DBQ Essay 'One Winter Is Enough For Me'

Valley Forge December year of 1777 Washington and his army arrived at Valley Forge. Valley Forge was used for a winter camp for Washington and his army. Valley Forge was a cold place to live, not a lot of food, and not a lot of clothes, bad housing all these things are bad but soldiers stay with their army. Valley Forge would you have quit me I would not quit because There were a lot of people sick but not a lot of dying, Washington is getting help, and I’m not a summer soldier freedom is worth fighting for.

When a person is in a stressful situation on instinct they have two options, fight or flight. In war the same is true. War is not always bayonets and bullets, it’s the decisions you make during times of hardship. A soldier has to make the decision whether to keep fighting for what they believe in no matter what the stakes or to flee. In December of 1777, George Washington and his troops arrived at Valley Forge. Since the summer of 1775, all has gone well for the Continental Army. More recently Washington was presumably unable to stop General Howe and his British soldiers from claiming the national capital of Philadelphia. With Howe and his army of approximately 18,000 comfortably quartered in Philadelphia,

George Washington and his continental army were staying at a winter camp in Valley Forge in very bad conditions from December 1777 to June 1778. These “summer soldiers” are leaving, but some are staying loyal. If you had been at Valley Forge would you quit? I would quit because only 15% of people are dying, there is help on the way and because of the inspirational words of Thomas Paine from the “American Crisis”.

Valley Forge is where George Washington and his troops sent camp for the winter. During camp the colonists trained hard and gained the confidence they needed to win the war. Unfortunately the lack of food and spread of disease caused many deaths during this harsh winter. If I had the choice to leave or stay at Valley Forge I would leave. I would not want to risk my life or have to suffer through the cold and sickness. According to Estimates of Illness and Deaths at Valley Forge (Doc A), during the encampment about 2,500 soldiers died. That is about ⅓ of the colonists fighting in the war. About 49% of the soldiers get sick. “I am sick-discontented-and out of humour. Poor food - hard lodging - Cold Weather - fatigue - Nasty Clothes - nasty

I am a Colonist and I can’t stand it here anymore so I have decided I am going to leave Valley Forge. In Estimates of Illness and Deaths at Valley Forge (DocA). Not all of the soldiers were able to survive. A lot of the soldiers got very ill at Valley Forge because of the weather. In the Diary of Dr. Waldo (Doc C). The army starts to get sick. There is very poor food for us at Valley Forge. The American Crisis by Thomas Paine (Doc D). It is a very difficult time for us to be there. It gets very cold at Valley Forge that is why it is a difficult time to be there. There is illness, poor food, and it is a difficult time that is why I would leave.

Valley Forge was a winter camp full of sickness, death, and misery. There is no reason why anyone should’ve stayed. Estimate of Illness and Death (Document A) shows how Over a period of two months the total number of soldiers went from 12,000 to 8,000. Four thousand soldiers died in two months. Imagine how many people died during the whole camp! Also, 50% of soldiers were sick and were unable to train and fight. In the Diary of Dr. Waldo (Document C) he states, “Poor food-hard lodging-cold weather-fatigue-Nasty clothes-nasty Cookery-vomit half my time-smok'd out of my senses.” A man who participated in Valley Forge was miserable and sick which proves how bad this was. They had no food and freezing weather. The Committee of Congress Engraving

In Document C a surgeon wrote a diary entry about how it was like to be in Valley Forge . He said how the smoke was unbearable, how many men were groaning for food from the poor conditions of the camp. From this document it proves that our houses were and buildings were filled with uninhabitable amounts of smoke, how our stomachs were churning with hunger, how we were angry, causing many of us to just want to go

In addition to frostbite, winter illnesses also transpire within the army From December 1777 to February 1778, a third of the soldiers either left or died (Document A). Disease causes a portion of the deaths and the weather might be one reason why people deserts the army. Because soldiers are dress in tattered clothing (Document C), it is easier for them to become sick as result of skin exposure. This likely convinces many soldiers to leave the Continental Army in hopes of finding better living conditions. Unfortunately, quitting the army serves to devastate the Patriots; in other words, the British will outnumber Washington’s army. This does not even count those who are not able to report for duty, which is about ¼ of the total troops in Valley Forge during December but by February, the number increased to ½ (Document A).The likelihood of achieving independence diminished drastically and it will still continue. Furthermore, the freezing weather tests the troop’s endurance and in the end, some are losing their sanity. Dr. Waldo, a surgeon helping the Continental Army in Valley Forge, even claimed that the circumstance he faced is the work of the devil (Document C). He then starts to question why he is sent to the camp to freeze and wishes he was home (Document C). The weather is certainly disastrous, so a soldier is better to stay home comfortably then fighting a predetermined battle that is already a lost and risking their life to the bitter cold or to the

This page contains two excerpts from the diary of a doctor at Valley Forge named Dr. Albigence Waldo. He was a surgeon from Connecticut and helped out at Valley Forge along with other surgeons to care for the sick soldiers. In the first diary entry from December 14, 1777 he recalls all the horrible things that he hears the soldier cry out. “ I am sick - discontented - and out of humour. Poor food - hard lodging - Cold Weather - fatigue - Nasty Cloaths - nasty Cookery - Vomit half my time - smoak’d out my senses - the Devil’s in’t - I can’t Endure it - Why are we sent here to starve and Freeze…”. The fact that the doctor, that has seen nasty, horrible things in his career, is saying these things about the soldiers is appalling. Think about it, he is a surgeon and operates on people's bodies. He has seen gut wrenching sights but he still describes Valley Forge as a horrible place. He explains more on his thoughts about the winter of 1777 in his diary entry for December 21, 1777. “ Heartily wish myself at home, my Skin and eyes are almost spoil’d with continual smoke.”. He wishes that he was not at Valley Forge but at home because of the wretched living conditions. As for me I would want to leave also. I wouldn't want to live in a place that is so nasty and filled with disease that I don't know if I'll make it out

US His Valley Forge DBQ Winter camps may sound like a lot of fun, but Valley Forge is not one to be attended. A few years into a losing war against the greatest army in the world, George Washington decides to settle down and make a camp called Valley Forge in order to train men and turn the tides of the war. An idea that sounds great on paper, but will soon crumble under the forces of mother nature. Now after 200+ years, the question whether or not to remain at Valley Forge still lingers. If I were a soldier at Washington’s camp, I would have left because of the unbearable cold, horrible living conditions, and rate of death and illness.

In November 1777, the Continental Army miraculously retreated and escaped the clutches of the British army and paced towards a winter camp-Valley Forge. Afterwards, George Washington, the Commander-in-Chief of the army, wrote to George Clinton, conveying the severity of their situation, "For some days past, there has been little less than a famine in camp. A part of the army has been a week without [food], and the rest for three or four days. Naked and starving as they are, we cannot enough admire the incomparable patience and fidelity of the soldiery, that they have not been ere this excited by their sufferings, to a general mutiny or dispersion." The soldiers were without soap, consequently, horrible itching rashes arose. Brought from countless miles away, water was to be saved and drank sparingly, flour was soon to be gone and the soldiers could only imagine the juicy taste of meat. Poorly constructed huts

The cold, harsh winter in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania dejects the soldiers who continue to starve, freeze, and remain ill. The Continental Army doesn’t even know whether they will survive due to these bad conditions, and most of the soldiers start to lose their hope, strength, and willingness. It all started when George Washington was granted the general of the American army by the Continental Congress in 1775. His soldiers have been struggling day and night to fight for their independence and freedom. However, Washington’s troops were forced to retreat to Pennsylvania by the British army, and are now stuck in the winter camp at Valley Forge. It is cold, the air is smokey, and there is no supplies or goods left for the soldiers. Also, there is a disease spreading around the camp like a virus that continues to infect the Continental Army. How will they ever

There were a lot of sick people but not many people died. In document A It says that 3989 out of 8000 soldiers were sick in February 1778 that is a lot of sick people but the chances are so would get sick no matter where you are in February. That means about 50% Of the army were sick. Thats a lot of people!!! 1800 out of 12000 soldiers died at Valley Forge(Document A). That means there is only a 15% chance of dying so you have an 85% chance of survival so the odds are in your favor you have a better chance of living then dying so I would not quit.

Imagine a life full of death and disease. Valley Forge was a horrid winter camp that Washington and his men stayed at waiting for war. People longed for their nice, warm homes. They missed their families. If I was a soldier at Valley Forge, would I quit? Yes,I would quit for three reasons which are smallpox and diseases, freezing and starving, and horrible clothes.

In the winter of 1777 and 1778 George washington commanded thousands of soldiers that spent their winter at Valley forge and I am one of them Many stayed for 2 years but many left at 9 months. If you were a soldier at valley Forge would you have quit? because of These three reasons I am not re enlisting, sickness, risk and conditions In Valley Forge the Huts were 16 by 14 feet and very cramped for 12 men to fit with all of their belongings. Winter was rough with the cold air in the sky and because of this many soldiers froze.