“Though young,” a cataloger for the Smithsonian writes, “he was one of the very few at the time who accurately foresaw a military role for powered aircraft.”
As discussed in yesterday’s post, the beginning of December found Washington and British General William Howe on opposite sides of the Delaware River. As the weather deteriorated, Howe had decided to go into winter quarters. 
Americans were then fighting off British General John Burgoyne, who was moving from Canada to Albany. Along the way, Burgoyne was running into supply problems. He dispatched a force toward Vermont, hoping to obtain more horses and meat.
Could the man be trusted? “I always think it necessary to be very guarded, with those who are professedly acting as double characters. . . . Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder,” Washington mused.
Indeed, that operation nearly occurred concurrently with Operation Overlord, the #DDay landings that you are used to hearing about. Operation Overlord was focused on Normandy, in northern France. But a southern arm was also considered.
As the story goes, the phrase “Devil Dogs” came into use after the World War I Battle of Belleau Wood. It’s said that Marines fought so ferociously that the Germans called them “Teufel Hunden” or “Devil Dogs.” 
The pamphlet was an instant hit.
He spent the last decades of his life farming, fishing, and hunting.
Would states think he was exaggerating the gravity of the situation? Was his story even believable? But clothes & other supplies were desperately needed. Nearly 3,000 of his 11,000 men were “unfit for duty by reason of their being bare foot and otherwise naked.” /2 of X #history
He must have been! His questionable activities were not proven until decades after his death. /2 of X #history #America
Washington’s army was reeling from a series of crushing defeats: The British had won important battles in New York and had chased Americans across New Jersey. Early in December, a defeated American army had narrowly escaped across the Delaware River. /2 of X #history #America
"......The Revolutionary War had been going badly. But George Washington’s faith, courage, and leadership would turn the tide of history our way. On Christmas night he led a band of ragged soldiers..... /2 of X
For one thing, the mood in Valley Forge was significantly better than you might imagine. Yes, some men were not well-clothed and suffered hardships accordingly. But . . . . /2 of X #American #history #freedom
He would go on to personally receive his Medal of Honor.
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