Devil Doc
When Death smiles, Corpsmen smile back
It was on this day in 1777 that George Washington led his army of about 11,000 men to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, to camp for the winter. For the Americans, it was one of the lowest points of the War for Independence, and it was also one of the lowest points of George Washington's career.
He had been 43 years old when he was unanimously chosen to command the continental forces in 1775, and he had scored his first victory when he forced the British army to evacuate Boston in March of 1776. But after that first success, he'd been in an almost constant retreat. He'd failed to stop the British from invading Philadelphia in September of 1777, and members of the new American Congress had been forced to flee the city. Then, in a battle in Germantown, Pennsylvania, his men had gotten confused in the fog and wound up shooting each other.
By the time they reached Valley Forge on this day in 1777, Washington's men had been marching for days, many of them without jackets, shirts, or even shoes. They left a trail of bloody footprints in the snow. Valley Forge itself was really just a defensible plateau, and at first all they had were tents to shelter against the cold. Even though he could have gone to stay in a nearby house, Washington slept in a tent with his men until they were able to build enough huts to house everyone. They were short on food and many of the men were ill, and some of the soldiers began to desert. Several members of Congress were actually considering replacing Washington as the commander in chief of the Army with a man named Horatio Gates.
Meanwhile, Washington had to concentrate on figuring out how to feed and shelter his troops. He sent his men to seize food from nearby farmers, but there was little food to seize. His men subsisted on flour and water for days at a time. About 12 soldiers deserted every day, and by the end of the winter one in four of them had died from disease or the cold.
As the weather got warmer, Washington trained his men more rigorously, and they became better and better equipped for battle. Then, that spring, word came that the United States had signed a new military alliance with France, which became one of the turning points of the war.
Doc.
He had been 43 years old when he was unanimously chosen to command the continental forces in 1775, and he had scored his first victory when he forced the British army to evacuate Boston in March of 1776. But after that first success, he'd been in an almost constant retreat. He'd failed to stop the British from invading Philadelphia in September of 1777, and members of the new American Congress had been forced to flee the city. Then, in a battle in Germantown, Pennsylvania, his men had gotten confused in the fog and wound up shooting each other.
By the time they reached Valley Forge on this day in 1777, Washington's men had been marching for days, many of them without jackets, shirts, or even shoes. They left a trail of bloody footprints in the snow. Valley Forge itself was really just a defensible plateau, and at first all they had were tents to shelter against the cold. Even though he could have gone to stay in a nearby house, Washington slept in a tent with his men until they were able to build enough huts to house everyone. They were short on food and many of the men were ill, and some of the soldiers began to desert. Several members of Congress were actually considering replacing Washington as the commander in chief of the Army with a man named Horatio Gates.
Meanwhile, Washington had to concentrate on figuring out how to feed and shelter his troops. He sent his men to seize food from nearby farmers, but there was little food to seize. His men subsisted on flour and water for days at a time. About 12 soldiers deserted every day, and by the end of the winter one in four of them had died from disease or the cold.
As the weather got warmer, Washington trained his men more rigorously, and they became better and better equipped for battle. Then, that spring, word came that the United States had signed a new military alliance with France, which became one of the turning points of the war.
Doc.
