Essay On Why A Soldier Should Stay At Valley Forge

“The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” A pamphlet by Thomas Paine gave soldiers inspiration to fight for their freedom against a global superpower. The soldiers at Valley Forge, a camp full of American Patriots, were barefoot, nearly naked, lacked food, hygiene, and warmth, their lungs full of smoke. A soldier in the Continental Army should stay at Valley Forge in spite of all the hardships because they would have fought for freedom, had a skilled leader, and

failure would have meant being indentured to Britain again.
To begin with, one example a soldier should stay at Valley Forge is because they would fight for freedom and liberty.

“Yet they show a spirit of Alacrity [cheerful willingness].” (Dr. Albigence Waldo, 1777) This shows that even though they were in battle, they still had hope for a free country from Britain. This is significant because the thought of what they would accomplish after they won was enough to drive them to work harder. The motivational mentality was essential to fight with. The hope alone would be enough to persuade me to stay at Valley Forge. The fact that the chance of gaining freedom went up if a soldier stayed was enough to keep your blood pumping. And if you stay, then some of your comrades will stay. Now you could say that the document also states that patriots were “Sick - discontented - and out of humor. Poor food - Cold weather - fatigue … nearly naked from the tattered remains of an only pair of stockings…” (Waldo, 1777.) That is a good reason to quit. But, the sense of freedom and liberty from an overly oppressive force along with the ability to give your family and future generations a new life, free from torment, outweighs all the

hardships.
Second, a soldier would have stayed at Valley Forge because of the leader of the Army, George Washington. He was a great, well-educated, leader. An engraving by William Henry Powell portrays “Committee of Congress at Valley Forge”. The Committee of Congress were supplying the army due to George Washington’s persuasion (Powell, 1866, 1866). Washington also wrote a 35-page report called the Representation that describing the relationship between the soldiers and the Committee and how they were going to work together. He persuaded the Committee that the soldiers needed the supplies. This shows that just brute force doesn’t guarantee a win. Intelligence played a huge role in the war also. Quality over quantity. This is significant because George Washington knew his land and used that to his advantage. He knew that the British were trained for open plains battles and marching towards the enemy in a straight line. Washington used their training against them and told his men to hide in the brush and shoot from a distance so that the British couldn’t see them. Washington used his intellect to win the war.
Lastly, a soldier would not have left Valley Forge because they would not have wanted to increase the chances of being taxed relentlessly again.

“Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to TAX but ‘to BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER)” (Paine, Thomas, 1776) This is a quote from The American Crisis. This states that not only is Britain a tyrant, but they taxed the colonists and even battled against them. The main reason the colonists left Britain to the colonies was to gain freedom. Now Britain had denied them the freedom they once had and attacked them for not paying their taxes that Britain had excused them from paying when they first settled. This is significant because since the patriots were angry, it gave them another reason to fight against the British. The anger flared up their emotions so they fought with more gusto. Also, when other countries read the Declaration of Independence, these other countries swayed towards the colonist’s side. The fact that Britain was a tyrant helped convince them to fight with the patriots. Also, other countries had experienced Britain’s tyranny before, so they identified with the patriots and wanted to lend their

help.
To sum up my thoughts, a soldier should definitely stay at Valley Forge to fight for their family and freedom, to follow under the great General Washington, and to oppose the superpower that had been harassing and taxing the colonists ever since they won the Seven Years War. A soldier should stay at Valley Forge, fighting in the cold, without a proper pair of stockings or boots, or a pair of warm and comfortable clothes for all these worthy and respectful reasons. Would you want to fight for your freedom, defy the tyrannical ruler of Britain? Because I know I would.