Valley Forge
Nick Harper and Yanni Kousidis
Who was there?
Originally, there were 11 thousand soldiers, which included people such as George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette, and Baron von Steuben. Only 8 thousand soldiers survived the harsh winter at Valley Forge. 2 thousand men deserted during the six months there.
What Happened?
Over the course of the 6 months, many different things occurred at Valley Forge, good and bad. One of the good things were that the soldiers became trained. When the soldiers first arrived at Valley Forge, almost none of them had any proper training. While they were there, Baron Von Steuben, who was from Prussia (parts of current day Germany and surrounding countries), taught the soldiers how to properly fight. This would be helpful later on when they had to fight. Another good thing that came out of Valley Forge was that it made the soldiers more faithful in their leaders. Their leaders had gotten them through that, so they now had more trust in them. They were also many bad things though. Hundreds of soldiers died from diseases such as smallpox, typhoid, dysentery, and pneumonia. Many times amputations were needed. Soldiers starved and were cold due to lack of clothing. It was a tragic time.
Grass
Soldiers would resort to eating grass if necessary
Boots
Some people cooked and ate their boots
Bugs
Soldiers ate bugs when they could
Food
The soldiers would often not eat meat for weeks. Eventually, the soldiers would have to eat anything green or moving. That includes insects, grass, and even boiled leather boots. Fire cakes were made out of just flour and water, and were easy to produce as one of the most commonly eaten foods.
Valley Forge is
Valley Forge on the map
20 miles away
From Philadelphia
Philadelphia on the map
Where Was It?
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania was where the soldiers camped for the 6 months from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778. This was just 20 miles from where the British troops were staying in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Disease
Diseases included smallpox, typhoid, dysentery, and pneumonia. Many people died from these diseases that spread around the encampment so quickly. Many people had to have limbs amputated.