July 31, 1787: A Stranger in Black

The now tranquil location of the Continental Army's Valley Forge encampment. NPS photo

"This much, however, I find, that Gentlemen among them whom I consider possessed of great and enlightened minds, entertain agreeable Prospects on the Occasion."

--Bishop William White, describing his recent interactions with the delegates to Richard Price of London

Tuesday, July 31, 1787: The Convention Today

The Convention remained in recess while its Committee of Detail drafted a constitution for its future consideration.

Synopsis

• The Convention's recess continued.

Delegates Today
A local man in Valley Forge, Edward Woodman, “observed an elderly person of a very dignified appearance, dressed in a plain suit of black, on horseback, accompanied by a black waiter.” The stranger proceeded to pick Woodman’s brain about local agriculture as he wrote down information in a memorandum book. Woodman mentioned having served in the war and having encamped in Valley Forge during the infamous winter of 1777-1778. “This gave a new turn to the conversation. The stranger informed him that he had also been in the army and encamped there, and was expecting in a few months to leave the city of Philadelphia, with no prospect of ever returning. He had taken a journey to visit the place, view the old encampment ground, which had been the scene of so much suffering and distress, and see how far the inhabitants were recovering from the disasters they had experienced, and the losses they had sustained from that event, adding that his name was George Washington [VA].”

A chagrined Woodman told Washington “that his costume and appearance were so altered that he did not recognize him, or he would have paid more respect,” to which Washington replied “that to see the people happy and satisfied, and the desolate fields recovering from the disasters they had experienced, and particularly to meet with any old companion of his in arms and suffering now peacefully engaged in the most useful of all employments, afforded him more real satisfaction than all the servile homage that could be paid to his person or station.”

The foregoing account comes from Edward Woodman’s son, Henry. Washington’s diary entry from the day describes him taking leave of fishing partner Gouverneur Morris (PA) to visit the Valley Forge encampment site. It also contains numerous detailed agricultural observations gleaned from conversations with local farmers.

Philadelphia Today

• The day was cloudy and so cool as to be like a fall day.
• The Supreme Executive Council authorized payment to doorkeeper Frederick Sneider of fifteen pounds, ten shillings, and ten pence for July’s salary and 9 pence for a pint mug.

Part of a series of articles titled
The Constitutional Convention: A Day by Day Account for July 16 to 31, 1787.

Previous:
July 30, 1787: Gone Fishing

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• Independence National Historical Park

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