“For a Fortnight past the Troops both Officers and Men, have been almost perishing for want.” -George Washington, January 8, 1780
In January 1780, fighting in the Revolutionary War came to a standstill as Mother Nature transformed America into a frigid hell. For the only time in recorded history, all of the saltwater inlets, harbors and sounds of the Atlantic coastal plain, from North Carolina northeastward, froze over and remained closed to navigation for a period of a month or more. Sleighs, not boats, carried cords of firewood across New York Harbor from New Jersey to Manhattan. The upper Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and the York and James rivers in Virginia turned to ice. In Philadelphia, the daily high temperature topped the freezing mark only once during the month of January, prompting Timothy Matlack, the patriot who had inscribed the official copy of the Declaration of Independence, to complain that “the ink now freezes in my pen within five feet of the fire in my parlour, at 4 o’clock in the afternoon.”
The weather took an especially harsh toll on the 7,460 patriot troops holed up with General George Washington in Morristown, N.J., a strategic site 30 miles west of the British command in New York City. On January 3, the encampment was engulfed by “one of the most tremendous snowstorms ever remembered,” army surgeon James Thacher wrote in his journal. “No man could endure its violence many minutes without danger of his life.” When tents blew off, soldiers were “buried like sheep under the snow…almost smothered in the storm.” The weather made it impossible to get supplies to the men, many of whom had no coats, shirts or shoes and were on the verge of starvation. “For a Fortnight past the Troops both Officers and Men, have been almost perishing for want,” George Washington wrote in a letter to civilian officials dated January 8.
The winter at Valley Forge two years earlier is a celebrated part of America’s Revolutionary mythology, while its sequel at Morristown is now largely forgotten. And therein lies a paradoxical tale. The climatic conditions the Continental Army faced at Valley Forge and a year later at Middlebrook, N.J., were mild compared to those they endured at Morristown during the harshest winter in American history. “Those who have only been in Valley Forge and Middlebrook during the last two winters, but have not tasted the cruelties of this one, know not what it is to suffer,” wrote Baron Johann de Kalb, a German soldier who served as a major general in the Continental Army.
So why do we remember Valley Forge and not Morristown? The answer, in a nutshell, is that Valley Forge better fits the triumphal story of the Revolution passed down from generation to generation, while Morristown is viewed as an embarrassment. At Valley Forge, the story goes, soldiers suffered quietly and patiently. They remained true to their leader. At Morristown, on the other hand, they threatened to mutiny.
Nobody celebrated either Valley Forge or Morristown during the Revolution itself. The sorry plight of the poor men and teenage boys who comprised the Continental Army was a guarded secret, kept from the British, who must not know their vulnerability, and from the French, who might deny aid to a weak ally. Further, the failure of civilian governments to supply troops was just that—a failure, not to be publicized.
By the early 19th century, however, writers who looked to the Revolutionary War to inspire a new wave of patriotism developed a storyline that transformed the troubled winter at Valley Forge into a source of pride. Soldiers had endured their sufferings without complaint, drilled obediently under the instructions of Baron Von Steuben, and emerged strong and ready to fight. “How strong must have been their love of liberty?” Salma Hale asked rhetorically in a romanticized history written in 1822 for schoolchildren as well as adults. If Valley Forge was the low point of the war, the story went, it was also the turning point. After that, things got better.
For the Valley Forge story to work, a climatically normal winter was transformed into one of the most severe—something akin to the one soldiers experienced at Morristown two years later. Historical memory of Morristown was conveniently suppressed, in part because it revealed that the soldiers’ hardships continued throughout the war, virtually unabated. Even worse, Morristown afforded clear proof that the soldiers’ suffering was not always so silent.
At Morristown “we were absolutely, literally starved,” Private Joseph Plumb Martin recalled after the war. “I do solemnly declare that I did not put a single morsel of victuals into my mouth for four days and as many nights, except a little black birch bark which I gnawed off a stick of wood, if that can be called victuals. I saw several of the men roast their old shoes and eat them, and I was afterwards informed by one of the officers’ waiters, that some of the officers killed and ate a favorite little dog that belonged to one of them.”
The prospect of mass desertions worried General Nathanael Greene. “Here we are surrounded with Snow banks, and it is well we are, for if it was good for traveling, I believe the Soldiers would take up their pack and march,” he reported on January 5. The following day, Greene’s fears were almost realized. “The Army is upon the eve of disbanding for want of Provisions,” he wrote. Although the army did not break up as Greene feared, men deserted almost daily, about at the same rate as they had been leaving throughout the war, including the winter spent at Valley Forge. The rest toughed it out, and most of those survived.
Ironically, the largest threat to the continued existence of the Continental Army came in the spring, with the passing of harsh weather. Then, soldiers hoped for better fare at their mess, and they did get some food—but not with the regularity they would have preferred. The army’s supply line continued to experience periodic lapses. When nature was to blame, soldiers found the inner strength to endure, but when human error was the cause of their discontent, they were less tolerant. So when little meat turned to no meat in the middle of May, many felt it was time to force the issue.
“The men were now exasperated beyond endurance; they could not stand it any longer,” Private Martin recalled. “They saw no alternative but to starve to death, or break up the army, give all up and go home. This was a hard matter for the soldiers to think upon. They were truly patriotic, they loved their country, and they had already suffered everything short of death in its cause; and now, after such extreme hardships to give up all was too much, but to starve to death was too much also. What was to be done?”
Finally, on May 25, Martin and his fellow soldiers in the Connecticut line snapped. It was a “pleasant day,” Martin recalled, but as the troops paraded, they started “growling like soreheaded dogs.” That evening they disregarded their officers and acted “contrary to their orders.” When an officer called one of the soldiers “a mutinous rascal,” the rebel defiantly pounded the ground with his musket and called out, “Who will parade with me?” Martin reported the response: “The whole regiment immediately fell in and formed” with the dissenter. Then another regiment joined in, and they both started marching to the beat of the drums—without orders. Officers who stepped in to quell the incipient mutiny found bayonets pointed at their chests. Meanwhile, the defiant troops continued parading and “venting our spleen at our country and government, then at our officers, and then at ourselves for our imbecility in staying there and starving in detail for an ungrateful people who did not care what became of us.”
Two days after the men had so dramatically registered their complaints, a shipment of pork and 30 head of cattle arrived in camp. The immediate crisis was over, but a series of escalating protests occurred in and around Morristown the following winter as well. Throughout the war, American soldiers did not suffer in silence, as the Valley Forge myth suggests. They kept themselves fed and alive however they could, even when that meant speaking out. By remembering Morristown, we acknowledge the can-do, rambunctious spirit that characterized Revolutionary soldiers and helped them carry on.
Ray Raphael is the author of Founding Myths and Founders.
For more on the 1779-80 winter encampment of George Washington’s troops, see NJN Public Television’s documentary Morristown: Where America Survived.
FAQs
People of the Encampment
While there was never a battle at Valley Forge, disease killed nearly 2,000 people during the encampment.
What 3 things happened at Valley Forge? ›
Cold, hunger, and sickness marked the Continental Army's stay at Valley Forge in Pennsylvania. Today, Valley Forge's wide fields are dotted with revolutionary relics, reminders of the brutal winter endured by Washington's troops.
What was the worst winter in the US history? ›
The 1936 North American cold wave ranks among the most intense cold waves in the recorded history of North America. The Midwestern United States and the Canadian Prairies were hit the hardest. Only the Southwestern United States and California largely escaped its effects.
What was the significance of the winter at Valley Forge? ›
Valley Forge was the site of the 1777-78 winter encampment of the Continental Army. The park commemorates the sacrifices and perseverance of the Revolutionary War generation.
What was the biggest reason why soldiers died while at Valley Forge? ›
Cold and starvation at Valley Forge were not even the most dangerous threats: diseases proved to be the biggest killer. By the end of the six-month encampment, some 2,000 men—roughly one in six—died of disease.
What percent of soldiers were sick at Valley Forge? ›
An estimated 3,000 soldiers died, and almost 70 percent of those deaths occurred during the warmer months of spring, not winter. On June 17, only two days before departing camp for good, Washington reported that about 2,300 men were sick—which was over 18 percent of the troops stationed at Valley Forge.
How cold was it at Valley Forge? ›
The Encampment saw basically two periods of severe cold. The end of December with a low of 6 Degrees and the end of March with a low of 8 Degrees. The low in January reached 12 Degrees and February was 16 Degrees.
Did George Washington pray at Valley Forge? ›
We do not say that he did not pray at Valley Forge, there simply is an open question as to how he did so and if he actually was witnessed in prayer. There are a number of artists who represent Washington kneeling in prayer, some in the snow, some in the grass of a glade in the woods.
What was the disease in Valley Forge? ›
The most common killers were influenza, typhus, typhoid and dysentery. Nearly 2,000 American soldiers died of disease during the winter of 1777-1778.
What's the hottest city in the US? ›
What Is The Hottest Place in the United States? Death Valley, California, recorded a temperature of 134 degrees Fahrenheit on July 10, 1913. More than a century later, that temperature remains the highest ever recorded in the United States.
Snow falls in 49 of the 50 states in most winters; Florida being the lone exception. Northern portions of Florida, especially in the panhandle, experience some flurries during most, but not all winters.
Which states have no winter? ›
Keep reading to learn which states have warmer temperatures and little amounts of snow.
- 10 U.S. states with the least snowfall per year. According to the National Weather Service, the following states typically average the least snowfall per year:
- Hawaii. ...
- Florida. ...
- Louisiana. ...
- Alabama. ...
- Mississippi. ...
- Georgia. ...
- Texas.
Four drill manuals were commonly in use at the time and Steuben created a single fully standardized infantry manual for the Continental Army. Valley Forge had the highest death total of the eight individual winter encampments for the army. Approximatly 1,700 people died during the six month encampment.
What are some fun facts about Valley Forge? ›
Valley Forge Facts
- Valley Forge served as the winter encampment for the Continental Army during the American Revolution. ...
- The encampment at Valley Forge was a turning point in the Revolutionary War. ...
- George Washington had his headquarters at Valley Forge during the winter encampment.
The particularly severe winter of 1777-1778 proved to be a great trial for the American army, and of the 11,000 soldiers stationed at Valley Forge, hundreds died from disease. However, the suffering troops were held together by loyalty to the Patriot cause and to General Washington, who stayed with his men.
Who is the only officer that stayed at Valley Forge the entire winter with the troops? ›
Significance: In winter of 1777, Steuben joined General Washington's troops at the Valley Forge encampment and put them through proper military training; creating a newer, more effective, and more professional Continental Army in the process.
What disease kills many soldiers at Valley Forge? ›
Fewer than 1% of the Soldiers died from being inoculated, and the program was so successful in controlling smallpox that he repeated it in the Valley Forge winter of 1778.
What were 2 struggles that soldiers faced in Valley Forge? ›
At Valley Forge, the Continental Army struggled to manage a disastrous supply crisis while retraining and reorganizing their units. About 1,700 to 2,000 soldiers died from disease, possibly exacerbated by malnutrition. Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, U.S.
What are the soldiers forced to eat at Valley Forge? ›
Soldiers were supposed to receive daily amounts of beef, pork or fish; flour or bread; cornmeal or rice; and rum or whiskey. However, with no organized distribution system combined with limited food resources near the encampment site, soldiers went several days with little to no food during the winter months.
How did soldiers get pneumonia in Valley Forge? ›
Wounded soldiers often died from exposure to the elements. Unsanitary and crowded conditions led to the proliferation of diseases and sicknesses such as typhoid and pneumonia.
Approximately 700 to 720 Patriots of African descent at Valley Forge, mostly in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts units. Some of them had dual African and American Indian heritage. Beginning in the eighteenth century, for example, Black people and Pequot Indians frequently intermarried.
What was harshest winter of Revolutionary War? ›
Of all the terrible winters that Washington faced during his lifetime, the frozen winter of 1779 and 1780 might have been the worst. While Valley Forge has become synonymous with winter misery during the Revolutionary War, by all historical accounts the winter encampment at Morristown, New Jersey was far worse.
Did soldiers freeze to death in Valley Forge? ›
While it is true that nearly 2,000 of Washington's soldiers at Valley Forge died from exposure, disease, starvation, or some combination thereof, this was more from a lack of clothing to defend themselves against the ever-shifting elements.
What was the coldest winter of the Revolutionary War? ›
Known as “the hard winter,” the season bridging the end of 1779 and early 1780 proved to be one of the coldest on record. Morristown received over 2o snowfalls during the Continental Army's residence there, adding to the miserable conditions the troops faced in the wake of the shortages of food and supplies.
Where did George Washington sleep at Valley Forge? ›
General George Washington rented the Isaac Potts House for his military headquarters. Washington's Headquarters, also known as the Isaac Potts House, is the structure used by General George Washington and his household during the 1777-1778 encampment of the Continental Army at Valley Forge.
Who held the Bible for George Washington? ›
Samuel Otis, Secretary of the Senate, held the ceremonial Bible, which was a Masonic Bible acquired at the last minute from St. John's Lodge. Washington took the oath with his hand on the Bible, and kissed the Bible after taking the oath.
What did Washington do with his soldiers during the winter at Valley Forge? ›
On December 19, 1777, commander of the Continental Army George Washington, the future first president of the United States, leads his beleaguered troops into winter quarters at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
What kicked off the Revolutionary War? ›
Skirmishes between British troops and colonial militiamen in Lexington and Concord in April 1775 kicked off the armed conflict, and by the following summer, the rebels were waging a full-scale war for their independence.
What is scarlet fever in Valley Forge? ›
Desert - to leave or abandon. Scarlet Fever - A few young women developed " scarlet fever " a fascination with British Soldiers in their bright red coats. quartered - divided into quarters. Valley Forge - in a village in south east Pennsylvania winter quarters of Washington army 1777.
Why was the Battle of Yorktown so significant? ›
The Battle of Yorktown proved to be the decisive engagement of the American Revolution. The British surrender forecast the end of British rule in the colonies and the birth of a new nation—the United States of America.
What is the highest recorded temperature in the world? The all-time highest temperature ever was recorded on July 10, 1913, when temperatures in Death Valley reached 56.7 °C, or 134 °F.
What is the hottest town on Earth? ›
Dallol, Ethiopia
In terms of extreme heat, no place holds a candle to Dallol, the hottest place on earth. Located in the sizzling Danakil Depression (a geological landform sunken below the surrounding area), it can reach a boiling 145 degrees in the sun.
What is the hottest city on Earth? ›
Dallol, Ethiopia
Extremely remote and set in the far north of Ethiopia, Dallol is a tiny village known for setting records. It's the hottest year-round spot in the world, with the average annual high temperature coming in at a blistering 106.1 degrees F.
Has it ever snowed in Florida? ›
It was a rare phenomenon that was unheard of at that time. Snow was seen across southeastern Florida as far south as Homestead and even on Miami Beach on Jan. 19, 1977. The first arctic front moved through the region with temperatures failing to reach 60 degrees in Miami from Jan.
What state always gets snow? ›
Summary of the 8 Snowiest States in the United States
| Rank | State | Average annual snowfall |
|---|
| 1 | Vermont | Over 89 inches |
| 2 | Maine | 77.28 inches |
| 3 | New Hampshire | 71.44 inches |
| 4 | Colorado | 67.3 inches |
4 more rowsMay 8, 2023
Yes, Hawaii has had snow on rare occasions. The highest peaks of the Big Island, such as Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, have seen snowfall. However, snow in other parts of the Hawaiian Islands is extremely rare.
Which state has the hardest winter? ›
Alaska is the coldest state in the United States, with an annual average temperature of 30.7 Fº, and temperatures that can go as low as -80°F. It has some of the longest and coldest winters in North America due to its extreme northern location and lack of low-lying land and mountains.
Has it snowed in all 50 states? ›
Simultaneous snow in every state is rare, but it does happen. The last time was eight years ago, in 2010.
Which US state has the worst weather? ›
1. California
- Extreme weather score: 73.1.
- Record high temperature: 134 F.
- Record low temperature: -45 F.
- Record rainfall in a 24-hour period: 25.8 inches.
- Record snowfall in a 24-hour period: 67 inches.
People of the Encampment
While there was never a battle at Valley Forge, disease killed nearly 2,000 people during the encampment.
Fact #4: Over 2,000 soldiers, or one-in-six, died during the winter encampment. Due to shortages of food, lack of proper hygiene, sanitation, and medical knowledge of the time, over 2,000 soldiers perished during the winter.
What year does the American Revolution end? ›
When did the American Revolution end? The American Revolution officially ended on September 3, 1783, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.
Why was Valley Forge so brutal? ›
The army's supply of basic necessities, like food and clothing, ran perpetually short; coupled with the wintertime cold, and the diseases that ran rampant through the camp, this lack of provisions created the infamously miserable conditions at Valley Forge.
What was the greatest danger at Valley Forge? ›
Cold and starvation at Valley Forge were not even the most dangerous threats: diseases proved to be the biggest killer. By the end of the six-month encampment, some 2,000 men—roughly one in six—died of disease.
Why is Valley Forge important in history? ›
Valley Forge National Historical Park is nationally significant as the site of the 1777-78 winter encampment of the Continental Army under General George Washington.
What was in important in the Battle of winter at Valley Forge? ›
Despite the brutal conditions, Valley Forge was significant because Washington used the time to improve his army. Troops drilled daily under the tutelage of a Prussian officer, Baron von Steuben, who implemented a system of standardized military training that enhanced the fighting capacity of the Continental Army.
Why would someone quit Valley Forge? ›
Lack of food, living conditions, and horrid climate are some reasons of why a soldier would quit Valley Forge. One reason a soldier would quit Valley Forge is the lack of food. The lack of food is a dreadful hardship the soldiers have to deal with. This hardship brings about not just hunger but many other factors.
What were the causes of death at Valley Forge? ›
The most common killers were influenza, typhus, typhoid and dysentery. Nearly 2,000 American soldiers died of disease during the winter of 1777-1778. In an effort to limit outbreaks of disease, General Washington often issued orders to deal with sanitation.
What did Valley Forge soldiers eat? ›
Soldiers were supposed to receive daily amounts of beef, pork or fish; flour or bread; cornmeal or rice; and rum or whiskey. However, with no organized distribution system combined with limited food resources near the encampment site, soldiers went several days with little to no food during the winter months.
Why were conditions at Valley Forge so horrible for the soldiers? ›
Valley Forge, 1777-1778
While rain, snow, and cold temperatures afflicted the army, the situation was made far worse by the lack of shelter, blankets, winter coats, and even shoes. It has been estimated that a third of Washington's army at Valley Forge lacked viable footwear.
Typhoid fever was just one of the many diseases that afflicted both Union and Confederate troops during the Civil War. In a war where two thirds of deaths were from disease, typhoid fever was among the deadliest.
Who was the enemy at Valley Forge? ›
Fact #1: Alexander Hamilton and Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee fought enemy troops at Valley Forge on September 18, 1777, prior to the winter encampment. After the engagement at Brandywine on September 11, 1777, Hessian General Wilhelm von Knyphausen led a British contingent on a strike toward Valley Forge.
What three things killed the most American soldiers at Valley Forge and how many people died? ›
While it is true that nearly 2,000 of Washington's soldiers at Valley Forge died from exposure, disease, starvation, or some combination thereof, this was more from a lack of clothing to defend themselves against the ever-shifting elements.
What are 3 facts about Valley Forge? ›
The army at the Valley Forge Encampment constructed over two miles of breastworks, 6 redans, and 5 redoubts. 25 bake ovens were built to supply the army daily with 10,000-12,000 loaves of bread. There were approximately 1,300 huts in the encampment along with other shelters and sheds for supplies and animals.
Did people freeze to death at Valley Forge? ›
VALLEY FORGE, PA.No one starved to death. No one froze to death at Valley Forge. "That is all Hollywood," said Bill Troppman, park manager.
Did revolutionary soldiers eat horses? ›
Poorly rationed and hampered by muddy conditions, the soldiers eventually had to butcher and eat their horses and mules as they became lame or injured. The Horsemeat March ended with the Battle of Slim Buttes and the capture and looting of American Horse the Elder's richly stocked village.
What did the Civil War soldiers eat most? ›
The most common food given to soldiers was bread, coffee, and salt pork. The typical ration for every Union soldier was about a pound of meat and a pound of bread or flour. The Confederacy started out following the same rules.
What did Confederate soldiers eat during the war? ›
Corn was an alternative as a readily accessible and local crop, and cornbread replaced fresh or hard bread for the soldiers. Other rations, such as coffee, were affected by the Union blockade, and chicory roots were used instead. The Confederacy did have some supplies in abundance, such as peanuts and tobacco.
