American Readings
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Chapter 8
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l' Fire Cakes and Water at Valley Forge
In December 1711. General Washington set up winter quarters at Valley Forge.
Pennsylvania. There. the Continental Army spent a miserable winter. Albigence
Waldo was a surgeon who kept a diary of bis time with the army. In tbe following
excerpt. be described the first weeks of that winter. As you read. think about the
conditions that tbe
soldiers faced.
December 16.- Cold, rainy day. For the
first time since we have been here, the tents
were pitched, to keep the men more
comfortable. Good morning, brother soldier
(says one to another). How are you? All wet, I
thank you, hope you are so (says the other).
The enemy have been at Chestnut Hill, killed
two of our horsemen and taken some
prisoners. We have done the same to them.
December 18.- The army is poorly
supplied with provisions. This is caused, it is
said, by the neglect of the Commissary of
Purchases. There is much talk among officers
about discharges. .
December 21.- Preparations made for
huts. Provisions scarce. Heartily wish myself
at home. My skin and eyes are almost spoiled
with continual smoke. A general cry through
the camp this evening among the soldiers,
"No Meat! No Meat!"
What have you for your dinners, boys?
"Nothing but fire cakes [small loaves of
bread baked over an open fire] and water, sir."
At night, "gentlemen, the supper is ready."
"What is your supper, lads?"
"Fire cake and water, sir." ...
December 22.- Lay excessive cold and
uncomfortable last night. My eyes are started
out from their orbits, like a rabbit's eyes,
because of the great cold and smoke.
"What have you got for breakfast, lads?"
"Fire cake and water, sir."
December 24.- Huts go on being built
slowly. Cold and smoke make us fret. I don't
know of anything that vexes a man's soul
more than hot smoke continually blowing
into his eyes, and when he attempts to avoid
it, he is met by a cold and piercing wind.
December 25, Chrlstmas.- We are still
in tents-when we ought to be in huts. The
poor sick suffer much in tents in this cold
weather ....
December 28.- Building our huts.
December 29.- Continued the work.
Snowed all day pretty briskly. The party of the
22d returned. It had lost 18 men who were
taken prisoners. So much talk about
discharges among the Officers, and so many
are discharged ....
December 31.- We finished the year
with thankful hearts in our new hut, which is
in sight of the front line ....
January 6, 1778.- We have got our
huts to be very comfortable, and feel ourselves
happy in them. I only want my family and I
should be as happy here as anywhere, except
for food, which is sometimes pretty scanty.
Adapted from "Diary of Surgeon Albigence Waldo, of the
Connecticut Line," as found in Tile American Reader: From
Columbus to Today by Paul M. Angle (Chicago: Rand ~cNally
Company, 1958).
Analyzing Primary Sources
1.What did the soldiers eat at all their meals? What does this tell you
about their hardships?
2.What other hardships does Albigence Waldo describe?
3.Critical Thinking During the winter of 1777-1778, Washington
feared that the army would "dissolve or disperse [scatter]." What
information in the reading might explain this fear?
C Addison- Wtsley Publishing Company
Chapter 8 • American Readings 31