To win the war, the Americans required, above all else, supplies. This was evident especially during the harsh winter in which the nearly 2,500 of Washington’s troops had perished from cold, hunger, and disease at Valley Forge. Such an event may have been avoided if they had adequate food, clothing, and shelter rather than the rotten food and clothing which troops had continuously been provided. However, once the French began offering aid in covert, the army’s luck had finally improved. Although the French did not supply troops directly in the earlier years, the Americans still reaped the benefits with adequate amounts of ammunition as well as weaponry. Not until the nearing of the war’s end did the French provide man power to assist in the