390, 60 pages : illustrations, map, portraits ; 29 cm
Notes
Extra numbered pages (40a-b, 213a-g, 305a, 309a, 311a) and unnumbered pages inserted.
"The reproduction of this publication has been made possible through the sponsorship of the Schuylkill County Historical Society, 14 N. Third Street, Pottsville, Pa 17901"--Title page verso.
Reprint. Originally published: New York : W.W. Munsel, 1881.
"This story explores the history of the Burkholder and Martin families who settled in the Weaverland Valley (Lancaster Co., Pa.) along the Conestoga River in the early 1700s. It is filled with 'voices from the past' whose words are especially meaningful as they are of a personal nature, coming from an ancestor of a person's lineage. Many landmarks and events that influenced these early families are explored and explained in a community where everyone knew everyone else." [from Amazon.com]
Reiff to Riffe family in America. ancestors and descendants of Mennonite Reiff brothers: Hans, John Jacob, & Abraham: Reiff, Reif, Rieff, Rief, Rife, Riffe
x, 205 pages, [8] pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm
Notes
Includes bibliographical references (pages 193-200) and index.
Contents
Setting the stage : the war, army, and community -- Martha Washington at Valley Forge : "the worthy partner of the worthiest of men" -- Martha Washington at the other encampments : a resolute and loyal lady -- Catharine Greene and Lucy Knox : the ladies come to Valley Forge -- Rebekah Biddle, Lady Stirling, and Alice Shippen at Valley Forge : "I should not be sorry to see you here" -- The women with Washington's "family" : slaves, servants, and spies -- Camp women at Valley Forge : "a caravan of wild beasts" -- Camp women with the Continental Army : cannonballs and cooking kettles -- The general returns to Valley Forge : a distinguished officer's musings -- Appendix: Making the myth of Martha Washington : nineteenth-century fantasy vs. eighteenth-century reality.
Summary
"[This book] tells the story of the forgotten women who spent the winter of 1777-78 with the Continental Army at Valley Forge -- from those on society's lowest rungs to ladies of the upper echelon. Poor, dirty beings who clung to the very edge of survival, many camp women were soldiers' wives who worked as the army's washerwomen, nurses, cooks, or seamstresses. Though these women's written correspondence is scarce, author Nancy Loane uses sources such as issued military orders, pension depositions after the war, and soldiers' descriptions to bring these women to life. Other women at the encampment were of higher status: they traveled with Washington's entourage when the army headquarters shifted from place to place and served the general as valued cooks, laundresses, or housekeepers ... Drawing from diary entries and letters, Following the drum illuminates the experiences of these ladies, including Martha Washington, Lucy Knox, and Lady Stirling, during the encampment and then traces their lives after the Revolutionary War"--Jacket.
