Valley Forge

Hello, my name is George Washington, and I was the leader of the Continental Army. We were fighting a big war so that America could be its own free country. The year was 1777, and my soldiers had fought many hard battles. They were so very brave, but they were also tired, cold, and hungry. Winter was coming, with its icy wind and deep snow. I knew we needed a safe place to rest and get strong for the fights that would come in the spring. I looked at my maps and chose a place called Valley Forge in Pennsylvania. It was on high ground, which meant we could see if anyone was coming to bother us. On December 19th, 1777, my weary soldiers marched into the snowy fields. I told them, 'We will build our homes here for the winter. We will be safe.' It was the beginning of a very long, very hard winter.

That winter at Valley Forge was one of the hardest times I can remember. The wind howled like a hungry wolf, and the snow piled up so high it came past our knees. Many of my soldiers didn't have warm coats to wear or even good shoes for their feet. Sometimes their feet were just wrapped in rags, and seeing that made my heart ache. We didn't have much food, either. Many days, all we had to eat was a small, flat bread made of flour and water that we called a 'firecake.' It wasn't very tasty, but it filled our bellies and kept us going. Every morning, I would see the soldiers' breath make little white clouds in the freezing air. I worried every single day. But then I would see something amazing. My soldiers were helping each other. They worked together to chop down big trees and build small wooden huts to live in. They shared what little food they had and told stories by the fire to keep their spirits up. Even though they were cold and hungry, they never gave up on our dream of freedom. I was so proud of them.

As the winter dragged on, a new person arrived at our camp. His name was Baron von Steuben, and he came all the way from a country called Prussia to help us. He had a big, booming voice and knew everything about being a good soldier. He was like a teacher for our whole army. 'One, two, three, four!' he would shout, showing the men how to march together in straight lines. He taught them how to use their tools and work as one big team instead of a jumble of different groups. Every day, the soldiers practiced on a big, flat field we called the Grand Parade. At first, they were a little clumsy, but soon, they moved like a perfect team. The men started to stand taller, and they felt proud of themselves. Hope was like a little flame starting to grow brighter in our cold camp.

Finally, the sun began to feel warm on our faces again. The thick snow melted away, and little green plants started to peek through the ground. Spring had arrived. The terrible winter was over. On June 19th, 1778, we marched out of Valley Forge. We were not the same tired, struggling group that had walked in six months before. We were a strong, organized army, ready to fight for America's freedom. The hard winter at Valley Forge didn't break us; it made us. We learned that by working together and never giving up, even during the most difficult times, we could become stronger than we ever thought possible.