Accounts of the Continental Army’s encampment at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-1778 include descriptions of bloody footprints in the snow, a scarcity of food, lack of warm clothing, and inadequate shelter. There was little to be hopeful about in the forlorn group who had previously suffered a string of defeats at the hands of the British Army. Of the 11,000 soldiers who had come to this place, just to the northwest of Philadelphia, approximately one quarter would die of the cold, exposure, illness, and starvation.[1] Desertions, by others disillusioned with the progress of the revolution, would reduce the ranks still further. Above it all, the pale December sun seemed to mock the ragtag American army with a diluted warmth that mimicked the fading patriotic ardor in their hearts. Still, in the midst of this discontent, there was one individual who held fast to a belief in the cause with faith in a greater power to preserve their endeavor. He was General George Washington.

For a long while, it seemed to the American colonists that a special destiny had wrapped Washington in its cloak. Two decades before Valley Forge, while serving as a subaltern in the army of General Edward Braddock, he had survived the calamity of a murderous ambush by an enemy force.[2] As French militia and their native allies overwhelmed the stunned column of redcoats and killed General Braddock, Washington acted to rally the troops. During the action, the enemy shot two horses from under him, and numerous bullets tore through his uniform coat. Although the enemy decimated the British force, he remained unscathed. Later, recounting the episode, he confessed, “The miraculous care of Providence…protected me beyond all human expectations.”[3] This was but one of several recorded instances when Washington astoundingly avoided harm at the hands of an enemy while in battle.

Still, the popular mystique of invincibility that grew to surround Washington never inspired him to believe that he was far above the common pale. There exist stories of his appeals to God to provide him with the wisdom and discernment that a leader requires. One such account came from a Mr. Isaac Potts who, while traveling through the encampment at Valley Forge, came upon the general. Silently approaching him, Potts noted that “to my astonishment, I saw the great George Washington on his knees alone, with his sword on one side and his cocked hat on the other. He was at Prayer to the God of the Armies, beseeching to interpose with his Divine aid, as it was ye Crisis, & the cause of the country, of humanity & of the world.”[4] In that time of despair, it was clear that the leader of the ragtag American military understood that only a higher power could save them.[5] Surrendering himself to that knowledge his appeal might have flowed from Psalm 16:1: “Preserve me, O God, for in thee do I put my trust.” Understanding the responsibility placed on his shoulders Washington was never above humbling himself to ask for God’s guidance as scripture reflects, “But respond favorably to your servant’s prayer and his request for help, O Lord my God. Answer the desperate prayer your servant is presenting to you today.” (1 Kings 8:28, 2 Chronicles 6:19). The historical record shows that the Continental Army survived the harsh winter, and in several years’ time the fledgling nation was victorious in its quest for independence in answer to its prayers.

Even after those fateful war years, there is evidence that Washington remained close to his foundations of faith. Before retiring from the command of America’s military in June 1783, he crafted a circular letter to the states of the new republic. In it, he offered a supplication, “I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would have the United States in His holy protection,” and that its citizens would “do justice, to love mercy, and demean ourselves with that charity, humility and pacific temper of mind, which were the characteristicks [sic] of the Devine Author of our blessed Religion.”[6] While there is some scholarly debate surrounding Washington’s spiritual dedication in his later years, it is apparent that despite the popular heroic image he projected, he remained humble during the times of prayer and worship. In this, he provides an example for us all to “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” (James 4:10)

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[1] “Valley Forge,” George Washington’s Mount Vernon. https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/valley-forge/ accessed 30 July 2023. There were also 500 women and children present at Valley Forge. Many were family members who followed the army providing services such as cooking and laundry.

[2] On 9 July 1755, early in the French and Indian War, a British force under the command of General Edward Braddock suffered a stunning defeat at the Battle of the Monongahela.

[3] “The Miraculous Care of Providence,” American Heritage. https://www.americanheritage.com/miraculous-care-providence accessed 30 July 2023.

[4] “Washington in Prayer,” Historic Valley Forge. https://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/washington/prayer.html#03 accessed 31 July 2023. During the time of the encampment, Isaac Potts was overseeing the operation of a family gristmill in the vicinity of Valley Forge. He was a Quaker who opposed war, but he was pleasantly surprised to see Washington in prayer.

[5] A famous painting by the artist Arnold Friberg, “The Prayer at Valley Forge,” created in 1975 for the Bicentennial Celebration, offers a romantic image of Washington kneeling in prayer.  

[6] “George Washington’s Prayer for His Country,” George Washington’s Mount Vernon, https://www.mountvernon.org/the-estate-gardens/the-tombs/george-washingtons-prayer-for-his-country/ accessed 3 August 2023.