Valley Forge - No Food, No Soldier (1971)

[Music] Our Sick our naked our well naked our unfortunate men in captivity naked I never heard a summons to Duty with so much disgust last night a dangerous Mutiny began Jesus the falling tear in [Music] mer when gr the tring fear SE all the world the British are now in full possession of the city of Philadelphia the Continental Army since the close of the campaign has retired to a place called Valley Forge about 20 mi from the city December 1777 we marched for the Valley Forge in order to take up our winter quarters in our miserable condition to go into the wild woods and build us habitations to stay not to live in in such a weak starved and naked condition was appalling I never heard a summons to Duty with so much disgust how I could endure two days more fatigue without nourishment of some sort I could not tell I procured a small piece of raw cide and made myself a pair of moccasins the hard edges so G my ankles while on the March that it was with much difficulty and pain that I could wear them afterwards but the only alternative I had was to endure this inconvenience or to go barefoot as hundreds of my companions had to till they might be tracked by their blood upon the rough Frozen fren ground Wednesday December 24th Huts go on slowly cold and snow make us fret poor little squirrel who had the ill luck to get cut off from the woods and fixing himself on the tree standing alone and surrounded by several of the soldiers Huts sat upon the tree till starved to death and fell off he however got rid of his misery soon he did not live to starve by peace meal six or seven year one Hut is to be allowed to each General officer one to the staff of each Brigade and one to every 12 non-commissioned officers and Soldiers the soldier are nearly all covered with Huts a general cry through the camp this evening among the soldiers no meat no meat the distant veils echoed Back The Melancholy sound no meat no meat no bread no meat no Soldier the water we have to drink and to mix our flow with is out of a brook that runs along the camp January 12th snow ceased by morning cold but clear of the 11,982 men in Camp 2,898 are unfit for Duty because they are Barefoot or otherwise naked our arms are in horrible condition covered with thrust many from which not a single shot can be fired our present situation is the most Melancholy that can be conceived our army may have to be dissolved Jersey Pennsylvania and Maryland are exhausted Wednesday February 11th it rained so hard we could not stir out [Applause] yesterday upwards of 50 officers of General Green's division resigned their commissions this is occasioned by officers families being so neglected at home because of lack of provisions [Music] last night a dangerous Mutiny began suppressed by the spirited exertions of the [Music] officers at the general court Marshal William adic found guilty of trying to drive cattle to the enemy to have all his real and personal estate taken for the use of the United States of America Sergeant William dear of the 4th Pennsylvania today received 100 lashes well laid on his naked back for stealing money from Frederick buzard John Williamson found guilty of supplying the enemy W cattle 250 lashes on his bare back well laid on John riy of the second Virginia charged with deserting from his guard and taking with him two prisoners in orangs was tried and found guilty of the crime he was sentenced to death his Excellency approves of the sentence and orders it to be executed [Music] young men under 20 years of age are subject to the greatest number of Camp diseases the principal disease is typhus men who come into the hospitals with pleses and rheumatisms soon lose the types of their original diseases and suffer or die by catching the deadly typhus from their fellow patients of the 11 Junior surgeons and mates 10 took the infection from which three died and another narrowly escaped the hospitals Robb the United States of more citizens than the sword also died today a poor Indian soldier he engaged for money doubtless as others do but he has served his country Faithfully he has fought for those very people who disinherited his forefathers more than 2,000 men in Camp ought to be inoculated for the small pox when I was inoculated with the small pox I took that delectable disease the itch it was given us we supposed in the infection I had it to such a degree that I could scarcely lift my hands to my head accordingly we made preparations for a general attack upon it the first night one half of the party commenced the action by mixing a sufficient quantity of Brimstone and talor at the same time not forgetting to mix a plenty of hot whiskey T thus prepared with arms and ammunition we began the operation by plying each other outsides with Brimstone and tal and the inside with hot whisky sling two of the asants were so overcome not by the enemy but by their two great exertions in the action that they lay all night naked upon the field the rest of us got to our birth somehow as well as we could but we killed the itch and we were satisfied for it had almost killed us [Music] Monday April 23rd our medicine chests long empty are now being filled again the baron D stubin has formed separate squads of awkward troops slow in learning the new Maneuvers the pernicious practice of officers leaving camp on fur and taking soldiers along as servants must cease daily this Army looks more like a military force and less like an armed horde nearly 500 Virginians arrived in Camp today the constant Drilling and maneuvering has charged the men with new spirit that the enemy means to evacuate Philadelphia is a certainty Tuesday May 5th 1778 order of the day it having pleased the almighty ruler of the universe to defend the cause of the United American States by raising us up a powerful friend among the princes of the earth upon a signal given the whole Army will huzar long live the king of France the artillery will then Begin Again firing 13 Rounds [Music] we had engaged in the defense of our injured country and were willing nay we were determined to persevere as long as such hardships were not altogether intolerable but a kind and holy Providence took more notice and better care of us than did the country in whose service we were wearing away our lives by peace meal the long doubtful winter of war is over we never had so fair an opportunity of final success as now Vigor and determination will do everything and anything we began the war with this kind of spirit why not end it with the same h [Music] [Music] oh