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Letters From Valley Forge

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The year is 1778, the place is Valley Forge in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. George Washington and many other revolutionary soldiers are here. I am one of them. Valley Forge is a Winter Camp we have built to keep an eye on the British. Life here is torture. Everyday I see my friends and fellow soldiers die. I have been here eight months with only one more to go. I cannot wait to leave this god-forsaken place. But George Washington and others would like me to stay to fight for what is right. I can not stay here, for it is unbearable. There is not enough food to go around, illness and disease are spreading like wildfire, and the living conditions are horrid. We ran out of food quite quickly after we got here. There is no protein in any of the …show more content…

Such illnesses include dysentery and smallpox. Many of my friends have met their fate at the hands of dysentery. Dysentery is an infection that causes diarrhea, with blood and mucus visible in the feces. Smallpox is a virus in which a person gets a severe fever with pustules. Here at Valley Forge, our surgeons and doctors have made smallpox less of a threat. By smearing puss from a victim of smallpox into a fairly healthy man, it fights the infection. Only about one out of fifty patients die. It was stated by Dr. Albigence Waldo, “Vomit half my time”, This is a common case amongst us soldiers. I see my friends get amputated on and killed every single day of my life. It is a terrible thing to watch people that you knew go to a better place, while you are still stuck here, dying slowly and painfully. Half of the people here at Valley Forge are sick and dying. I can not stand it for much …show more content…

I miss my family and friends back at home. My mother is growing old and needs my help to take care of her. I can understand why someone would like to stay. George Washington does need all the people he can get and the congressman do provide food and clothing. Even so, I will not be re-enlisting, since I do not have a death-wish. I shall quit as soon as I get the chance, due to the fact that there’s no food, illness is everywhere, and I cannot stand these living conditions. I do not have much more time on this world. It is only a matter of time before I die just like I have seen so many of my fellow soldiers do right before my spoiled eyes. Leaving is the only option for

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I am not going to re-enlist in the war because we have poor conditions, many people are dying, and we are getting very little support. The first reason I am not going to re-enlist in the war is because there were very poor conditions. In document C, the diary of Dr. Waldo, he says “Poor food-hard lodging-cold weather-fatigue-nasty cloaths-nasty cookery-vomit half my time…. why are we sent out here to starve and freeze?” They are dying out here of the poor conditions.

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In December of 1777, American General George Washington and his men took shelter at Valley Forge for the winter. It was 18 miles northwest of the British camp in Philadelphia, and Washington thought it was a perfect spot. But that was not the case for the soldiers. The soldiers had it rough, and many did not want to enlist for the army after. Today, many people wonder if they would stay with George Washington, or not enlist and go home back to their families.

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They had 12,000 soldiers and, by the December 23 2,898 soldiers are Ill (Doc A ). I am still alive thank the lord. I don’t know If I will make it out alive and not sick. General George has called for a meeting today most of our contracts are almost finished and we can go back home. I feel bad for General George though he has been convincing us to stay with him ( Doc B ).

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The soldiers who leave, shrink from crisis and stop serving their country (Doc D). People that leave now are weak and stop supporting their country. If i leave, then there would be one less soldier that is needed for the war. If we lost then the colonists and patriots would all go through hell. The congressional committee is trying to help us (Doc B).

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The decision must be made. It would be so easy to leave and not have to deal with all the death. But it also would be hard because my freedom could rely on this decision and the Continental Army needs my help.

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In the winter, Washington took his troops to Valley Forge, which was 18 miles from Philadelphia. At this time, Valley Forge was a difficult place to live for the Patriots. It was a struggle but if I were a Patriot in Valley Forge fighting for Washington’s Army, I wouldn’t quit. I won’t quit for three big reasons; yes I know there were a lot of sick soldiers but not as much as dying soldiers, another thing is the conditions were horrible, but there were many brave soldiers who stuck with it, and stayed with Washington, lastly I do not want to be a “summer soldier” because freedom is valuable so it is worth fighting for.

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“Poor food, hard lodging, cold weather, fatigue, nasty clothes, nasty cookery, vomit… why are we sent here to starve and freeze?”-Dr. Albigence Waldo “What we know today was not known in late December 1777, victory seemed a long way off; in fact for many, it seemed unlikely.” Had I been a soldier at Valley Forge, would I of given up? If I had the choice, I would have stayed, because of loyalty to our leaders and country, to stay a powerful nation, and for the freedom of me and the people of America. I would have stayed in the war, because I am loyal to our leaders and to America.

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The Battle of Valley Forge was the turning point of the Revolutionary War. Although no actual military battle was waged here, George Washington’s Continental Army faced some physical and mental battles of their own in this Pennsylvania town. It was here at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania where the Continental Army Soldiers of the Revolutionary War chose to go after being defeated in the Battle of Germantown in October 1777. During this winter, Washington’s troops came to this encampment to recuperate and train for future battles with the British.

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On the other hand, some soldiers say they are not going to re-enlist because there are bad conditions. The point of view makes sense because “...my skin and eyes are almost spoil’d with continual smoke. ”(Waldo 151). However, I’m re-enlisting because of encouragement, help from congressmen, and conditions are fair.

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As much as I want to stay and help out the army, I’ve chosen to come back home. I have been homesick and don’t want to be so cold all the time. As good as it sounds to have freedom, I rather have a warm place to stay at and nicer clothes than I have now. Lots of sickness, too much death, and terrible conditions are the reasons why I am not going to re-enlist. One reason I am choosing to leave is that there is too much sickness.

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Would anyone really want to go back to a place where there is barely any food, the living conditions are horrible, the risk of getting sick so great, and a high probability of dying even without the war beginning? This is the question that many faced during the terrible winters of 1777 and 1778. George Washington’s army was camped at Valley Forge, eighteen miles northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where the British were camped in warm quarters and ate good and plentiful food. In contrast, American revolutionary soldiers had to battle disease, starvation, and the freezing cold even before they had to fight their enemy. If you were a revolutionary soldier facing these conditions, and your time to re-enlist came up, would you re-enlist or stay on, or would

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I’ve been here for 8 months, and in 1 more month I can choose to re-enlist, or go home. My decision has already been made. Although George Washington is trying his best, his monotonous words will not be enough to keep me in this graveyard. I refuse to risk my health and in all likelihood die from the sickness and disease going around camp. I refuse to starve, be frigid, live in smolder-filled huts, and remain unclothed and unhealthy.

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With all of these soul-shattering, life-changing conditions, it is less of a war and more of a test of strength for the soldiers, here at Valley Forge. Some men were going home and not returning. Other men just completely deserted. Even George Washington’s position was uncertain, the members of congress didn’t trust him. Life at Valley Forge was obviously horrible, and the ugly truth is that it wouldn’t get much better.

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Imagine how hard it would be to miss the birth of one of your children. I appreciate all the things that they have done to help our country. Whether they fight in the army or work with the science or computers in the army. I can’t imagine the feeling of your family thinking and worrying about you every second of their lives. I would never have the guts to volunteer for the army.

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