Winter at Valley Forge General Washington and his Continental Army spent the winter of 1777-1778 camped at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 25 miles northeast of Philadelphia. For the first months, the soldiers were living in tents which provided little help from the cold. The soldiers lacked proper clothing -- many without shoes or warm clothes. When soldiers had to go out in the cold, they would share clothing. It wasn't until February, 1778, that the men finished building huts to live in, with fireplaces to keep them warm.

George Washington inspecting his troops at Valley Forge George Washington inspecting his troops at Valley Forge. Busy serving as commander in chief of the Continental Army, he did not sign the Declaration. (Oil, date unknown, by W. Trego, Valley Forge (Pa.) Historical Society.)

by Ron Avery Writer for the Philadelphia Daily News Written exclusively for ushistory.org Bloody footprints in the snow left by bootless men. Near naked soldiers wrapped in thin blankets huddled around a smoky fire of green wood. The plaintive chant from the starving: "We want meat! We want meat!" “ An army of skeletons appeared before our eyes naked, starved, sick and discouraged," wrote New York's Gouverneur Morris of the Continental Congress. The suffering and sacrifices of the American soldiers at Valley Forge are familiar, iconic images, but there is another side of the picture. Valley Forge was where a new, confident, professional American army was born. Three months of shortage and hardship were followed by three months of relative abundance that led to wonderful changes in the morale and fighting capabilities of the Continental Army. Most important, it was at Valley Forge that a vigorous, systematic training regime transformed ragged amateur troops into a confident 18th century military organization capable of beating the Red Coats in the open field of battle.

George Washington at Valley Forge," by Tompkins H. Matteson. The Patriot Painter Tompkins Harrison Matteson (1813-1884) Tompkins Matteson was one of the most noted painters in upstate New York during the 1850s and was well-known for genre and historical subjects. Born in Peterboro, New York, studied and exhibited at the National Academy of Design - established himself as a portrait painter. His subjects were taken from American history and rural life, and he is famous chiefly for his painting of The Spirit of '76.

This painting depicts General George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette (on horseback) surveying the soldiers who suffered through the terrible winter of 1777 at Valley Forge. Men like this were fighting to protect their lives and liberty, which gave them a key advantage over the British and their paid mercenaries. General George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette (on horseback) surveying the soldiers who suffered through the terrible winter of 1777 at Valley Forge. Men like this were fighting to protect their lives and liberty, which gave them a key advantage over the British and their paid mercenaries.  

A Colonial Minuteman In this picture, a minuteman prepares for war. Each citizen soldier was provided with a musket, a cartridge box, and thirty-six rounds of ammunition, and was expected to be ready to fight within sixty seconds of being called.

Artist Kate Smith’s Images of Valley Forge "I always try to visit the sites I am assigned to paint at the same time of year the event occurred. On a frigid December day in 1971, I found myself standing on the same frozen fields at the same time of year General George Washington and his ill clad and poorly equipped soldiers marched into Valley Forge, PA for winter headquarters. The army of 11,000 suffered through every deprivation during that cruelly cold winter of 1777-78. Only the charisma of their general held the army together. It was here, through this painting that I came to respect and love George Washington above all the other founding fathers."

How do you want your posted to look? Mosaic? Painting? Collage? Other Ideas; Borders? Words? Shields? Work up a QUICK! Sketch or idea and share it with the teacher.

Bibliography http://www.kaysmithartist.com/ www.cr.nps.gov/.../ declaration/bio.htm http://www.kaysmithartist.com/ philadelphia.about.com/.../ blvalleyforge28.htm http://matteson.us/thm.html www.pbs.org/wnet/ historyofus/web02/ http://www.kidport.com/RefLib/UsaHistory/AmericanRevolution/ValleyForge.htm