[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 20 (Thursday, February 4, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E144]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            REMEMBER PAOLI!

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. CURT WELDON

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, February 4, 1999

  Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute 
to the students of the outstanding schools in my Congressional 
District--Sugartown Elementary School, KD Markley Elementary School, 
Charlestown Elementary School, and East Goshen Elementary School. The 
fine students of these schools have contacted me to inform me of an 
issue which is important to them, to their schools, to their community 
and to our nation--they are fighting to save the Paoli Battlefield.
  The Paoli Battlefield, which is located in my Congressional District, 
remains one of the only historic sites from the Revolutionary War left 
untouched since 1777. This land was the site of the ``Paoli Massacre'' 
in which British troops led by Major General Grey attacked the American 
Army of Pennsylvania Regiments on the wooded hillside and two fields 
between what is now Sugartown Road and Warren Avenue. The ensuing 
battle resulted in at least 52 American deaths and 7 British 
fatalities. The British night-time bayonet charge was aided by the fact 
that Americans were silhouetted against the light of their campfires. 
Some American troops panicked and fled and general disorder spread 
throughout the American line. British dragoons, arriving on the field, 
shattered the American column and pursued retreating Americans as far 
as Sugartown Road. Only the more disciplined American soldiers escaped 
the original onslaught unscathed, but a following British assault 
completed the rout.
  The Paoli Massacre was part of the Revolutionary War's Philadelphia 
Campaign, a chapter of the war that witnessed the occupation of 
Philadelphia and the famed American encampment at Valley Forge in the 
winter of 1777-78. The first two American attempts to stop the British 
invasion that Fall were the Battle of Brandywine, September 11, 1777, 
and the unsuccessful Battle of the Clouds, September 16, 1777. The 
Paoli Massacre was part of the third effort to contain British General 
William Howe's advance on Philadelphia.
  In an effort to save the Paoli Battlefield, I will be introducing the 
P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act--Preserve America's Treasures of the Revolution for 
Independence for Our Tomorrow. Passage of this legislation will forever 
insure that the sacrifice made by our nation's first veterans will be 
remembered. This legislation will also protect the Brandywine 
Battlefield. The Battle at Brandywine was the most significant battle 
of the Philadelphia campaign. My bill further memorializes this 
campaign by authorizing the Superintendent of Valley Forge National 
Historical Park to enter into an agreement with the Valley Forge 
Historical Society to build a museum which would house the world's 
largest collection of Revolutionary War artifacts and memorabilia, 
including the tent in which General Washington slept at Valley Forge.

  And so, Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to 
recognize the outstanding young patriots of my district who have made 
their voices heard in the fight to preserve this piece of our nation's 
history. The students of these schools sent me almost five hundred 
letters, pictures, and banners with their plea for this body to 
``Remember Paoli!''--this small piece of land that is so important to 
their communities. As a former school teacher and a father of five, I 
am heartened by their dedication and commitment to this cause. The 
future of America lies with our youth, and with youngsters like these, 
I am confident that America's future will be bright.
  I would like to congratulate these young patriots of my district, and 
thank them for taking part in this campaign to preserve the history of 
the Revolutionary War. I would also like to thank their teachers and 
parents who also sent me letters, and taught these students that their 
involvement could make a difference. I would like to include the 
letters of Melissa Clark, who is in the first grade at KDMarkely; 
Bonnie Hughes-Sobbi, mother of a fourth grader at KDMarkely; Bess 
McCadden, who is in the fourth grade at Charlestown Elementary; and 
Catherine Wahl, who is in the fourth grade at the Sugartown School, for 
the record so that my colleagues can also appreciate them.

                                                  January 6, 1998.
       Dear Sir, I am writing to you to ask you to save the Paoli 
     Battlefield. We need to remember the men who fought to make 
     our country free. Please do not build houses on the Paoli 
     Battlefield.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Melissa Clark.

                                                  January 5, 1999.
       Dear Representative Weldon: It has come to my attention, 
     through my daughter's fourth grade class, that a part of our 
     local history is being threatened by ``progress''. The site 
     to which I refer is the Paoli Battlefield, located in 
     Malvern, PA.
       Our children are being taught the importance of this site 
     in their local history lessons and are also being taught to 
     respect sites such as this for their intrinsic and 
     irreplaceable value. We should be willing to support our 
     lessons to our children by protecting the Paoli Battlefield 
     from development.
       Thank you for your efforts in support of protecting this 
     site, hopefully with permanent registry as an historic 
     landmark. I will be happy to lend any assistance, as I am 
     able, to further this cause.
           Very truly yours,
                                              Bonnie Hughes-Sabbi.

                                                December 22, 1998.
       Dear Representative Weldon: People know that it is wrong to 
     build something on historical land. Valley Forge Park is part 
     of our history, so we should also save the site of the Paoli 
     Massacre Battlefield. My classmates and I have been studying 
     it, and I think that building things on historical land is 
     destructive. If General Anthony Wayne were here, he would do 
     all he could to stop people from building something on the 
     ground of our past.
       Don't let people build on the site of the Paoli Massacre 
     Battlefield! Please save it!
           Sincerely,
                                                    Bess McCadden.

                                                December 11, 1998.
       Dear Mr. Weldon: I think that you should stop this 
     craziness because it should remain a burial ground. Paoli 
     isn't very popular except for the Paoli Battlefield. That 
     puts us in the battlefield book. It is a historical sight 
     [sic]. It's disrespectful to know down a memorial 
     battlefield. One of my ancestors was buried at that 
     battlefield there so I care very deeply about this 
     battlefield.
                                                   Catherine Wahl.

     

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