Washington had brought his 12,000 troops to Valley Forge in December, 1777, because it was thought to be easily defended. The summer and fall of 1777 had seen America's War for Independence go badly. The British had taken Philadelphia after defeating the American troops at Brandywine in September. The Americans were defeated again in October, at the Battle of Germantown while attempting to retake Philadelphia.

Here was a general who had never commanded above the regiment level, whose soldiers were dying of disease and hardship, who could not get the Congress to use all force necessary to supply him with simple provisions, whose soldiers where just recently farmers and tradesmen, whose enemy was made up of professional life-long soldiers, who was dependent on the competence of several close aides with names like: Baron von Stueben, Marquis de Lafayette, and Baron von Kalb, men who had recently come from their home countries to help, and with the overall prospects for a successful military strategy not very promising.

In the course of the harshest months, von Steuben organized, trained, and disciplined the troops, the Quartermaster failures were substantially corrected, reinforcements arrived, the French signed an agreement of support, and, most importantly, the troops retained a strong loyalty and belief in their cause and in their commander.

On June 19, 1778, the Continental Army under the command of General George Washington marched away from Valley Forge in pursuit of the British who were heading towards New York. While the War for Independence would continue for several more years, the young army had survived its most difficult tests yet during its winter encampment at Valley Forge.

Medium : 1 photomechanical print : halftone, color

Created/Published : c1911

Creator : Percy Moran, 1862-1935, artist

NOTES: Reproduction of painting by Edward P. Moran

Housed in the Prints & Photographs Division of the Library of Congress

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Product #: waatvafo