A Crossroads Resource

Unit IV: What was the American Revolution? 1760-1836

Question/Problem 2: Was the American Revolution a revolution?

American Revolution:
American Revolution: Valley Forge

Dr. Albigence Waldo was a surgeon at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777 and 1778. The following are excerpts from a diary he kept while stationed there.

December 14.-- Prisoners & Deserters are continually coming in. The Army which has been surprisingly healthy hitherto, now begins to grow sickly from the continued fatigues they have suffered this Campaign. Yet they still show a spirit of Alacrity & Contentment not to be expected from so young Troops. I am Sick -- discontented -- and out of humour. Poor food -- hard lodging±±Cold Weather -- fatigue -- Nasty Cloaths -- nasty Cookery -- Vomit half my time -- Smoak'd out of my senses [by the smoke created by the guns] -- the Devil's in't -- I can't Endure it -- Why are we sent here to starve and Freeze -- What sweet Felicities have I left at home; A charming Wife -- pretty Children -- Good Beds -- good food -- good Cookery -- All agreeable -- all harmonious. Here all Confusion -- smoke & Cold -- hunger & filthyness -- A pox on my bad luck. There comes a bowl of beef soup -- full of burnt leaves and dirt....Away with it Boys -- I'll live like the Chameleon upon Air. Poh! Poh! cries Patience within me -- you talk like a fool. Your being sick Covers your mind with a Melancholic Gloom, which makes everything about you appear gloomy. See the poor Soldier, when in health -- with what cheerfulness he meets his foes and encounters every hardship±± if barefoot, he labours thro' the Mud & Cold with a Song in his mouth extolling War & Washington -- if his food be bad, he eats it notwithstanding with seeming content -- blesses God for a good Stomach and Whistles it into digestion. But harkee Patience, a moment -- There comes a Soldier, his bare feet are seen thro' his worn out Shoes, his legs nearly naked from the tatter'd remains of an only pair of stockings, his Breeches not sufficient to cover his nakedness, his Shirt hanging in Strings, his hair dishevell'd, his face meagre; his whole appearance pictures a person forsaken & discouraged. He comes, and crys with an air of wretchedness & despair, I am Sick, my feet lame, my legs are sore, by body cover'd with this tormenting Itch--my Cloaths are worn out, my Constitution is broken, my former Activity is exhausted by fatigue, hunger & Cold, I fail fast I shall soon be no more! and all the reward I shall get will be--'Poor Will is dead.' People who live at home in Luxury and Ease, quietly possessing their habitations, Enjoying their Wives & families in peace, have but a very faint Idea of the unpleasing sensations, and continual Anxiety the Man endures who is in a Camp, and is the husband and parent of an agreeable family. These same People are willing we should suffer every thing for their Benefit & advantage, and yet are the first to Condemn us for not doing more!!...

December 18.--Universal Thanksgiving--a roasted pig at Night. God be thanked for my health which I have pretty well recovered. How much better should I feel, were I assured my family were in health. But the same good Being who graciously preserves me, is able to preserve them & bring me to the ardently wish'd for enjoyment of them again. Rank & Precedence [the commissioned officers] make a good deal of disturbance & confusion in the American Army. The Army are poorly supplied with Provision, occasioned it is said by the Neglect of the Commissary of Purchases. Much talk among Officers about discharges. Money has become of too little consequence. The Congress have not made their Commissions valuable Enough. Heaven avert the bad consequences of these things!!...

December 21. -- [Valley Forge.] Preparations made for hutts. Provisions Scarce. Mr. Ellis went homeward -- sent a Letter to my Wife. Heartily wish myself at home, my Skin & eyes are almost spoil'd with continual smoke. A general cry thro' the Camp this Evening among the Soldiers, 'No Meat! No Meat!' -- the Distant vales Echo'd back the melancholy sound -- 'No Meat! No Meat!!' Imitating the noise of Crows & Owls, also, made a part of the confused Musick. What have you for your Dinners Boys? 'Nothing but Fire Cake & Water, Sir.' At night, 'Gentlemen the Supper is ready.' What is your Supper Lads? 'Fire Cake & Water, Sir.' Very poor beef has been drawn in our Camp the greater part of this season. A Butcher bringing a Quarter of this kind of Beef into Camp one day who had white Buttons on the knees of his breeches, a Soldier cries out- -'There, there Tom is some more of your fat Beef, by my soul I can see the Butcher's breeches buttons through it.'

December 22. -- ...Our Division are under Marching Orders this morning. I am ashamed to say it, but I am tempted to steal Fowls if I could find them, or even a whole Hog, for I feel as if I could eat one. But the Impoverish'd Country about us, affords but little matter to employ a Thief, or keep a Clever Fellow in good humour. But why do I talk of hunger & hard usage, when so many in the World have not even fire Cake & Water to eat....

January 3. -- ...To day his Excellency in Orders acquainted the Troops of the Congress's high approbation of their spirited perseverance and good Conduct this Campaign, that Rations should be raised monthly in proportion to the rise of the Articles of life, that the Congress were exerting themselves to supply the Commissary, the Cloathiers Departments, with a greater quantity of better Stores, than hitherto, that the Troops may be Supply'd with a greater quantity of Provision than they have been of late; and that a Month's Wages extraordinary shall be given to every Officer & Soldier who shall live in Hutts this Winter. Good encouragement this, and we think ourselves deserving of it, for the hunger, Thirst, Cold & fatigue we have suffer'd this campaign, altho' we have not fought much, yet the oldest Soldiers among us have called the Campaign a very severe & hard one.

"A Surgeon's Diary of Valley Forge (1777-1778)," Eyewitnesses and Others, Readings in American History, Vol.1: Beginnings to 1865, (Austin, TX: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1991), pp. 118-122.

Students should answer the following question:

If you had spent the winter at Valley Forge, what five things would you most complain about? Why?

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