Valley+Forge



Introduction Imagine, you are a soldier in the Continental Army in 1777. You follow your fellow soldiers who are freezing like you. It is cold, snowing and there is a trail of blood on the ground. This is what it was like as a soldier on their march to Valley Forge.

The Story of Valley Forge On December 12th, 1777, Washington and his 12,000 soldiers marched a 13 mile march to Valley Forge. They had very little supplies. They had no food, wet clothing, and their blankets of warmth caused suffering. More than half of the Continental Army was naked. The army was beginning to “starve, dissolve, and disperse.” George Washington. Even through these harsh times, the soldiers didn’t stop. They continued to march along the Gulph Road. They walk even after their shoes broke and walked with bloody feet leaving bloody footprints in the snow. They marched through not only snow, but sleet, and freezing rain. When they arrived on December 19th, the soldiers stopped on a plateau protected by natural borders. Baron Friedrich von Steuben drilled the troops. Even though there was no battle, the Continental Army was prepared to fight any battle against any foe.

The People of Valley Forge

George Washington is one of the most well known people who served at Valley Forge. He watched over the soldiers for the march. Washington was the one in charge. Without him, the Continental Army would have fallen. It was his faith and devotion to the ideals that embodied him that made him the symbol of America. Many do not know of the other people who served. Baron Friedrich von Steuben was one who served. He was born in a fortress and for the first years of his life, he lived in Russia. By the age of 17 he was a Persian officer in the military. In 1777, von Steuben ran into Benjamin Franklin and got a job in the Continental Army. He assisted Washington in his duties. Washington's Prayer to help protect his troops' survival Freeman, Russell. //Washington// //at Valley Forge//. New York: Holiday House, 2008. Print. Marshall, Joan. //americanrevwar.homestead.com/files/VALLEY.HTM// N.p., 2004. Web. 8 Dec. 2009. //ushistory.org// Independence Hall Association, 1995. Web. 3 Dec. 2009.