Valley Forge

On December 19, 1777, a defeated continental army led by GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON, marched into Valley Forge, PA. Having escaped the British, twelve thousand men, seven hundred of them freed slaves, along with four hundred women and children slogged through the mud and snow. Most were barely clothed and many had no shoes. They had hardly eaten in days. The provisions promised by the Continental Congress never arrived. With nightly temperatures below freezing, Washington commissioned each of his thirteen generals to build twelve-man log cabins for their militia. Tools were scarce, and food stores for the entire army consisted of twenty five barrels of flour. Many perished waiting for their shelter. Meanwhile, Washington’s support as General of the Army was eroding. This faultfinding was headed by four men led by GENERAL HORATIO GATES. Securely delegated as President of the Board of War, Gates appointed GENERAL THOMAS CONWAY as Inspector General without Washington’s knowledge or approval. Their plan: To replace Washington with Gates. On December 29th, Conway rode into Valley Forge to inspect the camp and men. He was stymied when Washington refused to acknowledge either his rank or position until he received it in writing from congress. Ignored and disdained by every general in camp, Conway returned to York in defeat. At the same time, in Paris another political maneuver played out. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN and SILAS DEANE sat at a restaurant table. Knowing an English spy ate next to them, Franklin spoke of being close to negotiating with France. This set off a chain of events that reached both the British and French thrones. By the first of the year, the cabins were finished and some provisions had arrived, but a new threat griped the camp – smallpox. Thousands died before an inoculation program was implemented. In addition to the smallpox, typhus, dysentery, pneumonia, and influenza ravaged the camp. Of the twelve thousand that marched into Valley Forge, only eight thousand would survive to leave. In late January, General Gates laid down his next card to dethrone Washington. He devised a campaign into Canada to attack the British, hoping to recreate his victory at Saratoga. His choice for Commanding General was GENERAL LAFAYETTE with Conway as his second. However, when it was discovered that the campaign – like Valley Forge – was poorly supplied and supported, President Laurens and the congress agreed to discontinue the endeavor; a defeat General Gates was unable to recover from. Late February brought two unexpected blessings. The first was MARTHA WASHINGTON who lifted the spirits of her bedraggled husband. The second was a Prussian Officer: BARON FRIEDRICK WILHELM VON STEUBEN sent by Benjamin Franklin. Washington gave von Steuben permission to train the troops. Into them, he poured his vast knowledge and experience. Soon, each man marched and fought in perfect precision. But of greater importance, he inspired in them the “can do” victorious mentality they needed to win. In March, Washington received a report of movement by British troops. In a fast maneuver, KING GEORGE III sent a letter to the American congress offering major successions if they would “come back to the British fold.” The petition was rejected. Well it was, for they did not know at the time that France had joined America in the war. Forty ships were headed for the states carrying troops and supplies. On December 19, 1777, a broken and dying army entered that winter encampment. On June 19, 1778, Washington marched his troops away. Over four thousand individuals lost their lives in that six month period, even more ran away, but those that stayed were forged like steel into a fighting army equal to any in the world. Well was it called Valley Forge. On June 28, the Continental Army, despite a major blunder by General Lee, rallied under General Washington and stood toe-to-toe on the battlefield with the British army at Monmouth, NJ. After a full day of fighting, both armies camped for the night. The next day it was discovered that the British had sneaked away in the darkness. *The war lasted three more years. In 1783, King George signed the Treaties of Paris and drafted an abdication notice recognizing an independent United States.