Revolutionary War Lecture Series : Part III
Wednesday, April 22, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Henry Carter Hull Library, Clinton
Seating is limited, Please sign up in advance at Henry Carter Hull library
Henry Carter Hull Library, Clinton
Seating is limited, Please sign up in advance at Henry Carter Hull library
Valley Forge and Killingworth
by W. David LeVasseur
February 12, 1778
At the Winter Headquarters of the Continental Army at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania this day was just an ordinary day in an extraordinary time in American history.
George Washington finally had an army that wouldn’t disappear at the end of each year. This new army was made up of regiments filled with soldiers who had enlisted for either three years or the duration of the war. This large body of men staying through the winter provided new challenges; for the first time ever, Washington would have to house and feed a large body of men throughout an entire winter. The men built crude huts, but these tight quarters meant that disease spread rapidly, killing more soldiers than enemy soldiers did. In addition, clothing wore out during the rigors of military campaigning, and since these men were not going home, Washington needed clothing for his men. This need was made more acute because of the severity of the Winter of 1777 - 1778.
This meant that Washington had to rely on the state governments for clothing and food for his army. The states were used to supplying men and gunpowder every year, but as yet there was no supply organization to provide food and clothing on such a large scale. Towns like colonial Killingworth (now Clinton and Killingworth) responded by setting up committees to provide clothing for their troops in the field. Colonial Killingworth established its first such committee at a Town Meeting held on March 27, 1778.
The food situation eased when Washington put Major General Nathanael Greene in charge of the Commissary. He took steps to reorganize the supply system and food began to arrive at the encampment. Even though Washington ordered the widespread inoculation of his troops against smallpox, that didn’t help those already infected nor did it help with the other diseases present in large armies, like typhus and dysentery.
Colonial Killingworth sent over 100 men to serve in the Continental Army during this period. The majority served under Captain Aaron Stevens’ 5th Company of the 7th Connecticut Continental Line Regiment, led by Colonel Heman Swift. Captain Stevens was from Killingworth and was a veteran of the French & Indian War and the 1762 British expedition to capture Havana, Cuba. He lived in a house that stood where a Federal style house now stands on Route 80, next to Madison Motors (formerly known as Burghardt’s Garage). He is buried near the road in the Union District Cemetery on Roast Meat Hill Road.
Besides Stevens Company, men from colonial Killingworth served in the 2nd and 4th Connecticut Continental Line Regiments, Lamb’s Artillery Regiment, the Artificiers Regiment (precursor of the US Army Corps of Engineers), and the Second Continental Dragoons (also known as Sheldon’s Horse and made famous in the TV series “Turn”).
During the war at least 16 men are known to have died while in service to their country. There may well have been more than that, but records confirm 16. Of those, 8 would die that Winter at Valley Forge: 7 from Steven’s Company and one from the 4th Connecticut Continental Line Regiment.
The dead included: William Nettleton (1/7/1778); Jeremiah Evarts (1/21/1778); Eber Chittenden (1/26/1778); Titus Teal (2/2/1778); John Williams, Jr. (2/19/1778); Sylvanus Meigs (3/24/1778); Daniel Carter (3/25/1778); and Stephen Blatchley (4/8/1778). All but Titus Teal were in Stevens’ Company of the 7th Regiment. Titus served in the 4th
Regiment.
Despite all this suffering, the army would survive. It only needed to be trained to fight like a European army. That last piece of the puzzle fell into place with the arrival of Baron von Steuben, a former Prussian military officer, at Valley Forge on February 23, 1778. He would tirelessly drill and train the men until Washington finally had his army.
February 12, 1778
At the Winter Headquarters of the Continental Army at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania this day was just an ordinary day in an extraordinary time in American history.
George Washington finally had an army that wouldn’t disappear at the end of each year. This new army was made up of regiments filled with soldiers who had enlisted for either three years or the duration of the war. This large body of men staying through the winter provided new challenges; for the first time ever, Washington would have to house and feed a large body of men throughout an entire winter. The men built crude huts, but these tight quarters meant that disease spread rapidly, killing more soldiers than enemy soldiers did. In addition, clothing wore out during the rigors of military campaigning, and since these men were not going home, Washington needed clothing for his men. This need was made more acute because of the severity of the Winter of 1777 - 1778.
This meant that Washington had to rely on the state governments for clothing and food for his army. The states were used to supplying men and gunpowder every year, but as yet there was no supply organization to provide food and clothing on such a large scale. Towns like colonial Killingworth (now Clinton and Killingworth) responded by setting up committees to provide clothing for their troops in the field. Colonial Killingworth established its first such committee at a Town Meeting held on March 27, 1778.
The food situation eased when Washington put Major General Nathanael Greene in charge of the Commissary. He took steps to reorganize the supply system and food began to arrive at the encampment. Even though Washington ordered the widespread inoculation of his troops against smallpox, that didn’t help those already infected nor did it help with the other diseases present in large armies, like typhus and dysentery.
Colonial Killingworth sent over 100 men to serve in the Continental Army during this period. The majority served under Captain Aaron Stevens’ 5th Company of the 7th Connecticut Continental Line Regiment, led by Colonel Heman Swift. Captain Stevens was from Killingworth and was a veteran of the French & Indian War and the 1762 British expedition to capture Havana, Cuba. He lived in a house that stood where a Federal style house now stands on Route 80, next to Madison Motors (formerly known as Burghardt’s Garage). He is buried near the road in the Union District Cemetery on Roast Meat Hill Road.
Besides Stevens Company, men from colonial Killingworth served in the 2nd and 4th Connecticut Continental Line Regiments, Lamb’s Artillery Regiment, the Artificiers Regiment (precursor of the US Army Corps of Engineers), and the Second Continental Dragoons (also known as Sheldon’s Horse and made famous in the TV series “Turn”).
During the war at least 16 men are known to have died while in service to their country. There may well have been more than that, but records confirm 16. Of those, 8 would die that Winter at Valley Forge: 7 from Steven’s Company and one from the 4th Connecticut Continental Line Regiment.
The dead included: William Nettleton (1/7/1778); Jeremiah Evarts (1/21/1778); Eber Chittenden (1/26/1778); Titus Teal (2/2/1778); John Williams, Jr. (2/19/1778); Sylvanus Meigs (3/24/1778); Daniel Carter (3/25/1778); and Stephen Blatchley (4/8/1778). All but Titus Teal were in Stevens’ Company of the 7th Regiment. Titus served in the 4th
Regiment.
Despite all this suffering, the army would survive. It only needed to be trained to fight like a European army. That last piece of the puzzle fell into place with the arrival of Baron von Steuben, a former Prussian military officer, at Valley Forge on February 23, 1778. He would tirelessly drill and train the men until Washington finally had his army.
New Barn Provides Much Needed SpaceThe Historical Society barn, located behind the farmhouse, is a welcome addition to the Parmelee Farm. It took many years of fundraising to secure the monies to build the barn, but it was worth the wait. The post and beam structure is appropriate to the farm and has allowed the Society much needed space for its growing collection of artifacts. Additionally, the barn is used for events like school programs and the Annual Christmas Fair.
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