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Valley Forge : The Battle Of The Valley Forge

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Valley Forge
Valley Forge was the Continental Army’s winter camp. Valley Forge was located in Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania by a creek. It wasn’t the best place to set up camp because they were unable to defend southern Pennsylvania at the time and it was also in striking distance of the British Army. The Continental Army wasn’t worried about the British surprise attack because Valley Forge was far enough away. The leaders encharged of Valley Forge where George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette.
On December 19, 1777, Washington’s poorly fed men staggered into Valley Forge. Only about one in four of the men had shoes, the rest had cuts and splinters. The first constructed hut appeared in three days. One hut required 80 logs. Just a single hut could go up in one week with the use of one axe. The huts were built to provided protection from the moderately cold winter and wet conditions, a typical Pennsylvania winter. By the time February nearly 2,000 huts were built. When it started to get warmer mud was used to improve ventilation. Soldiers didn’t received adequate supplies of meat and bread. Most of the soldiers survived on “firecake”, a tasteless mixture of flour and water, and “pepper pot soup”, a black pepper-flavored tripe broth. Snow was often too thin to make into drinking water. Animals also starved to death. At the end of the winter there were about 700 hundred horses left. The army was undernourished and living in crowded quarters. They were also getting sick with disease such as typhoid, typhus, smallpox, dysentery, and pneumonia. These diseases contributed to the death of 2,500 soldiers by the end of winter. Women of enlisted men provided valuable services that the army needed,such as laundry and nursing. Washington repeatedly asked for relief and supplies, but the Continental Congress couldn’t provide it. Finally on January 24, 1778, five Congressmen came to Valley Forge to examine the conditions of the army. Washington wanted congress to take control of the supply system of the Continental Army. By the end of february, there was enough supplies flowing throughoValley Forge was the Continental Army’s winter camp. Valley Forge was located in Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania by a

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