Valley Forge: The Boy Who Changed My Life

War is not hanging out and eating ice cream. It is fighting for what is right and survival. It is December 15th, 1777 in Pennsylvania. I am in Valley Forge and it’s either freedom or death. It’s very cold and I can hardly stand it. Getting food is hard. It’s very hard to survive. It has come to the soldiers to decide whether to stay or re-enlist and fight or quit (not re-enlist) and helplessly die from freezing to death or smallpox. After thinking long and hard… I have decided to re-enlist, because General Washington needs healthy men, the people need my help, and I want my freedom.

This summer I had so much fun doing outdoor activities. On a birthday trip to Pigeon Forge, TN, with my family, we did a ropes course, went zip lining, and went rafting. Doing all those activities in one day filled me with excitement and fear at the same time. At the end of the day, I was tired but happy!

Being in the snow isn’t always fun. It is January 1, 1778 and I have been serving my term at Valley Forge. I have been very miserable which has made my experience here dreadful. I’ve finished my time as a soldier but I have the option to re-enlist or come back home. As much as I want to stay and help out the army, I’ve chosen to come back home. I have been homesick and don’t want to be so cold all the time. As good as it sounds to have freedom, I rather have a warm place to stay at and nicer clothes than I have now. Lots of sickness, too much death, and terrible conditions are the reasons why I am not going to re-enlist.

With all of these soul-shattering, life-changing conditions, it is less of a war and more of a test of strength for the soldiers, here at Valley Forge. Some men were going home and not returning. Other men just completely deserted. Even George Washington’s position was uncertain, the members of congress didn’t trust him. Life at Valley Forge was obviously horrible, and the ugly truth is that it wouldn’t get much better. Cold was one problem, smoke was another. Hopefully, the soldiers will have the courage to make it through this devastating time. Lack of food, living conditions, and horrid climate are some reasons of why a soldier would quit Valley Forge.

Through December 1777 to June 1778, George Washington led the Continental Army through winter camp. The Continental Army was an army of Patriot soldiers who fought against Britain. The Patriots hated Britain for their taxes and laws. So they went off to war. There was just one problem, they did not know how bad the conditions were going to be. In the winter, Washington took his troops to Valley Forge, which was 18 miles from Philadelphia. At this time, Valley Forge was a difficult place to live for the Patriots. It was a struggle but if I were a Patriot in Valley Forge fighting for Washington’s Army, I wouldn’t quit. I won’t quit for three big reasons; yes I know there were a lot of sick soldiers but not as much as dying soldiers, another thing is the conditions were horrible, but there were many brave soldiers who stuck with it, and stayed with Washington, lastly I do not want to be a “summer soldier” because freedom is valuable so it is worth fighting for.

It’s the winter of 1777 and 1778, George Washington and the Continental Army have set up their winter camp at Valley Forge. It’s freezing, we have little meat, and food is terrible. Men have to sleep on the cold hard ground of their huts, that are full of smoke from the fire. Some no longer have shoes, almost blinded from the smoke, and nasty clothes all because of the freezing winter air (Waldo, 151). Everyday, men are leaving, dying, and getting sick. The question is: Do I re-enlist or do I quit? Do I stay and fight with the army or do I go home to my aging mother and my family that I miss dearly? I am choosing to re-enlist, because the Army needs as much help as possible, things were beginning to get better, and there is George Washington

Valley Forge Military Academy is basically a rehabilitation camp for those who believe the rules of their parents or the law don’t abide by them. With its name comes the very definition of what it is, a Military Academy. Valley Forge has ranks in their units just as normal military system would, especially for their lesser ranks. The lowest of the Academy is called a plebe. According to Valley Forge plebes are lower than nothing. “We are the same now. We are nothing. In fact, we were less than nothing.”(pg 91). Plebes were constantly made up of those who either were delinquents or those who are just starting to turn bad. They were treated with disrespect, the same way and possibly even harsher than they treated others before. Valley Forge

The war the colonists had been fighting against Britain has gone to a slow; they were waiting for winter to be over to fight in the warm rays of the sun in summer. They stayed in a camp in called,”Valley Forge” Most soldiers left because of the bad treating and don’t know what to do. The ones that stayed got sick or died. Quitting Valley Forge for most wasn’t much of a thought of leaving or staying. Most left because of sickness and death that swept throughout the camp of valley forge. About fifty percent of the camp got sick from disease and the extreme weather they had to face throughout the winter. The death from the sickness and other causes caused the camp to lose more than twenty five percent of the soldiers they had(Document A the chart

I could feel the rough winds and cold air hit my face. In the winter of 1777, Washington set out to Valley Forge, a place just 18 miles northwest of Philadelphia where the British lay. During this winter, it brought us some life threatening hardships. Would you re-enlist? I will not re-enlist Valley Forge for the following reasons of death and illness, harsh conditions, and lack of supplies and support.

It is February 1st, 1778 and nearly 30 percent of Washington’s troops are ill and cannot report for duty (Document A). The Revolutionary War has been hard on the Continiental Army and after this year is over, many soldiers plan on leaving. But unlike them, I chose to stay. Tyranny, like hell is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph (Document D). This means that eventhough th condidtiond are hard, the victory will be better. Even thouth it is hard to just survive with our conditions, I am determined to fight for our freedom and justice. The total amount of soldiers in Valley Forge in February 1778 are 8,000, and 3,989 are ill (Document

Valley forge was a winter camp for for soldiers to train. But the conditions at the camp were horrible with bad housing, food, weather, and clothing. Many quit due to those harsh conditions. If I were at Valley Forge I would have definitely quit. 50% of the soldier got diseases and 1,800 to 2,500 died. (Doc A) I honestly would wouldn’t want to be around dirty sick people all day. I also wouldn’t want to die because of all those poor conditions your put through. Many of the patriots clothing was ripped, torn, dirty, and they had no shoes. (Doc B) The time of year and place they were doing has very harsh winters so wouldn’t want to freezing outside all the time. I especially hate it when it's below at least 30 degrees out so I would of been

I now feel obligated to change the way I have been living by, with great regret, deciding to surrender to the Union army. My other options include hiding, which would not benefit my current lifestyle, fighting back and

I know many veteran’s, but none of them, I realized, I truly know. This interview was opportunity to understand this one man I have known since I was little. He is a friend of my parents from church that has seen me grow up all these years, yet I barely knew much about him. Ed Lawrence was born in Kinston, North Carolina in 1949, and he is currently 68 years old. While Kinston itself had started increase in size by the time he was in high school, it still felt small town. He played at a local baseball field for fun with his friends because it was popular at the time, but he did not play it at the high school and wasn’t really involved in sports; however, I could tell he missed those days. After high school, Ed wanted to attend college, but

I hear them in the distance across the fields and over the hills, as I fret the arrival in my camp someday. The men marching towards me are a reminder that I will protect them when needed. There weren’t ever any fights at my camp, but the men would never come back the same. I watched as the soldiers got sick and became hungry, while the other soldiers went off to fight. Some mornings, I feel the vibration of the soldiers cutting trees and pounding nails as they build more cabins, wishing I could help so they weren’t in the cold. The sawdust flies by, I can taste it through the breeze. In the afternoon, soldiers take turns practicing their shooting and using their knives to prepare if they get ambushed. I can taste the gunpowder from the huge rifles. The gunpowder's thick, white puffs of smoke smell like burning firewood. Battles may not be here, but soldiers are on the tips of their toes afraid they must fight in their safe place.

On a Friday a while back, I got out of school early. I had gotten out to finish packing for Spring Hill. Spring Hill is a tubing resort in Michigan and I was going with my youth group. I finished packing and my mom drove me and Ben Turner over to the church.