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Colonial Life
HFE Entry #1 (9-23-10) I suppose I have had a happy life. My name is Richard Johnson of the colony of Connecticut, and as I write this my vessel (H.M.S. Vapor) is caught by the merciless Atlantic, tossed and turned about in the frigid waters, and as such I feel it necessary to put my thought to paper should this ever be discovered. I was born in what is now the town of New Haven, the son of two of the first settlers to set foot on this fair, unspoiled land. They came searching for new life and opportunities in what is rightly called the New World. Soon I was born to them, the first of nine children, six brothers, and 3 sisters. At the age of 12 I became a cabin boy on the trader H.M.S. Susan. As the shell of youth fell away I fell madly in love with another colonists daughter, Marie Smith, and we were soon wed. As I was away on voyages between the New and Old World, she raised our 3 young children. We lived comfortably, sustained by the lucrative lumber trade between England and the colonies and were happy. My once proud ship, now reduced to a wreck, it linen sails reduced to tatters, and it hull now just a hollow shell of rotting wood. As I feel death grow nearer with each wave powerfully pushed upon the decks of my ship, I wish to say goodbye.

Richard Johnson October 14, 1732

Revolution
 Valley Forge HFE #2 Background Information  December 19, 1777-June 19, 1778  __ Topic: Life in Valley Forge __

Source: “Valley Forge.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 11-13-10. Web. 13 November 2010. <[|__http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_Forge__]>

· Tired o “On December 19, 1777, when Washington's poorly fed, ill-equipped army, weary from long marches…” (“Valley Forge”) · Winter Cold o “…winds blew as the 12,000 Continentals prepared for winter's fury…” (“Valley Forge”) · Disease o “Snow was limited, and small in amounts. Alternating freezing and melting of snow and ice made it impossible to keep dry and allowed for disease to fester.” (“Valley Forge”) o “Undernourished and poorly clothed, living in crowded, damp quarters, the army was ravaged by sickness and disease. Typhoid, jaundice, dysentery, and pneumonia were among the killers that felled as many as 2,000 men that winter. “ (“Valley Forge”) · Lack of Food (Fire cake) o “Soldiers received irregular supplies of meat and bread, some getting their only nourishment from "fire cake," a tasteless mixture of flour and water.” (“Valley Forge”) o “So severe were conditions at times that Washington despaired ‘that unless some great and capital change suddenly takes place ... this Army must inevitably ... Starve, dissolve, or disperse, in order to obtain subsistence in the best manner they can.’” (“Valley Forge”) · Lack of Clothing o “Clothing, too, was wholly inadequate. Many wounded soldiers from previous battles died from exposure. Long marches had destroyed shoes. Blankets were scarce. Tattered garments were seldom replaced. At one point these shortages caused nearly 4,000 men to be listed as unfit for duty” (“Valley Forge”) · Typical Pennsylvania Winter o “These huts provided sufficient protection from the moderately cold, but mainly wet and damp conditions of the mild, but typical Pennsylvania winter of 1777-78.” (“Valley Forge”)

Source: Marshall-Durcher, Joan. “Valley Forge...” The American Revolution Homepage. Cowles/Thomas Publications, 1998. Web. 15 Nov 2010. <[|__http://americanrevwar.homestead.com/files/VALLEY.HTM__]>.

“A week before Christmas '77 Washington's army took up winter quarters at Valley Forge on the west side of the Schuylkill. Although the General's choice of location was sharply criticized, the site he had selected was central and easily defended. Then came a cruel race with time to get huts erected before the soldiers, barefoot and half naked, froze to death. Hundreds of horses did in fact starve to death, and for the army starvation was a mortal danger. "No meat, no meat!" was the constant wail. Improvements came about after Nathanael Greene assumed the duties of Quartermaster General on March 23rd.” (“Valley Forge...”)

· Lack of Clothing o “‘. . . you might have tracked the army from White Marsh to Valley Forge by the blood of their feet.’ - George Washington” (“Valley Forge...”) · Maintaining Good Humor Throughout o “Yet, despite the ever-present fear of mutiny, no real dissaffection occurred. As Hessian Major Baurmeister conceded, the army was kept from disintegrating by the "spirit of liberty." Men and officers accepted their tragic plight with a sense of humor and extraordinary forbearance, but it was an ordeal that no army could be expected to undergo for long.” (“Valley Forge...”)

__ Topic: Army __

Source: Marshall-Durcher, Joan. “Valley Forge...” The American Revolution Homepage. Cowles/Thomas Publications, 1998. Web. 15 Nov 2010. <[|__http://americanrevwar.homestead.com/files/VALLEY.HTM__]>.

· Diversified Army Composition o “’Some were still boys -- as young as 12 -- others in their 50s and 60s. They were described as fair, pale, freckled, brown, swarthy and black. While the majority were white, the army included both Negroes and American Indians.’” (“Valley Forge...”) · List of Possessions o “’Each man had few possessions and these he carried with him. His musket -- by far the most popular weapon -- a cartouche or cartridge box. If he had neither, the infantryman carried a powder horn, hunting bag and bullet pouch. His knapsack or haversack held his extra clothing (if he was fortunate enough to have any), a blanket, a plate and spoon, perhaps a knife, fork and tumbler. Canteens were often shared with others and six to eight men shared cooking utensils.’” (“Valley Forge...”) · Foreign Help o “’General Orders, Tuesday. May 5, 1778 announced the alliance with France and plans 'to set apart a day for gratefully acknowledging the divine Goodness.’” (“Valley Forge...”)

Source: Hart, Diane. History Alive: The United States Through Industrialism. Palo Alto, CA: Teachers’ Curriculum Institute, 2005. Print.

· Rigorous Training o “To distract his men from misery, Washington put Baron Friedrich von Steuben, a volunteer from Prussia, in charge of training. The Prussian’s method, wrote Martin, was ‘continual drill.’ It worked wonders. ‘The army grows stronger every day,’ wrote one officer. ‘There is a spirit of discipline among the troops that is better than numbers.” (Hart p. 95) · Foreign Help o “Another foreign volunteer, the Marquis de Lafayette, also helped raise the troops’ spirits. Although he was one of the richest men in France, Lafayette chose to share the hardships of Valley Forge. He even used his own money to buy the men warm clothing.” (Hart p. 95)

HFE #2 Plot/Theme Exposition: The winter sleet thrashes against the small wooden cabins. The troops inside lament their poor fortune. No food, no warmth, not event a stitch of decent clothing. As the last ember dies the men huddle together brothers to the end, fighting for themselves, their lives, and their families. William Bradford has left everything behind to be here, right now.

Rising Action: The troops drill and work tell they become a real army. Finally on a cool winter night, with the icicles dangling from the tree like fine crystal, the faint sound of oars slapping water is heard and the attack is ready.

Climax: Intense fighting, musket fire from both sides whizzing by his head. Orders shouted, barely audible over the gunshot, men crying out.

Falling Action: The British are forced to surrender. The Continental Army captures hundreds, and loose few.

Denouement: He sees George Washington striding by on horseback, evidently impressed, looks right at him and gives a quick dignified nod.

My story shows the one of the most important battles in the Revolution. This battle helped to put real weight behind the Revolution, and made people begin thinking of himself or herself as American instead of Virginian or Pennsylvanian.