Valley Forge

Editor’s Note: In preparation for the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution, the Four Rivers Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) Member William Sanders is sharing messages of the impact of the war on today’s society.

There is no other place that brings to my mind suffering and hardship like the place Valley Forge. When I hear Valley Forge, I immediately think of the famous paintings of General Washington kneeling in prayer in the snow, or him sitting on his horse in the snow, or ragged soldiers huddled around fires with rags tied around their faces. No other place describes the resilience of the American Military better than Valley Force. Our Army had a similar experience 168 years later at a place called Bastogne, Belgium, in another make or break moment called the Battle of the Bulge. We will talk a little about this event later.

Before we get into talking about Valley Forge, I want to ask you a question. Have you ever been cold, really cold, and there wasn't anything you could do about it, other than endure it? I experienced a night like this in January of 1979 at Spangdahlem, Germany, while serving with the 52nd Security Police. That night I was supposed to be on a mobile patrol, which means a nice warm truck. So, I only wore a field jacket to work. Little did I know that one of our guys that was assigned to an entry control point for a F4-Phantom was going to be sick that night. Also,littledidIknow that the heat in that guard shack was out. Although guys came down in a truck a couple of times to give me warm up breaks, it was like spending the night in a deep freeze. Over 40 years later, I can still remember themiseryofthatnight. If you multiply the misery of that night by 1,000 or 10,000, you might get some idea what our troops experienced at Valley Forge.

Valley Forge is 18 miles northeast of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Wasington and his roughly 12,000 troops ended up there after a defeat in Philadelphia. Winteering somewhere denotes staying somewhere warm for the winter, like the Bahamas. Valley Forge was anything but warm. The lows ranged from 6 degrees in December to a balmy 16 degrees in February. Even in March the recorded low was 8 degrees.

Washington and his troops arrived there on the 19th of December 1777, and stayed six months till June19,1778. Whenthey first got there, they lived in canvas tents. If you have camped out in Winter in a canvas tent with an underrated sleeping bag, you know it's no fun. While staying in tents, they built brush huts, which were a littlewarmer. Frombrush huts, they moved up to log huts. Theseloghutsmeasured 14 feet by 16 with 6 and half feet high walls , which is equal to a large bedroom by today's standards, but 12 soldiers lived in this area. Officers fared a little better, with some staying in stone houses. General Washington stayed in the house of Issac Potts. Potts was a Quaker by religion, and was by trade an ironmaster and miller. It has been said that Potts, seeing Washington praying, changed his view of the war.

All this cold might have been fine if they were dressed like the 10th Mountain Division, but they weren't. They constantly suffered from the cold, along with not having enough to eat. You would think any of the troops who died would have died during the winter from the cold, but most died toward the spring. 2,000 died of Influenza, Typhus, and Typhoid Fever. All these conditions were brought on by the way they had to live. Typhus is caused by flea, tick, and lice bites, and Typhoid Fever is caused by water or food that has been contaminated with feces. There was no way to bathe, and there sure wasn't any Charmin Toilet Paper. Food-wise, if they could get it, they ate 'firecakes' (cakes made out of flour and water), salted pork, beef, fish, roots, and pine needles, but mainly they just starved. We complain if we miss one meal.

In comparing this time with the Battle of the Bulge, Valley Forge lasted over 4 times as long. The Battle of the Bulge lasted 44 days. Temperature-wise, their lows were 20 below zero and up to 28 below zero when you throw the chill in from the snow. So, there is no real comparison. The only thing we can say for sure is that the winter of 1777-1778 hardened the Continental Army in a way that nothing else could have done. They went on to a victory in the Battle of Monmouth on June 28,1778. We might also say that there may not be a United States of America today, if those men had not endured winter at Valley Forge.

As we finish taking a look at what our forefathers suffered so many winters ago, we need to look at the fact that winter has always been a symbol of suffering. Spring is my favorite season, and spring is right around the corner. No matter what your winter has looked like, either in real life or figuratively, spring is right around the corner. Spring always gives me new hope and promise for the future. Just as our ancestors saw the trees budding, and had renewed hope and strength, we can too. Spring is on the way.