Pros And Cons Of Re-Enlisting

Thomas Paine said in The American Crisis, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” (153). He was right. It is the winter of 1777-1778 in Valley Forge, 18 miles from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and conditions are awful. We have little to no food, there are many diseases such as smallpox and dysentery, and frostbite is taking many limbs. Our doctors are ineffective and nearly blind from smoke. Many of my fellow soldiers are not re-enlisting when the end of their nine months comes. The question for those of us left is, are we going to be like those men and quit, or will we re-enlist to fight? My initial enlistment ends on March 1. I must decide whether I will re-enlist or not re-enlist. For me, it will not be that hard, because I have already decided. I will stay and help my comrades. I have a chance to move up in rank, they need every man, and General George Washington is staying.

Thomas Paine said “he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.” (153). If I survive through this, I will have much more respect and am more likely to get a higher position. Many men are leaving and dying(Background 141). In the Estimates of Illness and Deaths at Valley Forge, about 4,000 are sick, about 2,000 are dead, and about 2,000 left camp (Busch 147). If I am higher in rank I will get better housing, pay, and respect. Staying will improve my chances of getting promoted.

With only about 4,000 out of the original 12,000 able to fight, General Washington needs every man he can get (Busch 147). The force gets smaller every day due to sickness, death, expiration of enlistment, and deserting(Busch 147, Background 141). Washington is having trouble keeping his army intact. He is desperate (Background 141). If I quit, it will only decrease the numbers. It will also set a bad example for those who need to decide in the future. Staying will help the numbers stay strong and