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[saac JVayney Esq* on Timber at Valley Forge, 



EastowHy Chester County ^ March 4th, 1814. 



Dear Sir, 



It is a source of regret to me, that my letter to you, 

 either of September or October last, should have mis- 

 carried ; especially as the enclosures were completely 

 corroborative of the opinions and facts which you 

 have repeatedly stated on the subject of the change of 

 timber ; and I regret the miscarriage of this letter the 

 more, because I have not a copy of either the letter or 

 the enclosure ; and death has recently deprived me of 

 a very valuable source of information, the late wor- 

 thy John Bartholomew, Esq. whose statement was en- 

 closed, setting forth in detail many facts and observa- 

 tions relative to the change of timber ; more particu- 

 larly of that, on, and within the vicinity of the old en- 

 campment, near the Valley Forge. 



From the best recollection I have of the said state- 

 ment ; it contained (inter alia) the following facts. 



That the timber prevalent about Valley Forge, pre- 

 viously to its being fallen for the use of the American 

 army, in the autumn of 1777, and winter and spring 

 of 1778, consisted of white oak, black oak, Spanish 

 oak, rarely interspersed with scrubby chesnut and 

 hickory. 



That the ground on which white oak was formerly 

 the most conspicuous, now exhibits black oak, hicko- 

 ry and chesnut, in abundance, and in great perfection. 



