George Washington

THE CONTINENTAL ARMY'S ENCAMPMENT at Valley Forge in the winter and spring of 1777-78, enshrined in the popular mind as the epitome of suffering borne by dedicated Revolutionary soldiers and officers, has been thoroughly studied as a problem of supply, morale, discipline, and sacrifice. Surprisingly, explanations of-how the army came to encamp there are not so thorough; historians have only briefly discussed Washington's decision. None have recounted accurately in detail what the commander-in-chief's options were, …

…reconnoitering of the British works on November 25. As he informed his officers, from the west bank of the Schuylkill "I had a full view of their left and found their works much stronger than I had reason to expect from the Accounts I had received." Because of his observations, Washington now was ready to settle the army in quarters. He probably calculated that it would remain quartered, undertaking no further offensive operations, until spring. [note 8]