Personal Narrative Essay: The Boston Tea Party

The wind begins to blow; snow falls on our huts. It is cold and getting dark. Sounds of weary soldiers crying fills the air each night. Some taking their last breaths. There is no meat with our supper. We are weak and starving. Half of the men in camp are ill and dying. The General wants healthy soldiers to re-enlist. I have decided to not re-enlist for three reasons which are bad housing, disease, and bad clothing.

I remember how amazed I was when we won the battle in Trenton. That was a day that will always be remembered. I never knew how much the Boston Tea Party in 1773 would impact my live today. I was so happy when I got word in 1776, that the Declaration of Independence had been written by Thomas Jefferson. I also remember having to leave my family to fight in the war. My most recent memory was helping to build the huts here at Valley Forge. It has been hard in this desolate camp place 18 miles northwest of Philadelphia. I remember when the Continental Army marched into the valley led by General George Washington. These are not all good memories, but I will remember all of them forever. One reason why I do not want to re-enlist is the bad housing conditions. The huts our men live in were not

“There comes a Soldier, his bare feet are seen thro’ his worn out shoes.”(Waldo 151). The soldier’s feet could be seen because they had no good shoes. “His legs nearly naked from the tatter’d remains of an early pair of stockings” (Waldo 151). You could see the soldier’s legs because he only had one pair of socks. Some of the soldiers were dressed in rags (Powell 149). The soldiers had so few clothes that they dressed in rags. The clothes were in such bad condition that they could be seen through (Waldo 151). You need thick clothing when you are out in the snow. The Army does not have enough clothing. The Army is in bad conditions because they have no clothing to