Why were more than 2 .500 members of Washington's army lost at Valley Forge?

Answer 1

The number you gave is wrong. Some did die of disease.There wasn't a battle, but the winter camp of Washington and his troops.Many went home to take care of the family farm. There were so many they were called "sunshine patriots". The colonies were 95% farmers. In Valley Forge there is a fable about the men starving, not having shoes, and in the cold. This is not true. Federal park historians have found that they were well fed, clothed, and in warm huts. The officer wives joined their husbands. Washington in his letters to Congress couldn't admit this because he knew they would cut funds. So, he spun a story. The 10,000 man army was supplied each month with a million pounds of flour, a million pounds of meat and fish. Each man was allotted more than 3 pounds of flour, meat, and fish per day.