Part of a series of articles titled From the Journals of Valley Forge.
Article
January 1778 - From the Journals of Valley Forge
NPS Image / G. Purifoy
January 1, 1778
"The Applications from officers for leave to resign are so general, that unless some remedy can be applyed to cure this great & growing Evil, the Consequences must be fatal to the Army & to America. The high price of every necessary of life … renders it impossible for any officer in the army to live on his pay."
—letter from Brigadier General John Cadwalader to General George Washington
January 2, 1778
If General Conway means … that I did not receive him in the language of a warm and cordial Friend, I readily confess the charge. I did not, nor shall I ever, till I am capable of the arts of dissimulation. These I despise, and my feelings will not permit me to make professions of friendship to the man I deem my Enemy, and whose system of conduct forbids it. At the same time, Truth authorises me to say, that he was received & treated with proper respect to his Official character.
January 3, 1778
“Experience has taught us that without good Quarter Masters and Commisaries in an Army the most important designs will probably fail. after these departments shall be filled it will be necesary for the Quarter Masters to have all the Carriages inspected and repair’d, Horses recruited and deficiencies supplied, Tents and everything else in readiness by the opening of the Campaign. The Commisaries should immediately set about forming Magazines, in proper places of security, of salt Provisions, hard bread, Rum, &c.”
—letter from Brigadier General Henry Knox to General George Washington
January 4, 1778
“I was call’d to relieve a Soldier tho’t to be dying – he expir’d before I reach’d the Hutt. He was an Indian – an excellent Soldier – and an obedient good natur’d fellow. He engaged for money doubtless as others do; – but he has serv’d his country faithfully – he has fought for those very people who disinherited his forefathers – having finished his pilgrimage, he was discharged from the War of Life & Death. His memory ought to be respected, more than those rich ones who supply the world with nothing better than Money and Vice.”
—diary of the surgeon Albigence Waldo
January 5, 1778
The huts are very warm and comfortable, being very good log-houses, pointed with clay, and the roof made tight with the same. The weather is now very mild, which is … favorable to our hutting; but ‘tis a melancholy consideration, that hundreds of our men are unfit for duty, merely from the want to clothes and shoes.
January 6, 1778
“Coll Dewees who was nearly ruined by the Enemy complains that the remains of his buildings are likely to be destroyed by this Army—The Commander in Chief positively forbids the least Injury to be done to the walls and chimnies of Coll Dewee’s buildings; and as divers Iron plates have been taken from them the Commanding Officers of Corps are immediately to inspect all the huts of their Regimt and make return to the Quarter Master Genl of all they can find and the names of the Persons in whose possession they are found that they may be restored when demanded.”
—General George Washington's general orders
January 7, 1778
The Quarter Master General is to apply to the Adjt General for a fatigue party & cause all dead horses in and about the camp, and all offal to be buried, after which each division Quarter-Master is to see this regularly performed once a week in & near their own divisions—The Officers commanding Divisions are required to know that this order is executed.
January 8, 1778
"The Commander in Chief is informed that gaming is again creeping into the Army; in a more especial manner among the lower staff in the environs of the camp: He therefore in the most solemn terms declares, that this Vice in either Officer or soldier, shall not when detected, escape exemplary punishment; and to avoid discrimination between play and gaming forbids Cards & Dice under any pretence whatsoever."
—General George Washington's general orders
January 9, 1778
The Major Generals & Brigadiers (or Officers commanding the brigades) of each division are to fix on some suitable ground near their respective Brigades where hospitals may be erected, one for the sick of each Brigade, and as soon as the men can be possibly spared from working at the huts, they are to erect these hospitals — The officers who shall be appointed to superintend this work will receive directions therefor at the Adjutant Genl’s Office.
January 10, 1778
I Sett off early this morning for the Camp in Company with a gentleman going to mount holley. His name was Lion, we arrived in Camp about ten oClock and found all frinds well Except Poor John Luther who was Dead and Buried, as I heard on the Road yesterday. But I found a great alteration in the Regt. as my Regt. and Colo. Greens was both Incorprated into one, and Colo Green Colo. Comstock and major ward and about one half of the other officers were gone home with a view of Raising a Negro Regt.
January 11, 1778
Very snowy Day as I almost Ever Saw
January 12, 1778
"Sir - You will immedeately proceed with the party Orderd out under the Command of Colo. Stuart, & do your utmost endeavours to purchase all the Flour, Fatt Beef & Pork that you may find in the Counties of Philadelphia & Bucks – or such part thereof as Colo. Stuart may Judge to be in danger of the Enemy, & subject to be lost by their excursions – … Persons having any of the above Articles to spare & unwilling to part with them must be compelled, Colo. Stuart will furnish Necessary Assistance for this purpose – You must be exceedingly careful not to distress persons retired from the City & also to prevent the Soldiery from committing insults on the Inhabitants or want only injuring them in their Property"
—letter from Commissary of Purchases John Chaloner to Deputy Commissary John Ladd Howell
January 13, 1778
The flying-hospital huts are to be fifteen feet wide & 25 feet long, in the clear and the story at least nine feet high — to be covered with boards or shingles only, without any dirt. a Window made on each side and a chimney at one end — Two such hospitals are to be made for each brigade in their rear, as near the center as may be; and if the ground admits of it not more than three, nor less than one hundred yards from it.
January 14, 1778
"I am afraid I shall not have the Pleasure of escorting Mamma to Camp, as She Proposes to set off so soon, Nelly will not be in such a Situation as I could leave Her, and My Toe is not recovered from an ugly Frost Bit I got some Time ago I will however do myself that Pleasure as soon as it is in my Power."
—letter from George Washington's stepson John Parke Custis at Mount Vernon to General George Washington at Valley Forge
January 15, 1778
"The works marked out by the Engineers for the defence of the camp are to be executed with all possible dispatch, and the commander in chief requests the favor of General Greene, Lord Stirling and the Marquis de la Fayette (General Sullivan being upon other duty) to consult with Genl Portail on the proper means and number of men necessary to execute the works in the different Wings & second line and give orders accordingly — and that each of them appoint proper officers to superintend and push forward the defences."
—General George Washington's general orders
January 16, 1778
I went to the Cloathers Generals and got 288 pair of Stockins and 4 Shirts for the Regt under my Command but Nothing Remarkable happened During the Day.
January 17, 1778
"The Brigadiers and Officers commanding Brigades are to meet this evening at Genl Varnum’s Quarters to consult and agree upon proper & speedy measures to exchange raw-hides for shoes;"
—General George Washington's general orders
January 18, 1778
It having been represented by the Qr Master-General that a great number of saddle horses have been drawn at different times by Officers, Quarter Masters Commissaries and Waggon-Masters for various services and never returned; The Commander in Chief expressly orders that such be return’d to the Quarter-Master General upon the day and at the place before mentioned, when he will allow such to retain them as appear to have a real necessity from their occupations, for their service.
January 19, 1778
we received your favor of the 2d instant enclosing a proposition of Genl Varnum’s for raising a Battalion of Negroes. We in our Letter of the 15th current, of wh. we send a Duplicate, have fully represented our present circumstances and the many difficulties we Labor under in respect to our filling up the Continental Battalions.
January 20, 1778
The General Officers commanding Brigades are desir’d to meet at General Sullivan’s Quarters tomorrow morning at ten ôClock in order to consider of the expediency of opening a public Market in camp; They are to take into consideration the proper Places and days of holding markets the regulations and guards necessary to preserve good order.
January 21, 1778
It being impossible for the Surgeons of the Flying-Hospital to make effectual provision for the sick out of Camp, unless they are sent to the places by them appointed and furnish’d for the purpose; All officers and regimental surgeons when any of their Corps are proper subjects for the Hospital are therefore immediately to apply to the Chief Surgeon of the Flying Hospital present in Camp and take his direction where to send their sick:
January 22, 1778
I particularly alluded to Henley’s, Lees, and Jacksons Regiments when I expressed my surprize, that they had not been innoculated, as they had lain so long in Boston. I hope that very strict attention will be paid to that matter against the next Campaign: We find upon a scrutiny there are upwards of Two thousand Men to be innoculated in Camp at this time.
January 23, 1778
I received & presented immediately to Congress Your Letter of yesterday, & Directions were immediately given to the Treasury Committee to supply you without delay, with a Sum of Money sufficient for the present demands of the Army at Valley forge.
January 24, 1778
"The State of Pennsylvania have collected a large parcel of Cloathing for their Troops, for which Genl. Wayne went up to Lancaster a fortnight ago, and as the whole of Colo. Spencers Brigade except his own Regiment are Pennsylvanians, they will come in for part of that cloathing when it arrives from Lancaster. The Waggons were called in from the Brigades that an exact arrangement of them might be made, and that a more effectual mode of forraging might be fallen upon, (by appropriating a particular number of Waggons to that use) than had hitherto been practised."
—letter from Washington's aide de camp Lieutenant Colonel Tench Tilghman to Major General William Alexander aka Lord Stirling
January 25, 1778
On a Review of the Waggon horses belonging to the united States and those impressed or on hire in service with the Army, such numbers have been found unfit for Service that the Army will not only suffer for want of an immediate Supply of Provision, & forage but those horses belonging to the States now will be unfit for Service on the Opening of the Campaign
January 26, 1778
A board of General Officers having recommended that a Sutler be appointed in each Brigade whose liquors shall be inspected by two officers appointed by the Brigadier for that purpose and those liquors sold under such restrictions as shall be thought reasonable…
January 27, 1778
on fatege at the Lefte Redout
January 28, 1778
The Weather was much Mordrated this morning, and our little incampment Remaind peasable, but no provisions was in the Camp for the men, untill Night when We had a weaks provision in For the Detachment of Saltpork which was a Rarity to us. Having Lived So long on fish ... We had two Deserters from the brittish Army Come to us to day. But we Could not git no intiligence from the Enemy, no other way then they were very Still in philadelphia.
January 29, 1778
Something must be done—important alterations must be made; necessity requires, that our resources should be enlarged and our system improved: for without it, if the dissolution of the army should not be the consequence, at least, its operations must infallibly be feeble, languid and ineffectual.
January 30, 1778
"The good people of the State of Pennsylvania, and particularly those in the vicinity of this Camp, having expressed a desire of furnishing the Army with the produce of the country were Markets regularly established for that purpose: In order to encourage so laudable a design, I have thought fit to make known, that on the second Monday in February, at eight o’clock in the morning, the Market will be opened at the Stone-chimney Picket, in front of the Camp(..., and that the same will be continued on every Monday and Thursday following at that place: That on every Tuesday and Friday the Market will be held on the east side of Schuylkill, near the New-Bridge: And on every Wednesday and Saturday, in rear of the Camp, near the Adjutant General’s Office.)"
—proclamation issued by General George Washington establishing markets in camp
January 31, 1778
560 barrels of flour, 291 barrels of biscuits, 47 barrels of salt provision, half a barrel of shad, 3 barrels of tongue, 2,000 loaves of bread weighing 10,000 pounds, 1 hogshead of spirits, 7 hogsheads of rum, 3 hogsheads of gin, 4 hogsheads of whiskey, 2 hogsheads of bacon, 1 hogshead of beef, 2 hogsheads of molasses, 9 hogsheads of salt, 4 hogsheads of biscuits, 2 tierces of smoked gammon, 2 tierces of fresh gammon, half a tierce of rice, a tierce of biscuits, and 90 head of cattle
Last updated: May 19, 2025