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Valley memory master
Valley memory master




valley memory master

In addition to a concentration of soldiers at Valley Forge, Washington ordered nearly 2,000 soldiers to encamp at Wilmington, Delaware. The encampment was primarily situated along the high, flat ground east of Mount Joy and south of the Schuylkill River. On December 19, Washington conducted his 12,000-man army to Valley Forge to establish the encampment. Wide, open areas provided space for drilling and training. Proximity to the Schuylkill River could facilitate supply movements down the river. Its location allowed for soldiers to be readily detached to protect the countryside. Valley Forge's high terrain meant that enemy attacks would be difficult. However, following the inconclusive Battle of Whitemarsh from December 5–8, increasing numbers of officers and politicians began to appreciate the need to defend the greater Philadelphia region from British incursions.Ĭonsidering these questions, an encampment at Valley Forge had notable advantages. Interested parties suggested other sites for an encampment, including Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Wilmington, Delaware. Some members of the Continental Congress also believed that the army might be able to launch a winter campaign.

valley memory master

Pennsylvania state legislators and the Continental Congress expected the Continental Army to select an encampment site that could protect the countryside around Philadelphia. In addition to suggestions from his officers, Washington also had to contend with the recommendations of politicians. Washington first asked his generals where to quarter the Continental Army in the winter of 1777–1778 on October 29, 1777. Washington conferred with his officers to select the site that would be most advantageous to his army. Political, strategic, and environment factors all influenced the Continental Army's decision to establish their encampment near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, in the winter of 1777–1778. Despite the best efforts of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Hamilton and Captain Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee, the two Continental army officers selected to evacuate the supplies from Valley Forge, Crown soldiers captured supplies, destroyed others, and burned down the forges and other buildings. Following the Battle of Brandywine (September 11, 1777) and the abortive Battle of the Clouds (September 16), on September 18 several hundred soldiers under General Wilhelm von Knyphausen raided the supply magazine at Valley Forge. Īfter the British landing at Head of Elk (present-day Elkton, Maryland), on August 25, 1777, the British Army maneuvered out of the Chesapeake basin and towards Valley Forge. Mifflin heeded Dewees' concerns but established a magazine at Valley Forge anyway. Fearing such a concentration of military supplies would undoubtedly become a target for British raids, the forge-ironmaster, William Dewees Jr., expressed concerns about the army's proposal. In the summer of 1777 the Continental Army's quartermaster general, Thomas Mifflin, decided to station a portion of his army's supplies in outbuildings around the forges, because of its variety of structures and secluded location between two prominent hills. Settlers of German and Swedish descent also lived nearby. Surrounding the valley was a rich farmland, where mainly Welsh-Quaker farmers grew wheat, rye, hay, Indian corn, among other crops, and raised livestock including cattle, sheep, pigs, and barnyard fowl. Largely thanks to capital improvements made by John Potts and his family over the following decades, the small community expanded the ironworks, established mills, and constructed new dwellings for residents. In 1742, Quaker industrialists established the Mount Joy Iron Forge. In 1777, Valley Forge consisted of a small proto-industrial community located at the juncture of the Valley Creek and the Schuylkill River. Today, Valley Forge National Historical Park protects and preserves over 3,500 acres of the original encampment site. About 1,700 to 2,000 soldiers died from disease, possibly exacerbated by malnutrition. At Valley Forge, the Continentals struggled to manage a disastrous supply crisis while retraining and reorganizing their units.

valley memory master

They remained there for six months, from Decemto June 19, 1778.

valley memory master

After failing to retake Philadelphia, Washington led his 12,000-man army into winter quarters at Valley Forge, located approximately 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Philadelphia. In September 1777, Congress fled Philadelphia to escape the British capture of the city. Valley Forge functioned as the third of eight winter encampments for the Continental Army's main body, commanded by General George Washington, during the American Revolutionary War.






Valley memory master