Valley Forge Outline

Valley Forge Outline

I. Battle Conditions

a. Dec. 19 1777- FREEZING!

b. Supplies were hard to come by because it was difficult to get them to the troops

c. 12,000+ troops to feed- food was in short supply s

i. Forest foraging

ii. Taking from the farms they passed

d. Clothing was also in short supply

i. Shortage of blankets

ii. Shoes were wearing thin from all of the walking and battles

iii. “At one point, these shortages caused nearly 4,000 men to be listed as "unfit for duty."

e. Disease

i. Close quarters, undernourished, and lacking proper attire led to the spread of Typhus, typhoid, dysentery, and pneumonia

1. Killed as many as 2000 men

II. Baron Von Steuden

a. Trained in Russian army where he learned everything he taught the American soldiers

b. Benjamin Franklin was in Paris and let him know that he could find work in the Continental Army

c. Assisted by Alexander Hamilton and Nathanael Greene to draft and train an army

d. Training

i. Started with 100 men and trained them, they in turn moved outward and started training the other soldiers

ii. Trained in full uniform, yelled and swore at them in French and German since he didn’t speak English

1. He hired a translator so they could understand him

iii. “To correct the existing policy of placing recruits in a unit before they had received training, Von Steuben introduced a system of progressive training, beginning with the school of the soldier, with and without arms, and going through the school of the regiment. Each company commander was made responsible for the training of new men, but actually instruction was done by selected sergeants, the best obtainable’”

iv. Repetitive gun training so the men would be able to fire and reload their weapons like it was second nature since battles were close-range and firing the weapon was crucial

v. After a man could handle his weapon he was then put into a group of three, then twelve to learn alignment and dressing (?) because alignment meant smoother firing

vi. He also created sanitation making bathrooms on one side of camp, usually downhill, also kitchens and rows of commanders, enlisted men, and officers

1. Men previous to this plan, would set up tents wherever, relieved themselves where they pleased, and would leave a rotting carcass where it fell down dead

e. Promoted to Inspector general

i. Created “Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States” aka “The Blue Book” which was the plan he used in Valley Forge