Residents of Valley Forge

 Revolutionary Patriots

When we think of Revolutionary Patriots, we think of the soldiers or the politicians.  But there were many who served the cause of freedom making tremendous sacrifices and never took up arms for the cause or drafted documents establishing changes. They quite simply tried to live their lives raising and supporting families...but the circumstances of the time and place brought them an obligation and opportunity to support the cause of freedom.

Such was the case of Mary Stephens who was later (1780) married to Samuel Rossiter. Mary was one of the children of Abijah and Priscilla Stephens who owned property in the region of Valley Forge when George Washington's Army descended on the valley in great need in the fall of 1778. She like her parents were Quakers by faith and pacifist by nature and belief. All of their stories are interesting and well document in a book published in 1922 from the collected works of Henry Woodman.

Some of these stories can be read by following the links. (A link I didn't provide was Henry's father, Edward.  I didn't because Edward was actually a soldier and we aren't talking about soldiers today. But he was also an orphan and a pirate. So, I wouldn't blame you if you went on your own little diversion to read up on him.) 

Back to the story.  Mary helped provide meals with her mother for the soldiers at Valley Forge.  She entertained guests in her home such as the famous and quite young French General Lafayette.  One story of her encounters was as follows:

An incident, in which the Marquis de la Fayette participated, occurred in this vicinity and is worthy of narration. The lady interested spent the greater part of a long life in Schuylkill Township. Soon after the battle of Brandywine, La Fayette, who had been wounded, was conveyed to the house of Dr. Stephens, a short distance from Valley Forge, in order that his injuries might receive attention. The office of the doctor, in the second story of the building, with a flight of steps leading down into the kitchen, was under the charge of his daughter, a young girl, afterwards Mistress Elizabeth Rossiter. One morning, while she was engaged in cleaning the room, La Fayette entered, followed by a young aid-de-camp. The aid, with French impulse, seized the girl and kissed her. La Fayette turned quickly about and unceremoniously kicked the young gentleman down the steps and out of the house, telling him, at the same time, that such conduct was not admissible.

I am particularly drawn to the stories of Valley Forge because, Mary and her parents are my great grandparents (5th and 6th generation grandparents).