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Following the Drum: Women at the Valley Forge Encampment Paperback – Illustrated, March 1, 2020

by Nancy K. Loane (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 64 ratings
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Friday, December 19, 1777, dawned cold and windy. Fourteen thousand Continental Army soldiers tramped from dawn to dusk along the rutted Pennsylvania roads from Gulph Mills to Valley Forge, the site of their winter encampment. The soldiers’ arrival was followed by the army’s wagons and hundreds of camp women. Following the Drum 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 on the upper echelons.

Impoverished and clinging to the edge of survival, many camp women were soldiers’ wives who worked as the army’s washers, nurses, cooks, and seamstresses. Other women at the encampment were of higher status: they traveled with George Washington’s entourage when the army headquarters shifted locations and served the general as valued cooks, laundresses, or housekeepers. There were also the ladies at Valley Forge who were not subject to the harsh conditions of camp life and came and went as they and their husbands, Washington’s generals and military advisers, saw fit. Nancy K. Loane uses sources such as issued military orders, pension depositions after the war, soldiers’ descriptions, and some of the women’s own diary entries and letters to bring these women to life.
 
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  1. Print length
    228 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    POTOMAC BOOKS
  4. Publication date
    March 1, 2020
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.52 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1640123091
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1640123090
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“[Loane] pulls together a rich array of sources to offer great detail about women’s lives, and she is diligent to tread carefully through recollections written down years after the fact. . . . Loane has found some great stories.”—Journal of American History Published On: 2019-10-18

"Nancy Loane brings to light a truth all but forgotten in the shadows of history. This work takes the reader beyond Valley Forge and fills in the gaps of the lives of those who endured the winter of 1777-78. Truly one of the great works on the Valley Forge Encampment."—Timothy Eldridge Massey, Commander in Chief, Society of the Descendants of Washington's Army at Valley Forge

"Nancy K. Loane has cleared away the myths surrounding the women at the Valley Forge encampment, from Martha Washington to Mrs. Mary Geyer. Her careful documentation and relaxed writing style make this a not-to-be-missed book for historians and re-enactors."—Clarissa F. Dillon, Valley Forge historian

"In addition to the details . . . about the women at Valley Forge, Ms. Loane gives us many other fascinating general details about life in the camp among all of the social groups who were there."—Tredyffrin Easttown History Quarterly Published On: 2009-07-15

“Dr. Nancy K. Loane’s fascination and passion regarding the women who supported General George Washington . . . during their encampment in Valley Forge, PA, shines through in her new book.”—Phoenix Published On: 2009-08-17

"Reveals an area of knowledge that has seldom been reported in the historical press."—Pennsylvania Magazine Published On: 2009-09-16

“A narrative that deftly synthesizes stories about women . . . Loane adds interesting, pertinent analysis of inaccuracies and fictions about these camp followers.”—Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography Published On: 2009-10-26

"Sometimes a book comes along, smacks readers in the head, alleviates our ignorance, and leaves us with a new perspective on something we thought we already knew. That's what happened when I read Following the Drum. . . . The work adds colorful, riveting details to the basic portrait of the American Revolution that hangs in our minds . . . elements that help give us a more complete, accurate picture. . . . A treasure trove . . . that highlights what women did to give us the country we have today."—finebooksmagazine.com Published On: 2010-01-06

“A wonderfully readable account of that cold, winter encampment at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, in 1777-1778.”—Muzzleloader Published On: 2010-03-09

"Thoroughly researched and a compelling read. Loane's study of the women of Valley Forge--the 'camp women' as well as Martha Washington and the officers' 'ladies'--adds vastly to our understanding of that terrible winter, the Continental Army, and the vital role women played in the founding of the Republic."—Paul Lockhart, author of The Drillmaster of Valley Forge: The Baron de Steuben and the Making of the American Army

About the Author

Nancy K. Loane is a former seasonal ranger at Valley Forge National Park, a founding member of the American Revolution Round Table of Philadelphia, and an honorary lifetime member of the Society of the Descendants of Washington’s Army at Valley Forge. She lives in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ POTOMAC BOOKS; Illustrated edition (March 1, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 228 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1640123091
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1640123090
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.52 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 64 ratings

About the author

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Nancy K. Loane

Nancy K. Loane

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Soon after I moved to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, I visited Washington’s Headquarters at Valley Forge National Historical Park and casually asked the ranger on duty this question: “Did Martha sleep here?” To my surprise, she had. And so began an odyssey – now a passion – to research, write, and speak about the women at the 1777-78 Valley Forge encampment.

I love all things Valley Forge - I’m a former seasonal park ranger there, currently volunteer at the park, on the board of the Friends, and an honorary lifetime member of the Descendants of Washington’s Army at Valley Forge. I’ve written several articles about the women at camp and have presented over 150 lectures in 7 states on the topic. Following the Drum, lauded for being both exceptionally well-researched and easy to read, has been nominated for two book awards. It is the first book ever written on the women at the Valley Forge encampment.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
64 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Tracy Fazekas
5.0 out of 5 stars Women of Valley Forge
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2024
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Did you know that women were involved in the war for our independence. From the beginning of the American Revolution women were, this book looks indepth at the women of Valley Forge.
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Eric Williams
4.0 out of 5 stars Following the Drum: Women at the Valley Forge Encampment
Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2009
Following the Drum: Women at the Valley Forge Encampment. Author; Nancy K. Loane. 206 pages. 2009.

I had seen a poster advertising this book and the talk the author was going to give about the book and the subject at a local library branch. Purchasing the book was already a forgone conclusion living at the back door of Valley Forge as we do.

The book reads very much like the talk that the author gave. The title of the book however is deceptive, this book is about much more than the story of women at the Valley Forge Encampment, in fact the actual stories of the Valley Forge Encampment is perhaps only half of the book.

The book divides itself into three sections; the ladies, the military family, and the camp followers. These division follow the divisions of society and it's military in the 18th century. The stories of the ladies comprise the bulk of the text. This section focuses on Lady Washington, Catherine Greene, Lucy Knox, Lady Stirling and one or two others. The experience of each of these women at the Valley Forge encampment is told in as much detail as could be expected given the general paucity of documentary evidence. Their stories are added to by following each woman through all eight encampments of the war and into their lives after the war until their death and the death of their spouses and children. It is in the passed on oral histories and remembrances often of their children and grandchildren recorded later that we get a truer sense of what was experienced and accomplished.

The second section is devoted to those women who traveled with Washington's Headquarters doing laundry, sewing, cooking, cleaning and other day to day tasks needed for a platoon sized staff and retinue. These women were accorded a greater status than commoners due to their proximity to His Excellency. Their stories are told in some detail even unto their deaths after the conflict. Details though are scarce as these people were hired servants or slaves who did their job best when only their actions were proof of their existence.

The last section is devoted to the other women, the camp followers, the laundresses, wives, cooks, hangers on, and whores. The lives, experiences and even identities of these women have been mostly lost in the mists of time. They existed, they drew rations, they are referenced, though not usually in a positive manner and they were tolerated as a necessity. This book does an adequate job of introducing their history and plight during the eight long years of war. For a more in depth look I would recommend; Belonging to the Army: Camp Followers and Community During the American Revolution by Holly A. Mayer, which is referenced several times in this book.

The writing is generally crisp and it really only bogs down near the beginning when the author lays out lists and items taken from local farms, families, and communities during the Philadelphia Campaign as the armies marched through the Great Valley. The point of hardship is made and then we are overburdened with it. This is the only real drawback to the book.

On the whole this book is more than a mere niche book. It takes a specialized subject and makes it into a popular history. It will satisfy many a casual reader and spark the desire for deeper study in students of the war, society, rolls, and relations. It helps to provide a needed holistic view of the army and it society.
14 people found this helpful
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Barbara Greeley
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book
Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2023
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I’m almost finished reading this book and have enjoyed it immensely. I especially enjoyed the interesting stories of each of the wives such as Kat Green and Martha Washington
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Nancy Jean Pecca
5.0 out of 5 stars One of only a few informative women's history books.
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2023
Verified Purchase
There is not much documented information about women's contribution supporting the Revolutionary War. This book does a good job in putting what little scraps of info. we have to, like Abigail Adams said to her husband John, "Don't forget the ladies"! Seamless transaction with Amazon.
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Happaw
5.0 out of 5 stars Ss advertised
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2023
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Following the Drum: Women at the Valley Forge Encampment
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2009
Verified Purchase
Following the Drum: Women at the Valley Forge Encampment, by Nancy Loane, is a fact filled enjoyable read. Three aspects standout in this book: First, Her material is well researched with excellent notes; Second, She makes no embellishments to glorify her subjects - in fact, she includes an Appendix where she painstakingly exposes the myth surrounding Martha Washington; and Third, she helps us realizes these were different and difficult times. Travel, particularly in winter, was horrific; a class system clearly existed between the upper class (Officers and Ladies) and the `common sort'. Sickness and death were ever present even in the privileged class - the percentage of infant and child deaths during this period is startling and the pain unimaginable. This book provides an excellent reality check should we begin to romanticize life during the American Revolution.
6 people found this helpful
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stephanie206
4.0 out of 5 stars Valuable, well-researched, clearly written resource
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2009
Well-researched and clearly written, Following the Drum avoids hyperbole while bringing to life the stories of the "common women" and "ladies" who traveled to the Valley Forge encampment to cook, sew, socialize -- and even engage in battle. Loane goes out of her way to use primary sources (letters, journal entries and public records), of which there are precious few; to her writing credit, thoroughness is not affected by the book's brevity.

Instead, the length is a reminder of how little women were valued in the 18th Century -- even the upper-class ladies who were ostensibly beloved by their high-ranking officer husbands. Though Follow the Drum offers only a glimpse, women were clearly crucial to the Revolutionary War effort; their contributions have been largely overlooked and often forgotten as the history books have been compiled.

That's not to say Loane needs to embellish women's efforts. In fact, one of the best parts of the book is the appendix, in which she breaks down the myths surrounding Martha Washington. In all, this is a valuable resource for anyone interested in women's history, the Revolutionary War or 18th Century America in general.
3 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive truth about the ladies who held the camp together
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2021
Verified Purchase
This book was very well researched and dispelled the myths and misinformation of books written in the mid 1800's about ladies residing within the camp. History lovers should rejoice in learning the facts. Bravo Nancy!
One person found this helpful
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