Mandatory Essay: Valley Forge And The American Revolution

If there was another definition of Patriotism it would staying at Valley Forge. Valley Forge was a winter camp during Revolutionary War. Half of the soldiers died at Valley Forge and George Washington was having trouble keeping soldiers to stay. George Washington was the general of the camp, and no, he was not president yet. People are needed there including me. I am a soldier of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary war. I have already stayed my 9 month term and I cannot decide whether to stay for the rest of the 3 months at Valley Forge. Von Steuben has showed up so I will now have a warfare trainer. Americans need to win the war because if we lose we will be under control of the British. We came here for many reasons one of them is being not in control of the king. I have come to a decision, I will not quit meaning to not re-enlist. Reasons being are because they need healthy people, it is a good time to rank up, and staying creates respect.

The first reason I will not re-enlist is all the bad conditions. I am sick because of the poor/nasty cookery. I am out of humor, all the men are! All of the 12 men in my hut are getting more sick with the smoke from the fire. On December 21, I heard a general yell “No meat!” “No

Valley Forge is a place where Washington trained the colonists to fight with the British soldiers, even though it is cold, disease spreads, lack of food, bad equipments, and people dying, but for our better future we have to stay and train to become a better and confident soldier. According to The American Crisis by Thomas Paine, he told us that Although things are bad in Valley Forge we still have to fight for our country and break away from the horrible king that charges us a lot of money. According to the text Thomas Paine wrote that “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” This shows that King George is treating them badly and they have

Another reason I must re-enlist is the fact that my government deserves my loyalty. The Committee of Congress has stayed with us through much of the winter after arriving at Valley Forge a few weeks ago and has given us hope (Document B). That hope has sparked within us a new flood of encouragement and will power. When George Washington was talking to the 5 members of Congress, he expressed the fact that we brave soldiers need help in our battle with Britain (Document B). Even though it’s cold, and we have threadbare clothing that are merely rags, and the Congress members are all dressed in their finest, our spirit is still strong (Document B). Even Dr. Waldo stated that while tending to our sick soldiers, he was surprised by the magnitude of cheerful willingness to proceed with fighting for our cause (Document C). Dr. Waldo expected us to be down on our luck for having to withstand the poor food, fatigue, cold weather, crowded huts, and smoky air quality which was due to poor ventilation, but most soldiers were able to persevere through all of that hardship (Document C). The Committee of Congress makes me feel like someone is listening to our needs. The general supports us and the government cares about us, so I must support my government.

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”.

Victory does not come cheap. The soldiers who joined Washington in Valley Forge in December of 1777 learned that very quickly. While we camp here for the winter, we endure very harsh conditions. Many soldiers leave once their terms come to an end, and some even desert before then. Though some decide to stick it out and reenlist. The question is: which group will I join once my term is up? My response is that I will stay and fight for my country. There are three main reasons that I have come to this conclusion; The army is in need of people, I do not want to spread sickness to my family, and we are fighting for our freedom.

From the winter of 1777 to 1778 Valley Forge was in very harsh weather conditions. During this time we took command with George Washington and after a while war started. Some interesting facts are that in 1773, 310 street lights were installed. In 1783, the Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War, and in 1782 the writing of the Constitution was in progress. I have decided not to re-enlist for these three reasons which are, sickness, conditions and clothing, and congress/ leadership.

“Every thought is a battle, every breath is a war and I don’t think we are winning anymore”. The depressing thoughts in which were made up of dying and not surviving were going through the minds of all the soldiers at Valley Forge as well as mine. The need of food, clothes, and weapons were needed. The wanting to win and return home to our families were mutual between all of us as well. Since the summer of 1775, George Washington has withdrawn from Boston and retreated to New York City after the American Revolution. Recently, he had been unable to stop the British when Howe marched his army into the capital of Philadelphia. Washington had a very hard time trying to keep us in his army. Some of them had signed on for one year or two, but others left or simply deserted us. The question is simple, whether or not you would stay and fight for your country or leave with honor and your dignity. My choice was obvious, staying to fight for my country. There are many reasons surrounding my choice, including the fact that the supplies were provided for us in order to live and fight through the terrible seasons, the encouragement we needed, and the conditions we faced.

There was a lot of sick people, but there was not a lot of people dying from the sickness. Firstly, in document A it stated there was “3,989 people sick out of the 8,000” who were there. So what that is saying there was about 50% of soldiers sick and in the Winter it is common to be sick especially in those conditions. Secondly there were only “1,800 out of the 12,000 men died in Valley Forge”(doc A). What this is saying is that there is only a 15% chance of dying and a 85% chance of living which that is pretty good odds. Also in the background essay it says “today we know that most of the army survived the winter. So, I would take those odds and stay at Valley Forge.

It is the middle of the in 1778, there are men everywhere, cots full of ill soldiers, and smoke filled huts. Half of the population is sick and the soldiers have almost no fight left in them. There are few men with spirit left in the camps at Valley Forge. Thomas Paine states, “These are the times that try men's souls”, and as the men walk around injured, bleeding, frozen, and starving you do not only see hunger and pain, you would see what looked like poverty. Tattered clothing draped on the backs of the worn out soldiers, and starved, skeleton resembling bodies. Even though these harsh times will show the true colors of man, some are boasting with the red, white, and blue of patriotism. While innumerable people believe that there is almost no fight or spirit left, the soldiers that stay have hope to win this war. If I was a soldier at Valley Forge, I would stay. I would continue to

The reason I will not re-enlist is so many are sick. The main sickness is smallpox, a deadly disease that many soldiers have. If you have it you will get blisters that are filled with pus and they cover your whole body.

My nine month term has ended for serving in the war and I have the option to re-enlist or not to re-enlist. Furthermore, after putting some thought into it, I have decided to re-enlist because more people will suffer if I leave. “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,’ and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth (Paine 153).” I’m fighting for my country's freedom, if I leave George Washington it’s less likely we’ll win, and Britain will have forever control over us and they will tax and makes us slaves if we do not cooperate they could even put us in jail . “Congress came to help because of the bad conditions (Powell 149).” Many of us have no shoes and tatter’d clothes if I leave more people will have these conditions even with congress help. “ The summer

I will not be re-enlisting because in document A the document shows us how everyone is becoming sick, and is beginning to die. In doc A the table shows us the estimated amount of sick people, in december it was 2,900 and in february it was 4,000.Because of the amount of sickness and rate of death being about 15% i will

The snow topples over your dry,scrawny skin. Your stomach is being buried alive from thin air. You need fuel and motivation, but you're not getting any. Your eyes slowly become more frail as the smoke scorches through them. Your teeth feel as if they are stuck in a pattern of repeatedly shivering. You try to be a loyal patriot, but are you going to choose yourself or your country? In the winter of 1777 and 1778, George Washington commanded several thousand patriot soldiers who spent the winter at Valley Forge, 18 miles outside of Philadelphia. It was not an easy time.If you had been a soldier in General Washington's army, would you have quit? I would not re-enlist for three reasons: I do not want to die, the living conditions were awful, and

I have decided not to re-enlist because of three reasons that are very important to me are the harsh climates, I have a family at home, and I will die if I get smallpox.