Washington's efforts to defend Philadelphia failed. After defeating the Americans at Brandywine, the British occupied Philadelphia on September 26, 1777. Efforts to retake the capital also failed when the American troops were defeated at the Battle of Germantown on October 4.
With winter approaching, Washington sought quarters for his weary troops to pass the winter. He selected Valley Forge, located 18 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The area was named for an iron forge on Valley Creek.
Valley Forge was selected since it was considered easily defensible, with Mount Joy and Mount Misery to the west and the Schuylkill River to the North. Yet it was close enough to the British in Philadelphia to prevent any attempts by the British to move inland to the rich farmlands of the interior of Pennsylvania.
On December 19, 1777, over 12,000 members of the Continental Army arrived at Valley Forge. Weary, ill-fed and poorly equipped, the men struggled to construct shelters for protection against the rapidly approaching winter.
While no battles against the British were fought that winter, casualties mounted at alarming rates as the army faced irregular food supplies, inadequate clothing. Over 2000 soldiers died from disease such as dysentery, pneumonia, typhus and typhoid. Little help arrived from Congress and the suffering continued to grow worse.
The arrival of Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben in February 1778 marked a turning point in encampment at Valley Forge. A former member of the General Staff of Frederick the Great, king of Prussia, von Steuben was without work and willing to assist the struggling Continental Army.
Arriving at Valley Forge with a letter of introduction from Benjamin Franklin, Washington quickly assigned von Steuben the position of Acting Inspector General and charged him with developing and implementing a training program for the American troops.
Von Steuben's work with the troops over the next months instilled a new confidence in the soldiers and in their ability to succeed in their mission. As Spring arrived, so did much needed supplies and fresh troops to replace those who had deserted or died. Spring also brought news that the Continental Congress had forged an alliance with the French that guaranteed military support. The British had departed Philadelphia.
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.
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