How did the woman help the soldiers at Valley Forge?
Yet women on the whole proved invaluable, whether on the march or at an encampment like Valley Forge. They often earned income either by laundering clothes or by nursing troops, which kept soldiers cleaner and healthier.
What are facts about Valley Forge?
What are some important facts about Valley Forge?
- Valley Forge was not the coldest winter of the Revolution.
- George Washington was fighting a two-front war — against the British and his own Continental Congress.
- The winter at Valley Forge was the last time the United States Army was integrated until the Korean War.
How many British troops died at Valley Forge?
They remained there for six months, from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778. At Valley Forge, the Continentals struggled to manage a disastrous supply crisis while retraining and reorganizing their units. About 1,700 to 2,000 soldiers died from disease, possibly exacerbated by malnutrition.
How many soldiers died at Fort Sumter?
There were no casualties during the Battle of Fort Sumter. The only Union casualties reported happened during the evacuation of the fort, where one solder was killed and one mortally wounded by an accidental explosion during a planned 100-gun salute.
How many people were in Valley Forge?
On December 19th, 1777, 12,000 soldiers and 400 women and children marched into Valley Forge and began to build what was essentially the fourth largest city in the United States, with 1,500 log huts and two miles of fortifications. Lasting six months, from December until June, the encampment was as diverse as any city, with people who were free and enslaved, wealthy and impoverished, speakers of several languages, and adherents of multiple religions. Concentrating the soldiers in one vast camp allowed the army to protect the countryside and be better able to resist a British attack, but it became costly when lack of supplies and hunger afflicted the inhabitants, and diseases like influenza and typhoid spread through the camp. While there was never a battle at Valley Forge, disease killed nearly 2,000 people during the encampment.
What were the two events that occurred during the Battle of Valley Forge?
The first was the emergence of a group of critics who denigrated General Washington’s leadership ability. The proponents of this movement, which became known as the Conway Cabal, suggested that General Gates, the victorious leader at the Battle of Saratoga, was perhaps more fit for the top command position. This splinter group of officers and congressmen blamed Washington for having lost the capital to the British and argued that he put the war effort in jeopardy. As winter wore on, the so-called cabal dissolved, bringing disgrace to and ending the careers of several of its leaders. Washington’s authority was strengthened, as loyal supporters rallied to defend and exalt the commander in chief.
What is the Valley Forge myth?
It tells us that it was the experience of tremendous suffering from cold and starvation during the encampment that forged a spirit of extraordinary patriotism among Washington’s men.
What was the name of the army that occupied Valley Forge?
Valley Forge is the location of the 1777-1778 winter encampment of the Continental Army under General George Washington. Here the Continental Army , a collection of disparate colonial militias, emerged under Washington’s leadership as a cohesive and disciplined fighting force. In late 1777 while the British occupied the patriot capital ...
What was the second event that consolidated Washington’s control?
A second event that consolidated Washington’s control was his successful campaign to have a congressional committee visit camp. The general lobbied Congress to confer with him in person in order to resolve some of the supply and organizational difficulties that had plagued the army during the 1777 campaign. The committee emerged from the Valley Forge meeting with a better understanding of the logistical difficulties Washington faced and more sympathetic to the army’s requirements. The army reorganization was one of the most far-reaching consequences of the committee’s work. Almost from the war’s outset, Washington had argued for a large professional army. The public’s disdain for standing armies limited his ability to raise a sizeable force. The reorganization of 1778 represented a compromise between civilian and military ideals. Realizing that the army existed at only a portion of its authorized strength, Congress consolidated regiments and created a more streamlined force.
What is the significance of the winter campment at Valley Forge?
The significance of the encampment lies both in its fact-based history and also its storied myth. The mythical narrative is important in its own right for it reveals something about our character in the heroic way we wish the Revolution to be remembered. The popularity of the myth also speaks to its usefulness. Valley Forge remains a touchstone - always ready to minister to a generation in crisis.
Why is Valley Forge important?
The symbolic importance that Americans have attached to Valley Forge since the 19th century both complicates and enriches its authentic history. The establishment of Valley Forge as a memorial provides a place where generations of Americans have had the opportunity to discover and admire the Continental Army’s sacrifices and achievements and to participate in commemoration of this history. The desire to commemorate began to shape the history of this place soon after the army marched out.
What was the food that the soldiers ate in the Valley Forge?
Additionally, their food rations were hardly generous: Each man was issued a pound of meat a day, either beef, salt pork or salt fish.
How much flour did the soldiers get?
A pound of flour was also given to each man daily. According to government regulations of the time, the troops were also supposed to get three pints of peas or beans (“or vegetables equivalent,” if they were lucky), a pint of milk per day and a smaller amount of rice, corn and molasses to round out their meals.
Who was the baker at the Camp of Washington?
Washington recognized his men were in dire straits, and wrote to Congress repeatedly for help, but none came until a German baker named Christopher Ludwick arrived at the camp. Ludwick was a devoted American patriot who also happened to be a very skilled baker.
What happened on a good day?
On a good day, the cakes were tasteless; on the bad days, weevils or maggots would have found the flour store and added some extra protein to the mix. The large amounts of salt needed to preserve meats rendered an end product that had to be soaked repeatedly to be remotely edible.
How did the Valley Forge affect the soldiers?
Outbreaks of typhoid and dysentery spread through contaminated food and water. Soldiers contracted influenza and pneumonia, while still others succumbed to typhus, caused by body lice. Although the inconsistent delivery of food rations did not cause starvation, it probably exacerbated the health of ailing soldiers. Some patients might have suffered from more than one ailment. In total, about 1,700–2,000 troops died during the Valley Forge encampment, mostly at general hospitals located in six different towns. Valley Forge had the highest mortality rate of any Continental Army encampment, and even most military engagements of the war.
How many people were in the Continental Army at Valley Forge?
The Continental Army that marched into Valley Forge consisted of about 12,000 people—soldiers, artificers, women, and children. Throughout the winter, patriot commanders and legislators faced the challenge of supplying a population the size of a colonial city. In May and June 1777, the Continental Congress had authorized the reorganization of the supply department. Implementation of those changes never fully took effect, because of the fighting surrounding Philadelphia. Consequently, the supply chain had broken down even before the Continental Army arrived at Valley Forge. In large part, supplies dried up through the neglect of Congress so that by the end of December 1777 Washington had no way to feed or to adequately clothe the soldiers. Washington chose the area partly for its strategic benefits, but wintertime road conditions impeded supply wagons on route to the encampment.
What was Valley Forge known for?
In 1777, Valley Forge consisted of a small proto-industrial community located at the juncture of the Valley Creek and the Schuylkill River. In 1742, Quaker industrialists established the Mount Joy Iron Forge. Largely thanks to capital improvements made by John Potts and his family over the following decades, the small community expanded the ironworks, established mills, and constructed new dwellings for residents. Surrounding the valley was a rich farmland, where mainly Welsh-Quaker farmers grew wheat, rye, hay, Indian corn, among other crops, and raised livestock including cattle, sheep, pigs, and barnyard fowl. Settlers of German and Swedish descent also lived nearby.
Where did the Continental Army camp?
The encampment was primarily situated along the high, flat ground east of Mount Joy and south of the Schuylkill River. In addition to a concentration of soldiers at Valley Forge, Washington ordered nearly 2,000 soldiers to encamp at Wilmington, Delaware. He posted the army's mounted troops at Trenton, New Jersey, and additional outposts at Downingtown and Radnor, Pennsylvania, among other places. In the two winter encampments prior to Valley Forge, the Continental army had sheltered themselves in a combination of tents, constructed huts, civilian barns and other buildings. Valley Forge marked the first time Washington ordered the army primarily concentrated into a more permanent post where they constructed their own shelters. This strategic shift encouraged a whole new host of problems for the American Patriots .
How many log huts were built at Valley Forge?
While no accurate account exists for the number of log huts built, experts estimate a range between 1,300 and 1,600 structures. There are no known contemporary images of the Valley Forge cantonment.
Why did Thomas Mifflin station his supplies in the forges?
In the summer of 1777 the Continental Army's quartermaster general, Thomas Mifflin, decided to station a portion of his army's supplies in outbuildings around the forges, because of its variety of structures and secluded location between two prominent hills. Fearing such a concentration of military supplies would undoubtedly become a target for British raids, the forge-ironmaster, William Dewees Jr., expressed concerns about the army's proposal. Mifflin heeded Dewees' concerns but established a magazine at Valley Forge anyway.
What was the purpose of Valley Forge?
Monmouth. Valley Forge functioned as the third of eight winter encampments for the Continental Army 's main body, commanded by General George Washington, during the American Revolutionary War. In September 1777, Congress fled Philadelphia to escape the British capture of the city.
How many black soldiers were at Valley Forge?
Of the roughly 12,000 Continental Soldiers at Valley Forge, 750 were black. In fact, blacks made up some 20 percent of America’s colonial population in 1776; close to one-half million men, women, and children, 99 per cent of them enslaved. While Washington was of course aware of the loyalty and grit displayed by black volunteers who had fought for the colonial cause in and around Boston – by now most patriots were familiar with the heroics of Crispus Attucks, the fugitive slave who fell during the Boston Massacre and is considered the first casualty of the Revolution – the idea of arming black men weighed heavily on the erstwhile Virginia planter whose subconscious was so invested in the lore of slave uprisings. Yet fearing a wave of runaway slaves donning British uniforms in exchange for their freedom, Washington somewhat reluctantly implored the Continental Congress to allow “freemen” to be granted the right to fight for the cause. He was influenced mightily by the Rhode Island general James Varnum, who had raised a company of freed slaves who fought steadfastly during the battles of Brandywine Creek and Germantown. The delegates acquiesced, and over the course of the revolution some 5,000 black men enlisted in the Continental Army. In a footnote buried in the mists of time, the first casualty recorded at the Valley Forge winter encampment was a freeman from Connecticut’s 7th Regiment known to posterity only by his given name of Jethro.
How many people lived in Valley Forge?
The encampment had more inhabitants than most American cities. With 12,000 soldiers, hundreds of camp followers and more than 2,000 hasility erected huts and cabins, the camp at Valley Forge would overnight become the seventh-largest metropolis in the nascent United States.
What was the weather like in 1777?
Nearly 250 years of legend have etched the impression of the winter of 1777-1778 as a perpetually snowbound season beset by bone-chilling temperatures. Though the occasional blizzard, ice storm, and scattered snow squalls were relatively common on the Valley Forge encampment, it was by historical standards a fairly mild winter for southeast Pennsylvania. Only twice did the mercury drop into single digits, on both occasions during the month of February. Counterintuitively, this meteorological phenomenon only added to the Continental Army’s suffering. The army’s commander-in-chief George Washington himself noted that consistently working and drilling in steady, below-freezing temperatures was preferable to slogging through an endless morass of slushy mud stippled with putrefying animal carcasses. Moreover, whenever the temperatures edged above freezing, which often occurred, the noxious veil of gasses escaping from the hundreds of starved horses buried in shallow graves hung over the camp like an illness.#N#While it is true that nearly 2,000 of Washington’s soldiers at Valley Forge died from exposure, disease, starvation, or some combination thereof, this was more from a lack of clothing to defend themselves against the ever-shifting elements. Entire regiments were without shoes, and visitors were astonished to find half-naked and barefoot American sentries manning guard posts in the rain wrapped only in tattered blankets and standing on their hats to keep their feet warm.
What was the last time the United States had an integrated army?
The American War of Independence was the last occasion in which the United States would field an integrated army until the Korean War nearly two centuries later. (Image source: WikiCommons) 2. Black and white soldiers camped together at Valley Forge.
Where did the Continental Army camp in 1777?
George Washington ’s ragtag Continental Army, fresh from its failure to dislodge the British redcoats from Philadelphia, is forced to make camp in the remote Pennsylvania countryside.
When did the refugee camp run out of food?
Sunday, Feb. 22, 1778 dawned dank and chill in southeast Pennsylvania. A week earlier the camp’s larders had run out of food, and seven days with no rations had not only again raised the prospect of famine, but had lent the winter cantonment the trappings of a refugee camp.
Who was the first casualty at Valley Forge?
In a footnote buried in the mists of time, the first casualty recorded at the Valley Forge winter encampment was a freeman from Connecticut’s 7th Regiment known to posterity only by his given name of Jethro. Washington and a youthful Lafayette tour the American encampment at Valley Forge. (Image source: WikiCommons) 3.
How many soldiers were at Valley Forge?
Number of soldiers that arrived at Valley Forge on December 19, 1777. (I've found estimates of 10,000 11,000 and 12,000.)
When did the troops leave Valley Forge?
3. Number of soldiers that remained at Valley Forge until the troops moved out on June 19, 1778. Again, you won't find anything specific.
What did the soldiers say in the March 31st 1778?
March 31, 1778. "I hope a due attention will also be paid to keeping up a sufficient quantity of Cloathing, that the Soldiers may never be reduced to want and nakedness. Not only a loss from Sickness, follows the want of covering, but desertion to a very great degree.
How many men deserted the American army in 1778?
26) that a reasonably precise figure is a Tory statement that between September 27, 1777 and March 26, 1778, that 1,134 men deserted the American Army and came into Philadelphia.
How many troops marched into Valley Forge?
Approximately 12,000 marched into Valley Forge in December.
How many people died in the camp during the Bicentennial?
Conservative numbers were estimated during the Bicentennial by the William Clements Library of the University of Michigan based on available original sources: 6,284 killed in action. 10,000 deaths in camp (disease, etc.) 8,500 prisoner deaths.
When did the soldiers arrive at Valley Forge?
1. Number of soldiers that arrived at Valley Forge on December 19, 1777. The estimates you mention are in the range of what is believed to have been the number of men who marched ...
One Winter of A Long War
The War Prior to Valley Forge
- While some refused to accept it, the nature of the war changed in July 1776 when a large contingent of English and Hessian troops reached America’s shores and sought to crush the rebellion. By the fall, the British had pushed Washington’s unevenly trained and outnumbered force to the brink of defeat and established control over New York City and the states of New Yo…
Supplying The Army
- The Continental Army’s quick seizure and use of the land directly across the Schuylkill River offers an example of the extent of its capability. Once the bridge spanning the river was complete, the army made full use of the land north of the river as a vital supply link. The farms located on the north side provided forage for the Continental Army, the location of a camp market where farme…
Ravages of Disease
- Perhaps the most notable suffering that occurred at Valley Forge came from a factor that has not been frequently mentioned in textbooks: disease was the true scourge of the camp. Men from far flung geographical areas were exposed to sicknesses from which they had little immunity. During the encampment, nearly 2,000 men died of disease. Dedicated su...
A Large and Diverse Camp
- The scale of the Valley Forge encampment was impressive. The number of soldiers present ranged from 12,000 in December to nearly 20,000 in late spring as the army massed for the campaign season. The troops who came to camp included men from all 13 original colonies and regiments from all of them except South Carolina and Georgia. The encampment brought togeth…
Legacy of The Encampment
- Despite the difficulties, there were a number of significant accomplishments and events during the encampment. Because of its far-reaching consequences, the single most noteworthy achievement was the maturation of the Continental Army into a professional force under the tutelage of Friedrich Wilhelm Baron von Steuben. Baron von Steuben assessed the army and rec…
Alliance with France
- European recognition augmented congressional reforms. French assistance was crucial to the success of the Revolution. Starting in 1776, vital French aid in the form of military materiel flowed to America. The efforts of American agents in France and the strong performance of the continentals at the Battles of Saratoga and Germantown convinced the French to do more than …
Leaving Valley Forge
- In mid-June Washington’s spy network informed him that the British were about to abandon Philadelphia. The commander in chief rapidly set troops in motion: a small force marched in and took possession of the city. The majority of the army swiftly advanced from staging areas on the north side of the Schuylkill River and southeast of camp toward the Delaware River and New Jer…
Birthplace of The American Army
- The success of Valley Forge also can be measured in longer-term gains. Many regard Valley Forge as the birthplace of the American army. The concepts of basic training, the professionalization of the officer corps, and the rise of the army’s distinctive branches, such as the corps of engineers, all got their start here. The military lessons that von Steuben helped instill served Washington’s v…
Impact of The Encampment on The Land
- The scale and intensity of the encampment devastated the landscape of the Valley Forge area. By the time the army left in June 1778, every tree for miles around had been taken down for firewood or hut construction, as well as miles of farmers’ fences and many outbuildings. The livestock and stores of the area’s residents had been commandeered and consumed. The land itself was pock…