8
THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN
WASHINGTON'S ARMY.
(Continued from page .)
because they are barefooted and
otherwise naked.
"Although these men, who have been
charged with caring for the soldiers seem
to have little feeling for their naked and
distressed condition, I feel superabnd
antly for them, and, from my soul, I
pity those miseries, which it is neither in
my power to relieve or prevent. It adds
not a little to my other difficul ties and
distress to find that much more is
expected than is possible o be preformed,
and that upon the ground of safety and
policy I am obliged to conceal the true
state of the army from public view, and
thereby expose myself to detraction and
calumny."
It was when the army at Valley Forge
was at its worst condition that Baron
Steuben, an accomplished Prussian officer,
arrived in this country and went to the
camp. He found conditions as to the ill
fed and ill cloihed troops quite as bad as
Washington made them, and worse than
that he found the entire army system
wrong, from a viewpoint of a man who
knew thoroughly the organization of an
army from experience in his own country.
Baron Steuben set to work and as fast
as possible brought order but of choas.
William North in an article on the sub
ject says: "Certainly it was a brave
attempt. Without understanding a word
of English language to think of bringing
men, born free, and. joined together to
preserve their freedom, into strict
subjection. It was a brave attempt,
which nothing but virtue, or high raised
hopes of glory, could have supported."
Washington remained at Valley Forge
until June 18, 1778, and when he broke
camp and marched away he had a thor
oughly organized army, practically well
equipped as was demonstrated in the
effective work that followed. Valley
Forge is today a state park, well marked
as to the things connected with the
encampment and with Washington's
headquarters still standing and fitted
up as a museum. Ex.
AN INDIAN STORY.
A long time ago in the extreme north
ern part of Alaska a patient called in an
Indian doctor, who brought him slowly
back to health. As he was getting worse
each day. So the patient offered many
blankets to be cured. The blanksts were
important things for an Indian a long
time ago. The Indian doctor was a be
liever in witchcraft and wanted so ruany
blankets, so he did make him worse
every day instead of bringing him back
to a well condition. Bui at last he was
found out by another Indian lady doctor
and was dismissed and all vthe blankets
offered to the lady doctor and the pa
tient was stronger than before.
Then the man was cursing and quar
reling the whole day at the lady just on
account of the blanket being given to
the lad)7 docter, but at last the lady got
tired of. him and then she put her
hat on and went out with a cane. As
the man was standing from hjr a long
distance she made him stand on his
head for some spirit in the cane. At
last the man gave up the quarreling. .
Rufus Edenshaw.
The above Indian story is the only re
sult of our request for articles of this
nature and it goes without sayng that
it is a "first prize" effort. We congrat
ulate Rufus on his story and the posi
tion he occupies among the literati of
the student, body.