Personal Narrative: Life At Valley Forge

Valley Forge - The Camp Of Death Valley Forge is a winter camp that has caused loads of deaths. There is low supplies and they have very poor weather conditions. I wouldn’t want to stay at Valley Forge because I wouldn’t want to be apart of that type of environment. In the engraving of a painting by Henry Powell it shows George Washington presenting Congressional Committee to soldiers at Valley Forge. (Doc B) If you look closely you can see the soldiers have no shoes, which shows the lack of supplies they have.

The sickness killed about half of the people at valley forge. But the winter ended which means less disease and more resources so why quit if you pass all the boring part? I stayed because of the time, resources, and army spirit. I will re-enlist i am confident that our army will win.

Life for the Union Soldier was not only brutal on the battlefield, but the camp life for a Union soldier was just as cruel. With the lack of personal hygiene, unsavory and repugnant food, and the shortage of clothing made living, a very difficult thing to do. Growth in the number of people with diseases was also a contributing factor to the massive amounts of death within the camp and as well as the post-battle wounds that often left either a man with one less limb or put in a mental institution. A Union Soldier’s life during the Civil War was cruel and horrific during their stay at the camps.

Cold was one problem, smoke was another. Hopefully, the soldiers will have the courage to make it through this devastating time. 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.

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.

The American Revolution was a very pivotal point in the history of the United States of America. Tensions were building between the colonists of the new world and the British. The British attempted to raise taxes in the colonies causing angry resistance from the colonists. Resistance from the colonies led to violence in 1770 provoking the British Parliament to pass a series of acts to reassert imperial authority in the colonies. By June of 1776 the war was in full swing.

I hope you are still safe and healthy. How are the men treating you there? I have heard a colossal number of men are wounded. It is appalling a young boy must fight in such a bloody battle. I would not try to discover friends in the army; sadly, the men will likely be killed shortly.

Valley Forge was a winter camp 18 miles away from Philadelphia, where George Washington took his troops during 1777 and 1778. The British army is comfortable in Philadelphia, while Valley Forge has harsh conditions with the cold weather and the lack of supplies. I will not reenlist when my 9-month enlistment is over. I will not reenlist for these reasons, diseases, lack supplies, and cold weather and smoky air.

The American Revolution or also known as The War of Independence was brought on by American colonists. The colonists felt the taxations and limitations oppressed onto the Americans by British was worth fighting for their rights. The Americans had George Washington as their general, and Washington had an itch to keep the moral of the colonists alive during the hard times. In the times of The American Revolution, the Second Continental Congress emerged and voted for freedom from Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin came together and formed a document stating the colonists’ intent to gain independence from Great Britain.

At Valley Forge, a soldier with common sense would have easily made the decision to leave the army due to a lack of food and clothes, the weather and poorly built huts, and due to illness.

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.

The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important documents in History; it was accepted into the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The Declaration of Independence summarizes the colonist’s motivations in seeking their own independence away from Great Britain. By doing so, they had acknowledged themselves as an independent nation. The American colonists were now able to approve an official alliance with France and to gain French support in the war against Great Britain. During the 1760’s the North American colonists found themselves more and more at chances with the British imperial policies in regards to the taxation and policies.

Through December 1777 to June 1778, George Washington led the Continental Army through winter camp. The Continental Army was an army of Patriot soldiers who fought against Britain. The Patriots hated Britain for their taxes and laws. So they went off to war. There was just one problem, they did not know how bad the conditions were going to be.

My perspective on history changed forever when I went on an adventure to an old civil war battleground. We were there to plant a privacy wall of trees between the battlefield and the road, when we finished we decided that we should camp overnight. Later on in the night we were playing a version of poker, Texas Hold’em, when one of the younger people in our group, a person named Kyle, started rocking the table, this caused the propane lantern that was resting in the middle of the table to fall over and roll off of the table. It rolled off right next to me so I went to catch it before it met the ground, unfortunately Kyle had the same Idea and reached for it as well. Instead of going for the cool propane tank on the bottom half he went for the scalding hot top and ended up burning up his hand pretty bad.

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.