28:21rapidly, to load,
28:23aim, and fire in
28:25unison.
28:26This is a very
28:27tough thing to do.
28:29Soldier has to be
28:30able to do it
28:30automatically.
28:31It's like breathing.
28:32All right,
28:32shoulder, fire
28:33locks, order.
28:36Fire locks, one,
28:38two.
28:39Prior to the
28:40training at
28:41Valley Forge,
28:42it would take
28:43them about 30
28:43seconds to load a
28:44musket.
28:45Once Steumann got
28:46that down to a
28:46military procedure,
28:47I was able to
28:48take that down to
28:4920 seconds.
28:50Now I'm going to
28:50time you.
28:54Doesn't sound like
28:54a lot of time,
28:5510 seconds.
28:56When you're on the
28:56receiving end of a
28:57bayonet charge,
28:5810 seconds becomes
28:59an eternity.
29:0920 seconds exact.
29:14This is where
29:24von Steuben taught
29:25Washington's men the
29:26art of being a
29:28soldier.
29:29Above all, build
29:31teamwork, you build
29:32morale.
29:34And that's what von
29:35Steuben did here.
29:36Fire locks.
29:37Just as Washington
29:38is starting to see
29:39results under
29:40von Steuben's
29:40direction, he
29:42hears disturbing
29:42gossip.
29:44Some whisper that
29:45the baron is not
29:46as advertised, that
29:47he's not a baron or
29:48a general at all.
29:50His highest rank in
29:52the Prussian army had
29:53been captain.
29:54So who was
29:55responsible for
29:56fudging von
29:57Steuben's resume?
29:59Historians believe it
30:00was none other than
30:01Benjamin Franklin
30:02himself.
30:03Ben was very, very
30:06shrewd politician.
30:07And he had
30:08inflated the
30:09credentials that he
30:11was sending von
30:11Steuben to
30:13America with.
30:14He called him a
30:15lieutenant general in
30:16the army of the
30:17king of Prussia.
30:19But while his
30:20credentials may be
30:21fraudulent, there's
30:22nothing phony about
30:23his training skills.
30:25And now it's time
30:26for phase two,
30:28spreading the word.
30:29He asked for a
30:31hundred men that he
30:32would drill into what
30:33he called a model
30:34company.
30:35In other words, he
30:37didn't try to drill
30:38the whole army, which
30:39would have been
30:39impossible.
30:41So then he took the
30:42people who were in the
30:42model company and he
30:44distributed them
30:44throughout the army.
30:46Working as von
30:47Steuben's disciples,
30:49a hundred trainees
30:49must now translate his
30:51techniques for 12,000
30:52Americans.
30:54For the first time, the
30:55Continental Army
30:56marches in step.
30:58Two hundred years
30:59later, archaeologists have
31:01found a remarkable
31:02symbol of that moment.
31:05I've always thought of
31:06this button as the real
31:07beginning of the
31:08revolution.
31:09This button says USA.
31:12A United States Army
31:14button.
31:15The first time the
31:16letters USA appear on a
31:18uniform.
31:20A symbol of the new
31:22spirit uniting the army.
31:24inextricable.
31:26The U blends into the
31:28S and the S blends
31:29into the A.
31:30United States of
31:32America.
31:32Something new.
31:34No number telling you
31:35where you fit in the
31:37scheme of things.
31:38None of that.
31:39None of that.
31:41May 5th, 1778.
31:44Von Steuben shows off
31:45the results of two
31:46months of constant
31:47drilling on the parade
31:48ground.
31:48Washington announces
31:50his verdict.
31:52The commander-in-chief
31:53takes great pleasure
31:54in acquainting the army
31:56that his conduct
31:57yesterday afforded him
31:59the highest satisfaction.
32:01Washington's trust in
32:02the counterfeit baron
32:03has paid off.
32:06And news is about to
32:07arrive, which will turn
32:09the whole war around.
32:11It was just an amazing
32:13burst of joy, excitement.
32:16And people danced
32:17around, hugged each
32:18other.
32:21Good news reaches
32:22Valley Forge at last.
32:24Ben Franklin's diplomacy
32:25in Paris has finally
32:26paid off.
32:27The French have
32:28committed to join
32:29America in the war.
32:31I do not speak French
32:32very well, but I believe
32:33in light of this
32:34historic day, the
32:36correct thing to say
32:37would be, vive la
32:38France!
32:39For this to be
32:41announced to these
32:42men was like the sun
32:44coming up and staying
32:45up for the next
32:4610 days.
32:48The war was
32:48transformed from a
32:50colonial revolt to a
32:52world war.
32:53Now, France was the
32:55number two power in
32:56the world at this time.
32:59Celebrating the
33:00alliance with France,
33:01for once the buttoned
33:02down Washington ties
33:04one on.
33:05Washington celebrated
33:06that day by promising
33:07each one of his
33:08brigade commanders that
33:09he would have a toast
33:10with them.
33:11The thing is, Washington
33:14had quite a few brigade
33:16commanders here, so by
33:17the time he was done
33:18with that, let's say
33:19Washington was basically
33:20feeling no pain.
33:21Washington has reason to
33:22celebrate.
33:23He knows now it's the
33:24British who will be under
33:26the gun.
33:28You see this powdery white
33:29substance?
33:30The Brits value it as much
33:32as they do their American
33:33real estate.
33:33No, this stuff isn't what
33:36you might think.
33:38It's sugar.
33:39England has cashed in on
33:40the world's sweet tooth
33:41with sugar produced in
33:42their Caribbean colonies.
33:44But now they fear
33:45Washington's French allies
33:46will seize the islands.
33:48They had to defend the
33:49West Indies at all costs.
33:52They immediately sent
33:53orders to the British
33:54army saying they had to
33:56detach a very hefty
33:59percentage of the army,
34:00about a third of the
34:01army had to be detached
34:03to the West Indies.
34:04The British pull out of
34:06Philadelphia to join their
34:07troops in New York.
34:09Washington sees his chance
34:10and goes for it.
34:12After six months at Valley
34:13Forge, he puts everything
34:14his troops have learned to
34:15the test.
34:17This is the first
34:18revolutionary war
34:19battlefield in the country
34:20ever to be excavated.
34:24Monmouth Battlefield in
34:25Freehold, New Jersey, is
34:26the site of that pivotal
34:28battle.
34:29Archaeologist Dan
34:30Civilage looks for hard
34:32evidence that the
34:33training at Valley Forge
34:34paid off in combat.
34:36All right, what we're
34:37looking for today up here
34:38is military ordnance.
34:39We're looking for lead
34:40canister shot, lead
34:42musket balls, and of
34:43course our iron grape shot.
34:45The project has taken
34:46over 13 years, with over
34:4880 volunteers scouring more
34:50than 1,500 acres of
34:52farmland for clues to what
34:54really happened here.
34:55Packed it full, man.
34:56Artifacts are fun to dig out
34:57of the ground, but by
34:59themselves really don't mean
35:00anything unless you can
35:01interpret what the
35:03relationship is between the
35:05number of artifacts in the
35:06field.
35:08In the field, flags marked a
35:09precise location of every
35:11object.
35:13In the lab, each discovery
35:14forms part of a vast
35:16database connected to custom
35:17designed CAD software.
35:19CAD stands for computer-aided
35:22design, and this gives us an
35:24idea of what's going on out
35:26in the field.
35:27The computer calculates the
35:29firing range of each cannon
35:30to recreate a precise map of
35:33the battlefield.
35:35What we're looking at here are
35:36all of the military artifacts
35:38found in the area that we were
35:39searching earlier.
35:42And what we see is something
35:43happened here.
35:44There's a large conflict of
35:46activity going on here.
35:47June 24th, 1778.
35:51Hopewell, New Jersey.
35:53Gentlemen, I have called this
35:54Council of War to discuss the
35:55feasibility of attacking
35:57Clinton's troops in New Jersey.
35:59Planning for the battle,
36:01Washington finds himself in
36:02conflict with his own
36:03officers.
36:05Topping the list, General
36:06Charles Lee, a former
36:08lieutenant colonel in the
36:09British Army.
36:10He envied General von
36:12Steuben.
36:12He didn't like the way
36:13Washington had moved so
36:15close to this man.
36:16As you all may be aware, I
36:18firmly believe it is time to
36:20attack Clinton.
36:21Lee is Washington's number
36:22two and a bitter rival.
36:24Lee isn't buying that
36:25Weinstein's training at Valley
36:27Forge has turned the army
36:28around, and he's convinced
36:29that Americans will never
36:30stand up to the British in a
36:32head-to-head fight.
36:32June 28th, Monmouth, New Jersey.
36:39At 5 a.m., Washington's spies
36:40send word.
36:422,000 redcoats lag behind the
36:44main British army.
36:45Washington orders Lee to
36:46engage the enemy.
36:48He's about to find out whether
36:50Lee's low opinion of his troops
36:51might just be right.
36:54It's almost noon.
36:5696 degrees in the shade.
36:59Washington listens for the
37:00heated clash of battle, but
37:02all he hears are a few
37:04lukewarm potshots.
37:09By mid-afternoon, he runs
37:11into his own troops, moving
37:13away from the action.
37:14When he spots one of Lee's
37:40colonels heading away from the
37:41enemy, Washington has seen
37:43enough.
37:44What is the meaning of this
37:46retreat?
37:46Sir?
37:47The meaning of this retreat?
37:48Stop the picture.
37:48I don't want you to miss this
37:49one.
37:50The father of our country is
37:51now so angry that, according
37:53to some historians, he
37:54actually swears he may want
37:56the kids to leave the room.
37:58Okay, George, go ahead.
37:59Sorry.
38:00Damn him!
38:01Yah!
38:02Yah!
38:03What we know for sure is that
38:05Washington takes charge
38:06himself.
38:09Suddenly, the redcoats are on
38:10top of them.
38:12It's a moment one eyewitness
38:13The Marquis de Lafayette will
38:15never forget.
38:16General Washington seemed to
38:18arrest Fortune with one glance.
38:20His presence stopped the
38:21retreat.
38:22I thought, then as now, that I
38:24had never beheld so superb a
38:26man.
38:27So Washington simply takes over.
38:29He directs a couple delaying
38:31actions.
38:32And Washington rides back to the
38:35hill that's about 500 yards over
38:36there and starts to lay out the
38:39defensive line along the ridge.
38:41Now, British grenadiers advance
38:44relentlessly into a thicket called
38:46the Point of Woods.
38:48They pull out a weapon the
38:49Americans fear even more than
38:51British gunfight.
38:53This is a soldier's bayonet.
38:55This is an original from the
38:57Revolutionary War.
38:59You have to put a foot on your
39:00enemy to push him off of it to get
39:02him out.
39:03And this bayonet would also be
39:04outlawed later on in history because
39:07a triangular bayonet creates a wound,
39:10which is not easily repaired and
39:12sewn.
39:13For the Americans, it's the most
39:15dangerous psychological moment of
39:17the battle.
39:17And the British expect the Yanks to
39:20crack.
39:20This was the soldier's intimidating
39:22weapon.
39:23So there is a psychological impact
39:25that goes with that.
39:26They're going to see you coming at
39:28them with bayonets fixed.
39:30Not a pretty sight.
39:32You want to stick around and find
39:33out if they know how to use them?
39:34Probably not.
39:35The urge would be to skedaddle to the
39:38rear.
39:39Up until this time, they had no skill
39:42with the bayonet.
39:43And bayonet charges by the British
39:44had frequently sent them fleeing.
39:47But that was then, and this is now.
39:50Archaeologists have found evidence of
39:52the sacrifices the Americans make that
39:54day.
39:55This is a musket ball that a soldier
39:58popped into his mouth.
40:00When people were being operated on or
40:02just in terrible pain, to keep from
40:06chipping their own teeth or biting
40:08their tongue, they would put a musket
40:10ball between their teeth and bite down
40:13on it.
40:13That's where the expression bite the
40:15bullet comes from.
40:17And this is a musket ball that was
40:18absolutely flattened by someone in
40:22excruciating pain.
40:24Americans bite the bullet, hold their
40:26ground, von Steuben's lessons have
40:29stuck.
40:29This was one of the crucial moments of
40:32the American Revolution.
40:33They met them bayonet for bayonet.
40:36And there were these tremendous clashes
40:38all over the battlefield.
40:40And some of their officers came right
40:42into the mouths of the American gun
40:44and were shot dead.
40:46And their soldiers followed them.
40:48The next thing you know, the British
40:49were retreating.
40:51But they could not break the American
40:52line.
40:53This deadly skirmish buys George
40:56Washington precious time to set up
40:58his artillery on the high ground.
41:02The cannons pound the British troops.
41:06It's the longest field artillery duel of
41:09the entire war.
41:11In the three-hour clash, thousands of
41:14rounds are fired.
41:15This is the area where the 42nd
41:19regiment was getting shelled very heavily
41:21by the American artillery.
41:22The artillery line was behind me about
41:24800,000 yards, approximately right in front
41:26of the tree line there.
41:29Archaeologists have found dozens of
41:30cannon shots and studied their blast
41:32patterns.
41:33We can see an absolute
41:37amazing blast pattern
41:39from the guns
41:40into the orchard.
41:4173.4.
41:44Right now we're looking at the
41:46two-ounce grape shot blast pattern
41:48from the American artillery line
41:49onto their, into the orchard
41:51where the 42nd was.
41:53And they fired three rounds of grape
41:55shot.
41:56Bags of kind of giant steel ball
41:59bearings like this.
42:00So imagine bags of this burning
42:03as they came out of the muzzle of the gun
42:05and then this handful of iron balls
42:08just hissing towards you.
42:10The evidence provides intriguing clues
42:13to a legendary figure who may have
42:15fought here.
42:16A gun that may well have been
42:18manned that day by a figure known
42:19to legend as Molly Pitcher.
42:23Molly Pitcher, because of running
42:25water back and forth to the
42:26artillery pieces as well as to the
42:28thirsty soldiers.
42:28Here you go.
42:29I got some water.
42:30Anybody want some water?
42:30Dan Civilich believes Molly's real name
42:32was Mary Hayes.
42:35According to legend,
42:37when her husband falls to enemy fire,
42:39Molly Pitcher steps in.
42:41She took a gun position
42:43running ammunition from the,
42:46from the gun box up to the
42:47muzzle of the gun.
42:49Eyewitness Joseph Plum Martin
42:51picks up the story.
42:53A cannon shot from the enemy
42:55passed directly between her legs
42:57carrying away all the lower part
42:59of her petticoat.
43:00Looking at it with apparent
43:02unconcern, she continued her occupation.
43:06Just how much of the Molly Pitcher legend
43:08is true remains a source of controversy.
43:12But the heroism of the continental
43:13artillery Pennsylvania brigade
43:15is beyond dispute.
43:16American cannons zero in on the elite British
43:2042nd regiment, known as the Black Watch.
43:24Among the most feared soldiers in the British army.
43:28But the British regiment will flank the American artillery,
43:31unless Washington snipers can pin them down first.
43:34American sharpshooters have been carefully positioned
43:43on the Monmouth battlefield.
43:45But can they stop Britain's elite Black Watch?
43:49For the first time,
43:50scientists can measure the damage
43:52the snipers could have inflicted.
43:54A tight cluster of .60 caliber musket balls,
43:58proof of marksmen with firearms
44:00experts believe were made in America.
44:02Something very feared by the British
44:05was the American rifle.
44:07They've got snipers with American rifles,
44:08which are deadly at 200 yards.
44:10Probably have a soldier firing down the diagonal
44:13of the trees at specific targets.
44:15And they're sitting out there
44:15just trying to pick off anything that moved.
44:18How effective were they?
44:20Experts believe this button
44:22was most likely worn by a member
44:23of the British 42nd.
44:25And as you can see,
44:26there's a section that's sheared off,
44:28nice and round sheared off,
44:29which indicates it was probably hit by a musket ball.
44:32The force of this ball was from back to front,
44:34which means that the soldier was wearing it,
44:36it was hit in the back,
44:38and the projectile came through his body
44:40and out the front and through the button.
44:42The button was the last thing hit.
44:43Chances are the soldier who got hit with this
44:45did not survive.
44:47They're finding the American snipers
44:49fired a deadly kind of musket ball
44:51they didn't even know was used
44:52in the Revolutionary War.
44:54These are equivalent to today's modern dum-dum bullets.
44:58We have a sniper who's taken those round balls
45:00and hammered them down into cylinders.
45:03This would come out tumbling.
45:04When it hits you, it would rip the flesh,
45:06rip the organs inside,
45:07and it does irreparable damage.
45:105 p.m., June 28th.
45:13Britain's finest are caught
45:14between fierce artillery fire
45:15and advancing American infantry.
45:18And elsewhere on the battlefield,
45:19the American lines hold.
45:21If this was the Americans' test,
45:23they haste it.
45:26This is the first time
45:28that the main Continental Army
45:30saw the main British Army
45:33turn their backs and withdraw.
45:40For the British, it's a serious setback.
45:43For von Steuwen's troops
45:44schooled at Valley Forge,
45:46it's graduation day.
45:47But before the Americans
45:51can win a clear-cut victory,
45:53British forces withdraw to a camp
45:55half a mile away.
46:01The final outcome of the battle
46:03is still in doubt.
46:04But tomorrow,
46:05first light will reveal
46:07who the winners really are.
46:12At dawn,
46:13Washington and his troops
46:14arrive at the British camp.
46:15It's deserted.
46:21The English have slipped away
46:22in the night,
46:23forfeiting the victory
46:24to the Americans.
46:29It's a break for the Army
46:30and a breakthrough
46:32for their leader.
46:33This is also
46:34a real milestone
46:36in Washington's career.
46:40After Monmouth,
46:42after this victory,
46:43there are no longer
46:44any questions.
46:46Washington is the
46:47undisputed
46:48commander-in-chief
46:49of the Continental Army.
46:51With Spring,
46:52the people of the colonies
46:53warmed to their leader
46:54and his cause.
46:56Valley Forge did more
46:57than transform
46:58the American Army.
47:00It also transformed
47:01the opinions
47:03of a lot of Americans
47:05who were civilians,
47:07trying to make up their mind
47:08which way to go
47:09with this war.
47:10In the afterglow
47:13of history,
47:14Valley Forge
47:15becomes a squeaky-clean
47:16symbol
47:17of the American spirit.
47:19But for the men
47:20who went through
47:20the crucible,
47:21it was about
47:24grinding hardships,
47:25not glory.
47:30Today,
47:31archaeologists
47:32are finding out
47:33just how difficult
47:34their ordeal really was.
47:35they had tenacity,
47:39for want of a better word,
47:40of an army
47:41that refused to dissolve.
47:43Every scrap of evidence,
47:45every piece of metal,
47:47every bone fragment,
47:49is just unbelievable
47:50testament
47:51to the sacrifice
47:52and devotion
47:53of these soldiers.
47:54By the time
47:55the war is over,
47:56many who once
47:57thought Washington
47:58incompetent
47:59now want to
48:00crown him king.
48:02And England's
48:03King George
48:03is certain
48:04and the American George
48:05will go for it.
48:07When the war was over,
48:09George III
48:09was told
48:11by an American
48:11in London
48:12that Washington
48:13was planning
48:14to return
48:15to Mount Vernon.
48:16He wasn't going
48:17to become
48:17an Oliver Cromwell,
48:19a great dictator.
48:20And George said,
48:22Sir,
48:23if he does that,
48:25he will be
48:26the greatest man
48:28in the world.
48:30And by God,
48:31he was.
48:31And von Steuben,
48:35Washington promotes
48:36him to be
48:37the official
48:37inspector general
48:38of the army.
48:40Washington grew
48:42so fond
48:44of von Steuben
48:45that it's
48:47no exaggeration
48:48to say that
48:49he was one
48:49of the two
48:50or three
48:50officers
48:51in the whole army
48:52for which
48:54he had
48:54genuine
48:55fellow feeling.
48:58Von Steuben
48:59built more
48:59than an army
49:00at Valley Forge.
49:01He also forged
49:02an enduring friendship
49:03with America's
49:04first commander-in-chief.
49:05After the war
49:06is finally won,
49:08Washington writes
49:08these words.
49:10My dear Baron,
49:11I wish to make use
49:12of this last moment
49:13of my public life
49:14to express my sense
49:15of obligation
49:16the public is under
49:17for your faithful services.
49:19Your most obedient
49:20and affectionate
49:21George Washington.
49:22The
49:32man
49:34has
49:35the
49:35man
49:36has
49:36been
49:36on the
49:39side.
49:39He
49:41has
49:41been
49:41on the
49:42side.
49:44He
49:45has
49:45been
49:46and
49:46he
49:47has
49:47been
49:47on the
49:48side.
49:49Transcription by CastingWords
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