Valley of Shadows

    Even George Washington doubted his abilities as a leader at times, and the winter of 1777-78 was no exception. The term American patriot has new meaning once you learn what the soldiers of the Continental Army went through at Valley Forge. As Americans in the 21st century it is crucial to revisit our history, we like to refer to ourselves as patriotic, however the soldiers that survived Valley Forge were the original American patriots. Though no battle was fought here, the struggle against the elements and low morale was overcome on this sacred ground. On Sept 11th 1777 Washington and his troops were decisively defeated, leading them to flee the city of Philadelphia. Fifteen days later, after outmaneuvering Washington, the British entered Philadelphia unopposed. The Americans would be defeated one more time on Oct 4th in Germantown. With the cold weather rapidly approaching, Washington moved his army into winter quarters. Despite the defeats of the fall, the 12,000 men of the Continental Army were in good spirits when they marched into Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, (18 miles northwest of Philadelphia) on December 19, 1777. Under the direction of the army's engineers, the men began constructing over 2,000 log huts laid out along military streets. In addition, defensive trenches and five Redoubts were built to protect the encampment but bad Communications had left Washington's men without supplies. Only about one in three of them had shoes. Bloody footprints were left in the snow by bootless men. Near naked soldiers were wrapped in thin blankets huddled around smoky fires of green wood. Soldiers received inadequate supplies of meat and bread, some getting their only nourishment from "firecake," a tasteless mixture of flour and water. The plaintive chant from the starving: "We want meat! "We want meat! With the arrival of warmer weather in March, disease began strike at the army. Over the next three months, influenza, typhus, typhoid, and dysentery all erupted within the encampment. Of the 2,000 men who died at Valley Forge, over two-thirds were killed by disease. These unsung heroes of American history had no assurance of victory from the war or even food the next day. These are the images of suffering and endurance associated with Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-78. After the horrendous winter, the Continental Army found out that France was going to aid their cause by sending military and monetary donations to the army.
The winter at Valley Forge chiseled into the soldiers a strong will to persevere, endure, and later triumph over obstacles and bring independence to the United States. Washington always acknowledged that the perseverance gained by the soldiers at Valley Forge was what made the Continental Army bind together even stronger and eventually win the war. These were real American patriots. I'm fortunate enough to be able to look back and thank those men, because if it wasn't for their suffering, I wouldn't be writing this right now.- BDB

Sources- (Google Images)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_Forge

http://www.ushistory.org/ValleyForge/