In the two key battles of the Philadelphia campaign, Brandywine and Germantown, the Americans fought with skill and courage. Recent scholarship shows that a mix of motives was at play, particularly in the minds of men who enlisted in early 1777. They also brought 2,000 shirts, smuggled from the city, sewn under the eyes of the enemy. As Washington described in a December 23, 1777, letter to Henry Laurens, we have, by a field return this day made no less than 2,898 Men now in Camp unfit for duty because they are barefoot and otherwise naked. B. Trussell Jr. writes that many squads "dug their floors almost two feet below ground level," to reduce wind exposure or the number of logs required for construction. Despite the best efforts of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Hamilton and Captain Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee, the two Continental army officers selected to evacuate the supplies from Valley Forge, Crown soldiers captured supplies, destroyed others, and burned down the forges and other buildings.[9][10]. What was Valley Forge come to symbolize for Americans? European recognition augmented congressional reforms. These reforms in supply systems and fighting tactics, along with reforms in military hygiene and army organization, became the foundation of the modern United States Army. Some of these men served out of patriotism, but many served for profit or individual liberty (as in the case of enslaved, indentured, and apprenticed peoples), and many more were coerced, as most colonies, on the advice of Congress and pressure from General Washington, introduced conscription in 1777. The procedure provided lifetime immunity from a disease with a roughly 1533% mortality rate. Valley Forge was and is still important because it is the mark of the victory of the struggles, hardships and battles for survival that is embedded in this place. The concepts of basic training, the professionalization of the officer corps, and the rise of the armys distinctive branches, such as the corps of engineers, all got their start here. On arrival in December 1777, a Continental soldier would have seen an open, rolling landscape divided into many small crop fields and pastures by fences and hedgerows; woodlands and charcoal hearths on the mountains; and the smattering of structures in the Village of Valley Forge, including the ruins of the forges themselves - burned during a raid by the British three months earlier. The Story of Valley Forge - US History In late 1777 while the British occupied the patriot capital of Philadelphia, Washington decided to have his troops winter at Valley Forge, only a days march from the city. Winter at Valley Forge | American Battlefield Trust [20] Despite commanders' attempts at standardization, the huts varied in terms of size, materials, and construction techniques. After failing to retake Philadelphia, Washington led his 12,000-man army into winter quarters at Valley Forge, located approximately 18 miles (29km) northwest of Philadelphia. In 1777, Valley Forge consisted of a small proto-industrial community located at the juncture of the Valley Creek and the Schuylkill River. The military lessons that von Steuben helped instill served Washingtons veterans well. On September 18, 1777, General Wilhelm von Knyphausen led British soldiers on a raid of Valley Forge, where American troops had built a handful of storage facilities. However, following the inconclusive Battle of Whitemarsh from December 58, increasing numbers of officers and politicians began to appreciate the need to defend the greater Philadelphia region from British incursions. With the British occupying Philadelphia, Washington decides to encamp at Valley Forge for the winter. Washington and his men would remain at the camp for approximately six months, from December 1777 until June 1778. Rather than wait for deliverance, the army procured supplies, built log cabins to stay in, constructed makeshift clothing and gear, and cooked subsistence meals of their own concoction. What was Valley Forge and why is it important? - Sage-Answer [52] During the Revolutionary War, most Native American tribes sided with the British in order to protect their traditional homelands from the encroachment of American settlers. The farms located on the north side provided forage for the Continental Army, the location of a camp market where farmers from this vicinity could sell their produce to the army, and the center for commissary operations. Over a four-month period in 1778, the Rhode Island General Assembly allowed for their recruitment. France would enter the war on the side of the new nation. Why was Valley Forge important? - KnowsWhy.com Valley Forge functioned as the third of eight winter encampments for the Continental Army's main body, commanded by General George Washington, during the American Revolutionary War. The standardized training instilled at Valley Forge had improved their performance on the battlefield. The image of Valley Forge as a site of terrible suffering and unshakeable perseverance emerged years after the encampment ended. The proponents of this movement, which became known as the Conway Cabal, suggested that General Gates, the victorious leader at the Battle of Saratoga, was perhaps more fit for the top command position. What happened at Valley Forge? - The Historic Present Despite the harsh conditions, Valley Forge is sometimes called the birthplace of the American army because, by June of 1778, the weary troops emerged with a rejuvenated spirit and confidence as a well-trained fighting force. What happened at Valley Forge and why was it important? However, several tribes, including the Oneida, sided with the Patriots due in part to ties with American settlers, such as Presbyterian minister Samuel Kirkland. [40] On May 27, Washington had ordered his soldiers remove the mud-and-straw chinking from huts "to render them as airy as possible."[40]. A precursor to vaccination (introduced by Edward Jenner in 1798), inoculation gave the patient a milder form of smallpox with better recovery rates than if the patient had acquired the disease naturally. After the engagement at Brandywine on September 11, 1777, Hessian General Wilhelm von Knyphausen led a British contingent on a strike toward Valley Forge. The Continental Army left Valley Forge for good in June 1778. On both sides of the river, farms were improved, farmhouses enlarged, and large barns and other outbuildings added, changing the scale of what had been modest farms at the time of the encampment. Valley Forge's high terrain meant that enemy attacks would be difficult. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. As the drillmaster of Valley Forge, he taught the soldiers how to use the bayonet, and most importantly, how to re-form lines quickly in the midst of battle. Washington described Valley Forge as "a dreary kind of place and uncomfortably provided." Valley Forge received its name from the iron forge that was constructed along Valley Creek, next to current PA 252, in the 1740s. Many regard Valley Forge as the birthplace of the American army. In order to put the army on firmer footing, in 1777 the Continental Congress allowed George Washington to recruit soldiers for longer enlistments. Because of its far-reaching consequences, the single most noteworthy achievement was the maturation of the Continental Army into a professional force under the tutelage of Friedrich Wilhelm Baron von Steuben. Distressed and haughty New England officers in camp leveled their most impassioned complaints at the locals who did not appear to support the cause. What Happened at Valley Forge - U.S. National Park Service Washington's aide-de-camp Colonel Richard Kidder Meade met her at the Susquehanna ferry dock to escort her into the encampment. Europeans began to settle the region in the late 17th century and pushed out the natives. In May and June 1777, the Continental Congress had authorized the reorganization of the supply department. The Continental Army had been hindered in battle because units administered training from a variety of field manuals, making coordinated battle movements awkward and difficult. 14 languages Tools Valley Forge Part of The American Revolution Washington and Lafayette at Valley Forge Valley Forge functioned as the third of eight winter encampments for the Continental Army 's main body, commanded by General George Washington, during the American Revolutionary War. [1][2] They remained there for six months, from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778. The land itself was pockmarked with entrenchments, muddy military roads and paths, some 2,000 huts, offal and other refuse pits, and work areas. [57], Washington enjoyed support among enlisted soldiers, but commissioned officers and congressional officials were not as enthusiastic. Still others spoke Scottish- or Irish-Gaelic, and a few descended from French-speaking Huguenot and Dutch-speaking communities in New York. Valley Forge gets its name from an iron forge on Valley Creek that was part of an small industrial village (including a grist mill and a saw mill) that existed here prior to the Revolutionary War. One anonymous letter in January 1778 disparaged Washington: "The proper methods of attacking, beating, and conquering the Enemy has never as yet been adapted by the Commander in Chief. What Happened at Valley Forge. [3] At Valley Forge, the Continental Army struggled to manage a disastrous supply crisis while retraining and reorganizing their units. During 1777, Patriot forces under General Washington suffered major defeats against the British at the battles . Even under the most trying conditions, including his army's winter encampments, Washington remained with his soldiers. From this location 18 miles northwest of Philadelphia, Washington was close enough to maintain pressure on the enemy dwelling in the captured patriot capital, yet far enough to prevent a surprise attack on his own troops. General George Washington, pacing the headquarters tent of his revolutionary army . An investigation uncovered that 3,0004,000 troops had not received inoculations, despite having long-term enlistments. George Ewing, "The Military Journal of George Ewing: A Soldier of Valley Forge Pages 4154," Ewing Family History, last modified September 16, 2006, http://www.sandcastles.net/journal4.htm.