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March to Valley Forge

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    Winter Patriots 1777-1778 Museum Map

One of the most iconic commemorative works on the American Revolution, William B. T. Trego’s March to Valley Forge was painted in Philadelphia and exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1883. Trego’s inspiration was a passage from Washington Irving’s Life of Washington: "Sad and dreary was the march to Valley Forge, uncheered by the recollection of any recent triumph. . . Hungry and cold were the poor fellows who had so long been keeping the field . . . provisions were scant, clothing was worn out, and so badly were they off for shoes, that the footsteps of many might be tracked in blood." Trego suffered a debilitating illness as a child (possibly polio) that left him unable to move his fingers and hands. He painted this masterful work by gripping a brush between the thumb and forefinger of one hand while moving it with the other.

Artwork Details

  • The March to Valley Forge, December 19, 1777
    Painted by William Brooke Thomas Trego
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    1883
    Oil on Canvas
    Museum of the American Revolution, Conserved with Funds Provided by the Society of the Descendants of Washington's Army at Valley Forge
    2003.00.0415  

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This image shows a painting called Valley Forge Winter The Return of the Foraging Party. It is a large painting displayed in a brown frame with a golden interior. The painting shows a gray wintry day of soldiers marching through Valley Forge. They are walking toward the viewer. There is a soldier on horseback with his sword in his right hand and a flag in his left.
 
Online Collection

Valley Forge Winter, The Return of the Foraging Party

This painting by American artist Harrington G. Fitzgerald shows the bleak scene of a foraging party of Continental Army soldiers returning to camp during the 1777-1778 winter encampment at Valley Forge.
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Valley Forge Numbered 0
 

Breaking Down Trego's March to Valley Forge Painting

Painted by Philadelphia artist William B. T. Trego in 1883, The March to Valley Forge, December 19, 1777 is one of the most iconic paintings of the Revolutionary War.
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Image 09282020 16x9 Rtr Valley Forge Winter Readtherevolutionbookcover Rtr89
 
Read the Revolution

The Valley Forge Winter

This excerpt from Wayne Bodle presents the story of the winter of 1777-1778 during the American Revolution with details that may be new to most readers.
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