
Description
Impoverished and clinging to the edge of survival, many camp women were soldiers' wives who worked as the army's washers, nurses, cooks, and seamstresses. Other women at the encampment were of higher status: they traveled with George Washington's entourage when the army headquarters shifted locations and served the general as valued cooks, laundresses, or housekeepers. There were also the ladies at Valley Forge who were not subject to the harsh conditions of camp life and came and went as they and their husbands, Washington's generals and military advisers, saw fit. Nancy K. Loane uses sources such as issued military orders, pension depositions after the war, soldiers' descriptions, and some of the women's own diary entries and letters to bring these women to life.
Product Details
Publisher | Potomac Books |
Publish Date | March 01, 2020 |
Pages | 228 |
Language | English |
Type | |
EAN/UPC | 9781640123090 |
Dimensions | 9.0 X 6.0 X 0.5 inches | 0.7 pounds |
About the Author
Reviews
"A narrative that deftly synthesizes stories about women . . . Loane adds interesting, pertinent analysis of inaccuracies and fictions about these camp followers."--Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography-- (10/26/2009 12:00:00 AM)
"A wonderfully readable account of that cold, winter encampment at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, in 1777-1778."--Muzzleloader-- (3/9/2010 12:00:00 AM)
"Dr. Nancy K. Loane's fascination and passion regarding the women who supported General George Washington . . . during their encampment in Valley Forge, PA, shines through in her new book."--Phoenix-- (8/17/2009 12:00:00 AM)
"In addition to the details . . . about the women at Valley Forge, Ms. Loane gives us many other fascinating general details about life in the camp among all of the social groups who were there."--Tredyffrin Easttown History Quarterly-- (7/15/2009 12:00:00 AM)
"Nancy K. Loane has cleared away the myths surrounding the women at the Valley Forge encampment, from Martha Washington to Mrs. Mary Geyer. Her careful documentation and relaxed writing style make this a not-to-be-missed book for historians and re-enactors."--Clarissa F. Dillon, Valley Forge historian
"Nancy Loane brings to light a truth all but forgotten in the shadows of history. This work takes the reader beyond Valley Forge and fills in the gaps of the lives of those who endured the winter of 1777-78. Truly one of the great works on the Valley Forge Encampment."--Timothy Eldridge Massey, Commander in Chief, Society of the Descendants of Washington's Army at Valley Forge
"Reveals an area of knowledge that has seldom been reported in the historical press."--Pennsylvania Magazine-- (9/16/2009 12:00:00 AM)
"Sometimes a book comes along, smacks readers in the head, alleviates our ignorance, and leaves us with a new perspective on something we thought we already knew. That's what happened when I read Following the Drum. . . . The work adds colorful, riveting details to the basic portrait of the American Revolution that hangs in our minds . . . elements that help give us a more complete, accurate picture. . . . A treasure trove . . . that highlights what women did to give us the country we have today."--finebooksmagazine.com-- (1/6/2010 12:00:00 AM)
"Thoroughly researched and a compelling read. Loane's study of the women of Valley Forge--the 'camp women' as well as Martha Washington and the officers' 'ladies'--adds vastly to our understanding of that terrible winter, the Continental Army, and the vital role women played in the founding of the Republic."--Paul Lockhart, author of The Drillmaster of Valley Forge: The Baron de Steuben and the Making of the American Army
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