Valley Forge: The American Revolution

“These are the times that try men’s souls” (Paine, 1776). The first two years since George Washington had taken command as General of the Continental Army in 1775 had not gone well for the colonial side of the American Revolution. Washington took his troops to build a winter camp at Valley Forge about 18 miles northwest of Philadelphia. In the duration of which the army stayed at Valley Forge, they caught sicknesses, ran low on provisions, and yet most were still willing to stay and continue to fight for their freedom. Through all the hardships and sufferings in the winter at Valley Forge, would it be reasonable to quit? Probably. But, a soldier who has enough willpower and determination should fight for his freedom until the end because of the survival rates, their willingness, and the glorious triumph they would feel when they conquered another conflict in the course of the revolution.

To begin, although almost 50% of the soldiers at Valley Forge were the victims of illness, most of the army survived in the end, with a 90% survival rate.

Noel F. Busch states, “from December 1777-February 1778, the total number of soldiers at Valley Forge went from about 12,000 to roughly 8,000” (Busch, 1974). This meant that nearly 4,000 soldiers either left or died. However, this means that even though it would have been easy for the soldiers to give up and go back to their families, 8,000 soldiers were willing to endure the burden and fatigue that would come with staying; 8,000 out of 12,000 soldiers survived and decided to keep fighting for their

independence.
In addition, the soldiers were driven and strong-willed to succeed their freedom. One surgeon wrote in his diary, “yet they still show a spirit of Alacrity [cheerful willingness] and Contentment not to be expected from so young Troops” (Waldo, 1777). Through the multitude of oppressions and misfortune they encountered, the soldiers were still willing to fight for their freedom and liberty. Even the surgeon, Dr. Albigence Waldo, who wouldn’t physically fight in the war, suffered the same harsh conditions likewise the Colonial Army, such as, “cold weather, fatigue, nasty clothes, nasty cookery”, etc. (Waldo, 1777), not to mention many were also sick with smallpox or other illnesses. The soldiers were amenable to risk everything for their independence, and were ready to oppose the grim circumstances at Valley Forge.
Furthermore, in the end the soldiers would be filled pride, especially because of the cruel times they had to face. In The American Crisis, a series of 18 pamphlets that Paine wrote, he describes the army as “the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot” (Paine, 1776). The soldiers and patriots stayed positive throughout the duration of the revolution because they were fighting for a cause, and they were willing to give their 100% if it meant gaining their rights. “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph”(Paine, 1776). In the conclusion of the war, the soldiers would have nothing to be proud of if they had no adversities along the way. George Washington read aloud essays from The American Crisis to his soldiers so they would have inspiration and motivation to keep on fighting through the difficulties. The soldiers’ feeling of accomplishment lied on how difficult it was to overcome their encounters, not how easy it was.
Overall, the soldiers at Valley Forge had a good chance of survival, enough willingness, and a positive mindset that having to overcome difficult conflicts would only lead to more pride and accomplishment in the end. The soldiers had many reasons to quit their service in the war and go home, but they had enough reasons to stay and defend and fight for their colonies, or some might even call it America. In either case, the decision to keep pushing through all the struggles of being at war, while at times doubtful, paid off their hard work.