Valley+Forge

=Valley Forge =

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Vally Forge took place from about December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778. This wasn't really a battle, but a turning point in the Revolutionary War where the Americans trained and built up their army's strength before they fought the British army. Valley Forge is about 25 miles away from Philadelphia, PA. There were two main Generals which served in the American army at this time: General George Washington and General Barron Von Steubon. African Slaves and Americans were both involved in this event. During the winter at Valley Forge, even though thousands of American soldiers died, they trained and became a strong, organized army that was ready to fight the British.

Before Valley Forge (Timeline)
  • June 1777- The British army moved to Staten Island.

• August 1777- The British troops appeared at Chesapeake Bay. The American soldiers lost that battle and retreated to Wilmington.

• September 1777- In this month the Battle of Brandywine took place. The American soldiers lost again, and had to split the retreat into two different cities. The cities were Chester and Philadelphia. At the end of this battle they had 11,000 men. They focused on recruiting more men.

• September 19th 1777- America had to retreat again to Yellow Springs. Yellow Springs is near Phoenixville.

• October 1777- The Battle of Germantown. The outcome of this battle was that the Americans retreated to White Marsh, which is six miles away from Chestnut Hill,PA.

• December 16th 1777- The American troops marched from White Marsh to Valley Forge to start training in the freezing weather. About 200 people died on the journey to Valley Forge. Nearly 3,000 men were sick in less than one week. Some couldn't train because they didn't have enough clothes.

The Life of a Soldier during Valley Forge
Imagine only eating a single piece of bread twice a day. That is what it felt like during Valley Forge. The American soldiers were poorly prepared and poorly equipped for the winter training. Many soldiers didn't have shoes. Only some had enough clothing for the winter. Other soldiers only had summer clothes such as thin shirts and/or shorts. Usually their clothes were torn up. Supplies were scarce and came into camp infrequently. Sometimes when the supplies were delivered, more troops came to train. Some of the men didn't even have guns. The deeper into the winter, the colder the weather got. Due to the severe weather and lack of supplies some men had to search for their own food. More than 2,000 soldiers died from Typhoid, Typhus, Dysentery, or Pneumonia.

===Training Strategy for the Americans=== Due to the severe weather as well as the lack of equipment and food, discipline and attitude were poor among the American soldiers. The American soldiers had to improve their discipline and attitude. The person that made that possible was General Baron Friedrich von Steubon. He was second in command to George Washington. General von Steubon taught the American soldiers how to handle equipment properly, how to work a bayonet, and how to drill in military formations. General von Steuben's 'drill men' pushed the American troops twards greater heights. By the end of March the American soldier's training exceeded the expectations of both Washington and von Steuben. In fact, throughout the winter they would be awarded for their bravery, stamina, strength, and hard work by taking a small break the next day. In late March the French Army became allies with the American Army. Now, together, the two armies were almost ready for war.

===About the Generals=== There were three main Generals in Valley Forge. They were General Baron Friedrich von Steubon, General George Washington, and General Marquise de Lafayette. General von Steubon helped General George Washington with training his troops. General Von Steubon couldn't speak english. He could speak German and French. Sometimes he would need a translator in order for the troops to understand him. He would oftenly curse to the soldiers in French or German because he had a very short temper. Many of the soldiers liked him even if he did have a short temper because he worked harder than any other soldier. He was dedicated towards making the American Army stronger. General Marquise de Lafayette was the one who noticed the importance of the American Army fighting for Independence. Even though the French battled against Americans in the French and Indian War, General Lafayette still helped the American Army, because he believed in the American cause for independence from Britain. He not only helped with training the troops, but he also provided the American Army with troops, guns, cannons, horses, and small ships. The French Army led the Americans into many victories later into the Revolutionary War. George Washington was the top General in the American Army. Just like the other Generals, George Washington pushed the American and French troops to victory. Most of the soldiers liked him because (just like General von Steubon), he pushed himself harder than any other soldier at Valley Forge. In addition, he constantly requested more food and clothes for the soldiers, and tried hard to keep them safe and healthy. He made treaties with the French, fought against the British for a long time and was also a key part of the Sons of Liberty. These weren't all of the Generals, but just the very important ones. Other generals that served in Valley Forge were Benadict Arnold, Daron Barr, John Cadwader, Dr. John Cochran, Baron Johan DeKelb, Chevliar Loius Lebuque de Presle Dupotail, Nathaniel Green, Alexander Hamilton, Henry Knox, Jedediah Hundington, Jacob Latch, Elaeneazer Learned, John Marshall, Lachland Mcintosh, Allan Mclane. James Monroe, and Anthony Wayne. ==The Americans: ready for Battle==

The training ended in June 1778 and the Americans were now ready for battle. With the French by their side nothing could stop them. In the beginning of this battle the soldiers had little supplies, clothes or military discipline. During this critical time in Valley Forge, the Americans worked hard, dramatically improved their discipline and were prepared for war. The generals were impressed about how much that they improved. Without the time and effort put in at Valley Forge, I think that we wouldn't have won the war.

References:
 * 1) Garratay, John A. The Story of America. Austin, TX: Holt, Rinehart and Winston 1994 (History book) www.ushistory.org/March/philia/Valleyforge.htm
 * 2) www.americanrevwar.homestead.com/files/VallyFORGE.HTM
 * 3) www.netrecker.com
 * 4) www.ushistory.org/Valleyforge/
 * 5) www.ushistory.org/Valleyforge/history/timeline.html
 * 6) www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/valleyforge.htm