The Continental Army, under command of George Washington, haven't had much success during the Fall of 1777. His army had confronted the British under the command of General Howe two times-one in Brandywine (Sept.11) and other Germantown(Oct.4)-and had been defeated. Cold weather was approaching so Washington decided to move his men to winte head quarters. He chose Valley Forge, at Schulkill River, 20 miles northwest of Philadelphia. It was a stragetic place, since it was easily defensible but close enough to the city to maintain pressure on the British. The 12,000 members of the Continental Amry went to this place on December 19, 1777.
The winter at Valley Forge is popularly depicted with images of starving and freezing soldiers, but the situation at the winter quarters was, though not that adecuate, bearable in comparison to what the soldiers had passed through before. As soon as they got there, they built 2,000 log huts, defensive trenches, five redoubts, and a bridge over the Schuylkill. The soldiers suffered from hunger and cold because of scarce food, boots, and coats. Sometimes their food consisted on a mix of flour with water, which was not enough, especially during the winter. Washington wrote a letter to Congress reporting that nearly 10,000 of his soldiers didnt have boots nor coats. He saw that if things didnt change for good, there were only going to be three options: starve, dissolve the army, or disperse in search of food and clothes. All options were terrible.
On February 23, 1778 Baron Friedrich Von Stueben arrived at Valley Forge. He was a German that had previously been a member of the Prussian General Staff. He had met Benjamin Franklin at Paris and had been moved to the American cause since then. He was accepted by General George Washington and soon began designing training program for the soldiers of the Continental Army. He didnt speak English, but he worked with the help of interpreters. He selected 100 men from the army and began developing a "model company", in which he instructed this 100 men in drill, maneuver, and a simplified manual of arms. The 100 men Baron Stueben instructed were then sent to instruct other units on what they had learned. Baron Stueben also contributed in the improvement of sanitation of the winter quarters by repositioning kitchens and latrines. Overall, his teaching of discipline and organization changed the soldier´s way of behaving in and out of the field forever.
The Winter at Valley Forge was really hard to pass for the members of the Continental Army, but both their determination and the aid they received helped them pass through it. They had really taken advantage of the winter, because they emerged as a stronger fighting force. George Washington, their strong military and individual leader never gave up and von Steuben had done an excellent job strengthening the soldiers. On the 27 of June the Continental Army faced another battle, the Battle of Monmouth (remember Molly Pitcher from our last post?) after which they could celebrate their first victory in nmonths!
The Continental Army, under command of George Washington, haven't had much success during the Fall of 1777. His army had confronted the British under the command of General Howe two times-one in Brandywine (Sept.11) and other Germantown(Oct.4)-and had been defeated. Cold weather was approaching so Washington decided to move his men to winte head quarters. He chose Valley Forge, at Schulkill River, 20 miles northwest of Philadelphia. It was a stragetic place, since it was easily defensible but close enough to the city to maintain pressure on the British. The 12,000 members of the Continental Amry went to this place on December 19, 1777. 
The winter at Valley Forge is popularly depicted with images of starving and freezing soldiers, but the situation at the winter quarters was, though not that adecuate, bearable in comparison to what the soldiers had passed through before. As soon as they got there, they built 2,000 log huts, defensive trenches, five redoubts, and a bridge over the Schuylkill. The soldiers suffered from hunger and cold because of scarce food, boots, and coats. Sometimes their food consisted on a mix of flour with water, which was not enough, especially during the winter. Washington wrote a letter to Congress reporting that nearly 10,000 of his soldiers didnt have boots nor coats. He saw that if things didnt change for good, there were only going to be three options: starve, dissolve the army, or disperse in search of food and clothes. All options were terrible. 
On February 23, 1778 Baron Friedrich Von Stueben arrived at Valley Forge. He was a German that had previously been a member of the Prussian General Staff. He had met Benjamin Franklin at Paris and had been moved to the American cause since then. He was accepted by General George Washington and soon began designing training program for the soldiers of the Continental Army. He didnt speak English, but he worked with the help of interpreters. He selected 100 men from the army and began developing a "model company", in which he instructed this 100 men in drill, maneuver, and a simplified manual of arms. The 100 men Baron Stueben instructed were then sent to instruct other units on what they had learned. Baron Stueben also contributed in the improvement of sanitation of the winter quarters by repositioning kitchens and latrines. Overall, his teaching of discipline and organization changed the soldier´s way of behaving in and out of the field forever.
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