Valley Forge
What Caused The Valley Of Forge?
Things looked bleak for General George Washington's Continental Army at the end of 1777. After marching from New Jersey to confront 17,000 British forces recently landed at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, they lost two key battles at Brandywine and Germantown, and saw the hated Redcoats occupy Philadelphia.
Event Information
Valley Forge
Valley Forge actually went from December 19, 1777 to June 19,1778. So it lasted over a year and a half.
When?
Wednesday, Nov 19, 1777, 09:00 PM
Where?
Pensalvania
What Happened at Valley Forge
Valley of Forge nearly killed 2,500 American soldiers by the end of February, 1778. In Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American continental army over the winter of 1777-1778 during the American Revolutionary War. With winter almost setting in, and with the prospects for camping greatly. General George Washington fought for his men Washington and his troops had fought what was to be the last major engagement of 1777 at the battle of White Marsh.
Food and Supplies
Soldiers received inadequate supplies of meat and bread, some getting their only nourishment from "firecake," a tasteless mixture of flour and water. Occasionally, there would be "pepper hot soup," a black pepper-flavored tripe broth. However, due to the talents of Baker General Christopher Ludwig, the men at Valley Forge more often than not received freshly baked bread, about one pound daily. So severe were conditions at times that Washington despaired "that unless some great and capital change suddenly takes place...this Army must inevitably...starve, dissolve, or disperse, in order to obtain subsistence in the best manner they can."