PHOTO: ©CORBIS
few attempts to push out into the countryside. The Conti- nental Army’s real enemies that winter were disease, hun- ger, and cold. Soon after arriving at Valley Forge, Washington ordered his men to break up into twelve-man units and build log huts to live in. While these rude dwellings helped alleviate the problem of the army’s exposure to the elements, they also put the men into close quarters with one another, adding to the problems caused by unsanitary living condi- tions and poor hygiene. Dysentery, typhoid fever, typhus, smallpox, and pneumonia were all problems at Valley Forge, and according to Washington’s own records, by late May 1778, nearly one third of his men were ill with “the small pox and other disorders.”
Initially, Washington promised his men that he would “share in the Hardships and partake of every inconve- nience” they faced at Valley Forge, and he even lived in a tent for a short time. But he soon realized the impossibility of managing his administrative responsibilities without ad- equate shelter and eventually rented a two-story, five-room stone house near the Schuylkill River and turned it into his headquarters.
Lack of food was another major problem the Continental Army faced at Valley Forge. Ironically, however, this short- age was not because of a shortage of supplies throughout the thirteen states in general. The problem was getting
u General George Washington chose Valley Forge as the Continen- tal Army’s winter camp in 1777–1778. One reason for his choice was the fact that the terrain made the area easy to defend.
Soon after arriving at Valley Forge, George Washington ordered his men to build log huts to live in. Replica huts, like this one, are among the structures visitors will find at Valley Forge today. d
T H E E L K S M A G A Z I N E
53
PHOTO: ©JOSEPH SOHM/VISIONS OF AMERICA/CORBIS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76