Valley+Forge



**Valley Forge** December 1777-June 1778

George Washington wintered his troop of 9000 men at Valley Forge Pennsylvania in order to protect his supply routes and keep an eye on the British troops wintering 20 miles away.

"To see Men without Cloathes...,without Blankets to lay on,without Shoes, by which their Marches might be traced by the Blood from their feet...is a mark of Patience and obedience which in my opinion can scarce be parallel'd." George Washington

Washington displayed remarkable leadership skills and compassion and respect for his troops by staying in a tent as they had to until the 800 huts to house them were built. He also brought in help for their training with a man called Baron Von Steuben. Van Steuben volunteered his services as drillmaster for the troops and soon men who had been pressed into service from shops and farms were disciplined, competent soldiers able to compete with Britain's professional army. This could have made the difference in the Patriots winning or losing the war.

The picture below shows Washington with another officer walking among the troops.It is clearly cold and all the men are huddled or bundled up to keep warm. There is a small pot of food cooking on the fire. Supplies had a hard time getting in and the men were often starved as well as cold.



Baron Von Steuben training the troops while Washington looks on. You can see that some of the men are barefoot and that their uniforms are torn and not proper winter clothing.

Bibliography Tucker, Spencer C. "Valley Forge." In Tucker, Spencer C., gen. ed. //Encyclopedia of American Military History//. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2003. //American History Online//. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE52&iPin=EMHIII0273&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 8, 2012).

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