Valley Forge is a military camp located in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. During many of the major wars of the 1700s and 1800s, Valley Forge became a place where the army went during the winter months. Its location was quite far west from Philadelphia, so it was difficult for the British army to attack them by surprise. It was along the Schuylkill River and had high hills so it was easy to defend. Valley Forge was one of the most important locations for the American Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. George Washington and the Valley Forge Site The leader of the American Continental Army was George Washington during the Revolutionary War. There were over 12,000 soldiers from the 13 colonies who were part of the American Continental Army. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay By 1777 the army had already been defeated by the British Army at the Battles of Brandywine and Germantown and needed time to rest and retrain. Valley Forge is where George Washington chose to camp his Continental Army during the winter of 1777-78. Washington gained the respect of the soldiers because he was a leader who stood by his men. He was the best horseman in the field and was very athletic. The British Army in Philadelphia The British Army was occupying Philadelphia, which was the capital at the time. The English took Philadelphia after defeating Washington's army at the Battle of Brandywine and the Battle of Paoli. But Washington had a plan to re-engage the British by surprising and destroying them. Valley Forge was in a good location from Philadelphia, 18 miles along the riverbank. Army Camp Life at Valley Forge You might think that the Valley Forge camps were really comfortable, but in reality they were full of people, full of disease, and the winter elements made it really harsh. Over 2,000 soldiers died of starvation, disease, poor weather conditions and malnutrition. They died of these diseases because they didn't have much food or clothing, which made them feel very weak and the diseases were very contagious. Some of the diseases they died from were pneumonia, smallpox, typhoid, and dysentery. Some soldiers didn't have shoes because the government didn't have enough money, so when they wore them they couldn't replace them. For this reason they would have frozen and if their feet had turned green they would have had to be amputated. Army supplies such as food and tents were delayed in arriving at Valley Forge, so they had to build huts to protect them from the elements. Washington designed the cabins and the soldiers built them. He set rules for how the huts were to be maintained and no food could be eaten in the huts. Retraining the Army at Valley Forge General Baron von Steuben came to Valley Forge in February 1778 to retrain the army. He taught them to march in formation, to shoot and to use bayonets. General Baron von Steuben did not speak English but the soldiers liked him very much. When the army first arrived at camp at Valley Forge they were tired and cold, but after 6 months at camp they were full of energy and ready to fight against Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton's British Army at the Battle of Monmouth in New Jersey. They were more skilled in fighting after being at the Valley Forge camp and this made them able to win the battle against the English in 9 days. On June 19, 1778, they left Valley Forge to fight the English as they moved to New York. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay IS.