Valley Forge

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.

Its not very far at all from Valley Forge to Philadelphia, about twenty-five miles. This was probably a two-day march for an army at that time, if the roads were dry, more if they were mud, and it could be done in one day but it would take all day and the troops would arrive at the end too tired to fight well. The British never bothered to come out of their snug, warm winter quarters in Philadelphia to attack Valley Forge, because they saw no need to. Mother Nature was keeping up a constant attack on Washington's men there, and doing a good job.

WINTER

The Pennsylvania congressional delegation forced Washington to put his army into winter quarters at Valley Forge, threatening to withdraw the Pennsylvania troops from his army if he did not do so. This was an open and exposed plateau through which the winter winds blew and the snow piled deep. The men were inadequately sheltered. They arrived well into December and began to try to build themselves huts. They would cut and notch logs as in a log cabin and stack these up three or four feet, then put a tent on top of that. They made chimneys from sticks and mud to try to make a place to cook and a source of heat. They had to cut wood continually for the cooking and heating fires.

There was very little food to eat. Congress failed throughout the war to adequately feed the army. Congress had no power to tax, and therefore had no money. They printed paper money, but they printed so much it quickly became worthless. Pennsylvania farmers preferred to take their goods on into Philadelphia and sell them to the British for gold or silver coins, rather than take the worthless Continental paper or promises.

The army lacked adequate clothing. They had no winter clothes and the clothes they had were ragged. Many were barefoot. Some resorted to wrapping their feet in rawhide and tying that on for foot covering. There were not enough blankets or medical supplies, because Congress had no money to buy clothing, blankets, medical supplies or food.

The army was saved by a "shad run" in the early spring, an annual occurrence where freshwater shad fish swarm upstream to spawn. The soldiers caught thousands of these and had their first full meal in months.

During the winter one visitor to Washington's army recounted going to see the encampment with Washington, and they were confronted with the spectacle of thousands of soldiers cawing like crows and flapping their arms, and calling out "no meat!".

George Washington's Continental Army stayed during the cold long winters at Valley forge.

Sold to Swiss Re Insurance and renamed Reassurance of America.

they were experiencing veryy harsh condition. the weather was horrible and they were short on food, water, clothing and supplies.

There were over twelve thousand continental soldiers with George Washington during the time at Valley Forge.

There was no battle at Valley Forge. It was the winter camp of Washington and his troops.It wasn't all war. 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.

Valley Forge wasn't a battle. It was the winter quarters for Washington's troops. They left from Valley Forge for Trenton where they took the Hessian mercenaries by surprise.

There was no battle at valley forge. the Continental army stoped there during the winter and trained. and they had very little supplies so the german and russian were involved

Michigan

Don't fire until you see the white of there eyes.

Pancakes the clown

Friedrich von Steuben, a former army officer from Prussia, came to help General Washington at Valley Forge. He drilled the soldiers at Valley Forge with military discipline and procedure. He spoke little English, so he had aides translate his speech to the soldiers. He turned the troops at Valley Forge from a disorganized, un-experienced, fighting force into a uniform, efficient army.

so the soldiers of the war had an area to stay during the winter of the war

Washington and his troops. It was the winter camp.

2000

A forge is a place where a blacksmith makes things out of metal. There was a forge that was used as a point of reference to identify that particular valley.

Go to revolutionarywar.com/diseases

no caps!

No the winter at valley forge was long and difficult. He didnt have enough food or clothing and a lot of his army deserted the camp.

Great Hardships

1783

hafgghhhegwd