Why did 2500 soldiers died at Valley Forge?
On Dec. 23, 1777, Washington wrote: “We have this day no less than 2,873 men in camp unfit for duty because they are barefooted and otherwise naked.” An estimated 2,500 soldiers died at Valley Forge. Many others were either too weak or too sick to fight because of a smallpox epidemic.
Why were the conditions at Valley Forge so bad?
A lack of organization, food and money shortages plagued the Continental Army throughout the first half of the seven-year-long revolution. These problems exacerbated the harsh living conditions at Valley Forge, during the third year of the war.
Why was Valley Forge a turning point in the war?
We rightly regard Valley Forge as the turning point because it tested the nation as it would not be tested again for another fourscore and several years. George Washington’s small and fractious army limped into its bleak Pennsylvania encampment after defeats at Brandywine, Paoli and Germantown.
What is bad about Valley Forge?
The conditions that the soldiers had to endure at Valley Forge were horrible. They had to deal with cold, wet, and snowy weather. Diseases such as typhoid fever, pneumonia, and smallpox took the lives of many soldiers. Of the 10,000 men who began the winter at Valley Forge, around 2,500 died before the spring.
How did the soldiers die at Valley Forge?
While it is true that nearly 2,000 of Washington’s soldiers at Valley Forge died from exposure, disease, starvation, or some combination thereof, this was more from a lack of clothing to defend themselves against the ever-shifting elements.
Why was Valley Forge important in the Revolutionary War?
The six-month encampment of General George Washington ’s Continental Army at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-1778 was a major turning point in the American Revolutionary War. While conditions were notoriously cold and harsh and provisions were in short supply, it was at the winter camp where George Washington proved his mettle…
What was the winter like at Valley Forge?
These problems exacerbated the harsh living conditions at Valley Forge, during the third year of the war. While the winter of 1777-1778 wasn’t exceptionally cold, many soldiers lacked proper clothing, which left them unfit to serve.
What was the most common illness in Valley Forge?
The most common illnesses included influenza, typhus, typhoid fever and dysentery—conditions most likely exacerbated by poor hygiene and sanitation at the camp.