Valley Forge was the military camp in southeastern Pennsylvania, approximately
20 miles northwest of Philadelphia, where the American Continental Army
spent the winter of 1777–1778 during the American Revolutionary War. Starvation,
disease, malnutrition, and exposure killed over 2,500 American soldiers by
the end of February 1778. With winter almost setting in, and with
the prospects for campaigning greatly diminishing, General George Washington
sought quarters for his men. Washington and his troops had fought what was to be
the last major engagement of 1777 at the Battle of White Marsh in early December.
He devised to pull his troops from their present encampment in the White Marsh
area and move to a more secure location for the coming winter.
Geography Though several locations were proposed,
Washington selected Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 20 miles northwest of
Philadelphia. Named for an iron forge on Valley Creek, the area was close enough
to the British to keep their raiding and foraging parties out of the interior of
Pennsylvania, yet far enough away to halt the threat of British surprise
attacks. The densely forested plateau of Mount Joy and the adjoining
two-mile-long plateau of Mount Misery combined with the Schuylkill River to
the north, made the area easily defensible, along with providing
abundant forests of timber that would later be used to construct the thousands
of log huts. Seventy-eight of the huts in the camp would house the soldiers,
but over 2,500 of those soldiers died. The Continental Army
= Shelter= On December 19, 1777, when
Washington's poorly fed, ill-equipped army, weary from long marches, staggered
into Valley Forge, winds blew as the 12,000 Continentals prepared for
winter's fury. Only about one in three of them had shoes, and many of their
feet had left bloody footprints from the marching. Grounds for brigade
encampments were selected, and defense lines were planned and begun.
The first properly constructed hut appeared in three days. One other hut,
which required 80 logs, and whose timber had to be collected from miles away,
went up in one week with the use of only one axe. These huts provided sufficient
protection from the moderately cold, but mainly wet and damp conditions of a
typical Pennsylvania winter of 1777–1778. By the beginning of February,
construction of 2,000 huts was completed. They provided shelter, but
did little to offset the critical shortages that continually plagued the
army. During the springtime, as the climate
grew considerably warmer, Washington ordered the cutting of two windows into
each hut. Mud was also chipped between the logs to improve ventilation.
= Food and supplies= Soldiers received inadequate supplies of
meat and bread, some getting their only nourishment from "firecake," a tasteless
mixture of flour and water. Occasionally, there would be "pepper pot
soup," a black pepper-flavored tripe broth. So severe were conditions at
times that Washington despaired "that unless some great and capital change
suddenly takes place...this Army must inevitably...starve, dissolve, or
disperse, in order to obtain subsistence in the best manner they can."
Snow was limited, and small in amounts. The layer of snow was often too thin to
be collected and melted into drinking water. Alternating freezing and melting
of snow and ice made it impossible to keep dry and allowed for disease to
fester. Animals fared no better. General Henry
Knox, Washington's Chief of Artillery, wrote that hundreds of horses either
starved to death or died of exhaustion. By the end of the winter, about 700
horses had died. Washington appointed Nathanael Greene as
Quartermaster General to take charge of the supplies, who found caches of food
and clothing and hauled them there for the troops and horses.
Clothing, too, was wholly inadequate. Many wounded soldiers from previous
battles died from exposure. Long marches had destroyed shoes. Blankets were
scarce. Tattered garments were seldom replaced. At one point these shortages
caused nearly 4,000 men to be listed as unfit for duty.
Many locals and fisherman say that by the spring of 1778, the shad movement up
the Schuylkill River provided the desperate troops with moderate amounts
of food. = Hardships and supply shortages=
Undernourished and poorly clothed, living in crowded, damp quarters, the
army was ravaged by sickness and disease. Typhoid, typhus, smallpox,
dysentery, and pneumonia were among the numerous diseases that thrived in the
camp during that winter. These diseases, along with malnutrition and exposure to
the freezing temperatures and snow, contributed to the 2,500 soldiers that
died by the end of the winter. Gouverneur Morris of New York later
stated that the Continentals were a "skeleton of an army...in a naked,
starving condition, out of health, out of spirits."
Soldiers deserted in "astonishing great numbers" as hardships at camp overcame
their motivation and dedication to fight. General James Mitchell Varnum
warned that the desperate lack of supplies would "force the army to
mutiny." Women who were relatives or wives of
enlisted men alleviated some of the suffering by providing valuable services
such as laundry and nursing that the army desperately needed. A group of
people called Regimental Camp Followers also helped increase the morale of the
soldiers and provided necessary support to the men again.
= Restoration of army supplies= Although Washington repeatedly
petitioned for relief and supplies, the Continental Congress was unable to
provide it and the soldiers continued to suffer. Finally, on January 24, 1778,
five Congressmen came to Valley Forge to examine the conditions of the
Continental Army. Washington greeted them imperatively, "Something must be
done. Important alterations must be made." Washington also informed them
that he wanted Congress to take control of the army supply system, pay for the
supplies, and replenish them when necessities were scarce.
By the end of February, there were adequate supplies flowing throughout
camp after Congress gave full support to monetarily funding the supply lines of
the army, along with reorganizing the commissionary department, which
controlled the gathering of the supplies for the army.
= Training= Increasing military efficiency, morale,
and discipline were as vital to the army's well-being as its supply of food
and arms. The army had been handicapped in battle because unit training was
administered from a variety of field manuals, making coordinated battle
movements awkward and difficult. The soldiers were trained, but not
uniformly. The task of developing and carrying out an effective training
program fell to Baron Friedrich von Steuben. This skilled Prussian drill
master, who had recently arrived from Europe, tirelessly drilled the soldiers,
improving their battle and formation techniques greatly.
= Wives and children= Martha Washington, the wife of George
Washington, arrived at the camp on February 10, 1778. She visited soldiers
in the huts and in the camp hospital. Martha Washington also organized a
sewing circle of women who knitted, crafted, and patched socks, shirts, and
trousers. Camp followers at Valley Forge consisted
of the wives, children, mothers, and sisters of the soldiers. These camp
followers often served as laundresses, cleaning and mending the uniforms of the
soldiers. Washington understood a soldier would die quickly from disease
if his uniform was dirty and threadbare. These women and children also provided
the emotional support to the army, encouraging them to remain at camp and
continue on training and soldiering during the winter months. Women gained
half the rations of soldiers, half the wages of a soldier as well as a half
pension after the war—if they had done enough work. Children would receive
quarter rations if enough work was done. Women were relegated to the back of the
column when marching and were forbidden to ride on wagons. Camp followers faced
the issues of disease along with the soldiers. While playing an important
role in scouting and finding supplies and food, some women lost their lives on
the battlefield trying to obtain goods from wounded or dead soldiers. At Valley
Forge women averaged 1 to every 44 men, adding up to around 500 women.
= Criticism of Washington= Because of the terrible conditions of
the army during the winter of 1777, the American public, along with Congress,
began to criticize Washington for his inability to advance the war effort.
Washington himself was aware of an increasing impatience and criticism of
his leadership. A few soldiers wanted to replace Washington with General Horatio
Gates, who had won a decisive victory in the Battles of Saratoga. Some members of
the Continental Congress complained that Washington had left the surrounding
countryside unprotected by moving into the isolated area of Valley Forge.
Washington replied furiously: "I can assure those Gentlemen that it is
a much easier and less distressing thing to draw remonstrances in a comfortable
room by a good fire side than to occupy a cold bleak hill and sleep under frost
and Snow without Cloaths or Blankets; however, although they seem to have
little feeling for the naked, and distressed Soldier, I feel
superabundantly for them, and from my Soul pity those miseries, [which], it is
neither in my power to relieve or prevent."
In spite of Washington's inability to do much during the hardship at Valley
Forge, anti-Washington movements arose. Led by Brigadier General Thomas Conway,
these soldiers worked "behind the curtains" to degrade Washington's
reputation in hopes that this would enable Horatio Gates to replace George
Washington as the commander of the Continental Army. This scheme is known
today as the Conway Cabal. Washington addressed them by saying:
"Whenever the public gets dissatisfied with my service...I shall quit the
helm...and retire to a private life." This silenced his main critics, and
Washington's announcement easily renewed his authority as the Commander-in-Chief
of the Continental Army; his authority was never critically challenged for the
rest of the decade. = Aftermath=
After the horrendous winter, the Continental Army found out that France
was going to aid their cause by sending military and monetary donations to the
army. France had signed an alliance pact, on February 6, 1778 with the 13
colonies, after General Horatio Gates had led his army and won the decisive
Battles of Saratoga. A celebration of French alliance was organized on May 6,
1778, at Valley Forge. The army repeatedly shouted, "Long live France!
Long live the friendly powers! Long live the American States!" Thousands of
soldiers performed large drill formations and fired salutes from
muskets and cannons. The formations were observed by George Washington and other
military leaders. At the conclusion of the celebration each soldier was to be
rewarded one gill of rum. Soon, word of the British departure from
Philadelphia brought a frenzied activity to the ranks of the Continental Army. On
June 19, 1778, exactly six months after the soldiers arrival at Valley Forge,
the tested army marched away from Valley Forge and retook Philadelphia. They
later charged in pursuit of the British, who were moving toward New York. The
Battle of Monmouth, which occurred on June 28, 1778, resulted in an indecisive
victory, though Congress and many newspapers treated it as an American
victory. This result demonstrated that the colonists were now able to withstand
a strong British army after the intense training at Valley Forge under von
Steuben, boosting morale and improving Washington's reputation as the Commander
in Chief. The winter at Valley Forge imbued into
soldiers a strong will to persevere, endure, and later triumph over obstacles
and bring independence to the United States. Washington always acknowledged
that the perseverance gained by the soldiers at Valley Forge was what made
the Continental Army bind together even stronger and eventually win the war.
= Map of the army encampment= Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben
Main article: Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben
Von Steuben was a onetime member of the elite General Staff of Frederick the
Great, King of Prussia. No longer in the Prussian Army, indeed without employment
of any kind, von Steuben offered his military skills to the cause "without
pay or rank," until he could prove himself.
When he arrived at Valley Forge from France on February 23, 1778, he had with
himself a letter of introduction from Benjamin Franklin. Washington saw great
promise in the Prussian and almost immediately assigned him the duties of
Acting Inspector General with the task of developing and carrying out an
effective training program. He was a drill instructor who was full of energy.
Von Steuben taught the soldiers how to aim muskets accurately, charge with
bayonets, and maneuver together in compact ranks.
Numerous obstacles threatened success. No standard American training manuals
existed, and von Steuben himself spoke little English.
Undaunted, he drafted his own manual in French. His aides often worked late into
the night, translating his work into English, which was titled: Regulations
for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States It was more
colloquially known as "The Blue Book". The translations were, in turn, copied
and passed to the individual regiments and companies that carried out the
prescribed drill the following day. "The Blue Book" remained the official
American military training guide until the War of 1812.
Von Steuben shocked many American officers by breaking tradition to work
directly with the men. One officer wrote of von Steuben's "peculiar grace" as he
took "under his direction a squad of men in the capacity of drill sergeant." From
dawn to dusk his familiar voice was heard in camp above the sounds of
marching men and shouted commands. Soon companies, regiments, and then brigades
moved smartly from line to column, column to line, loaded muskets with
precision, and drove imaginary redcoats from the field by skillful charges with
the bayonet. When the Continental Army paraded on May
6, 1778, to celebrate the French alliance with America, von Steuben
received the honor of organizing the day's activities. On that day the Grand
Parade became a showplace for the united American army. Cannons boomed in salute.
Thousands of muskets fired the ceremonial "feu de joie," a running fire
that passed up and down the double ranks of infantrymen. Cheers echoed across the
fields. The good drilling order and imposing appearance that the troops
presented during the Alliance Day ceremonies demonstrated their remarkable
progress in improving their abilities as a unified, fighting force capable of
standing up to the British Army. Washington, with heavy aid from von
Steuben, had made a professional, disciplined, unified, and efficient army
out of the Continental troops. Von Steuben himself claimed that his
"enterprise succeeded better than he had expected." With their French allies, the
Americans could now proceed into the battlefield with hopes of winning the
war, which would rage on for many years. Oration by Henry Armitt Brown
On June 19, 1878, author and orator Henry Armitt Brown delivered a speech to
commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the departure of General George
Washington's troops from the encampment at Valley Forge. His oration recalled
the hardships suffered during the winter of 1777-78, while also celebrating the
eventual victory of the Continental Army:
"...And here, in this place of sacrifice, in this vale of humiliation,
in this valley of the Shadow of Death out of which the Life of America rose,
regenerate and free, let us believe with an abiding faith that to them Union will
seem as dear, and Liberty as sweet, and Progress as glorious as they were to our
fathers, and are to you and me, and that the institutions which have made us
happy, preserved by the virtue of our children, shall bless the remotest
generations of the time to come." Brown's oration was later published by
J.B. Lippincott & Co. of Philadelphia in 1879, serving as a literary marker of
Valley Forge's lasting impact upon American history and identity.
Valley Forge National Historical Park Valley Forge National Historic Park
commemorates the perseverance, sacrifice, and strength of the soldiers,
the Continental Army, and the generals that were present during the winter of
1777-1778. The site of the encampment became a
Pennsylvania state park in 1893 and, on the July 4, 1976, it became Valley Forge
National Historical Park. The modern park features historical and recreated
buildings and structures; memorials; and a newly renovated visitor center, which
shows a short film and has several exhibits. Washington Memorial Chapel was
built in 1904 as a memorial to Washington and his army. An adjoining
carillon of 58 bells represents all U.S. states and territories. It resides in a
tower underwritten by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Other park amenities include walking and bicycle trails.
= Gallery= See also
Bodo Otto Postage stamps and postal history of the
United States#Two Cent Red Sesquicentennial issues of 1926–1932
Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
USS Valley Forge Valley Forge Pilgrimage
References Further reading
Fleming, Thomas. Washington's Secret War: The Hidden History of Valley Forge.
2005. ISBN 0060829621. External links
Valley Forge National Historical Park official website
Valley Forge at UShistory.org Pictures of Valley Forge National
Historical Park Valley Forge: A Winter Encampment