Questions from 6th grade students:
1. How did the soldiers and George Washington survive the winter?
The Encampment at Valley Forge was a rural area that had open fields and woods. The soldiers in George Washington’s Army cut down the farmer’s trees to build log huts (1,600 to 1,7000 huts) and built fires for warmth. George Washington and many other generals rented out rooms or whole farm houses for the entire encampment. Most of the time the soldiers cut down trees for firewood, went in the surrounding countryside to gather food, and when the weather improved trained for battle. Many soldiers survived because they experience hardships before in Washington’s Army.
2. Were there any soldiers that didn’t respect George Washington?
Some of the soldiers did not respect some of George Washington’s rules or their direct officer/general. If they were caught not following the rules they would be punished in front of everyone. Some of the generals did not respect George Washington because the war was not going in the favor of the Americans. Some wanted George Washington to be replaced by them as the head leader of the army.
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What was the temperature at Valley Forge (winter)?
Meteorological records kept by local resident Thomas Coombe show that the average daily temperature in the Philadelphia area during the first month of the encampment, that is from December 20, 1777 to January 20, 1778, was 33 degrees. Some of the difficulties faced by the army at Valley Forge were due to the mildness of the weather. Thaws and rain prevented vital supplies from being shipped in as rivers become treacherously swollen and roads