Upper Merion Township near King of Prussia in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
A Pointed Defense
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, March 20, 2010
1. A Pointed Defense Marker
These fortifications must have impressed enemy spies. The British commander, Sir William Howe, wrote home to Lord George Germain that the American positions were “too strong to attack with a clear chance of success.”
Abatis
In the winter of 1778 the abatis would have been a tangled mass of cut trees, with sharpened branches facing toward the enemy.
In the actual encampment, the bristling fence was far more extensive, protecting the entire Ύ mile Inner Line.
Redan
The redan is a small, detached earthwork built forward of the main defenses – to strengthen the line or to cover a vulnerable area.
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Revolutionary. A significant historical year for this entry is 1778.
Location. 40° 5.933′ N, 75° 26.874′ W. Marker is near King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, in Montgomery County. It is in Upper Merion Township. It is on Historic Trace Road, on the right when traveling
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Pennsylvania and in Greater Philadelphia. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Pennsylvania Brigade (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Crowded and Very Sickly (about 700 feet away); Huntingtons Brigade (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Huntingtons Brigade (approx. 0.2 miles away); Schoolhouse (approx. 0.2 miles away); Innerline Defense (approx. Ό mile away); Site of the Marquee (approx. Ό mile away); The Camps Road System (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in King of Prussia.
More about this marker. Soldiers and artillery in a redan, protected by abatis, appears on the background of the marker.
Also see . . . Valley Forge National Historical Park. National Park Service website. (Submitted on March 22, 2010, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, March 20, 2010
2. Marker on the Historic Trace Road
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, March 20, 2010
3. Redan in Valley Forge
This photo, taken from in front of the marker, shows the redan that was protected by abatis during the 1777-78 winter encampment.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 22, 2010, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 933 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 22, 2010, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.
