Sickness hangs heavy in the air with the stench of death. Soldiers walk by me in tattered clothes, some missing shoes and toes. As I lay on the ground of my hut, trying to sleep, that another poor soldier had to build, I shiver and huddle in a ball to try to keep my body heat toward me in an attempt to keep me somewhat warm. The Continental Army made our winter camp in a town called Valley Forge, located eighteen miles out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During the winters of 1777 and 1778, there was freezing weather and a couple thousand of sick soldiers and dead soldiers (Busch, 147).
Many soldiers are not re-enlisting or are deserting before their nine-month re-enlistment has ended which I would never participate in due to loyalty and honor. General Washington, desperate to keep an army together to fight the war against Britain has asked us soldiers look into our hearts and ask ourselves the essential following question: Will you quit? To quit would be to not re-enlist. Due high chances of illness, horrible lodging and weather, and sparse food and clothing, I will not be re-enlisting.
I went past the schoolhouse we are using as a hospital yesterday in time to hear a muffled scream from on of my fellow soldiers as he tried to bite back the pain of a dismembered toe. There are many soldiers getting sick with smallpox (Root) and other illnesses, there is a high chance I will become sick too. I overheard General Washington speaking to one of the surgeons concerning the health of our troop. 49% of all of the soldiers are sick and probably lying down weak in the hospital clinging to life. 1800 to 2500 of these die without the chance to return home and see their family one last time (Busch, 147).
Among these couple thousand was one of my dear childhood friends that I had begged to come fight the war with me so that I could see a familiar face. When I walk by my fellow soldiers, I cringe at the sight of some with missing toes or worse (Powell, 149). If I die in our winter camp, won’t it regard to be in vain? I came here to fight a war for independence from Britain and a country of our own where we can compose the laws and taxes. I did not come here to die from the bitter cold of our winter quarters. The lodging is terrible and tiny, with 16’ by 14’ huts.
We have no beds, just straw on the cold mud floor (Roden, 141). The weather is even worse if the idea is possible. Snow lays everywhere and continues falling in huge snowstorms every day (Powell, 149). You can barely break out of your hut as the snow piles up around the already suffering camp. With holes in our pants as we lay on the hard ground in the harsh cold, we hold onto our spirits (Powell, 149). We live and sleep in miniscule huts with a dozen and horrible air ventilation which causes the smoke to stay within the proximity and ruin our skin and eyes (Waldo, 151).
Since lodging and weather are absolutely atrocious, it is one of the reasons everyone is getting sick and dying. We obtain little food and clothing, since we do not acquire much money to buy from the local farmers, contrary to the British. Congress does not provide us with many supplies to sustain our army. Outside of my cabin, I heard a cry around a month ago of men shouting, “No meat! ” “No meat! ” (Waldo, 151). I walk by men without shoes every day and the hospital with the men receiving amputation. I am grateful that I am only missing one of my shoes, but still own socks, a shirt, and pants that are barely shredded (Powell, 149).
No food to eat could lead to starvation and furthermore the possibility of death. Little clothing will leave us vulnerable to the cold atmosphere could lead to frostbite and later amputation or death. These losses is why the results of death are so high. With high chances of sickness, terrible houses and weather, and little food and clothing, the risk overall is not worth it. I long to return home and be with my aging mother in her last few years, so we can make more memories that will be easier for me to retain as I was very little when she got sick.
Even with a better camp, I could still die in the war for freedom. But if everyone answers no to General Washington’s question concerning enlisting again, then no one would stay to fight the war. The war would be hopeless and already lost to Britain. If everyone says yes, then it wouldn’t matter if a few soldiers, including me go on our way back home. However, others may re-enlist for the cause of patriotism and independence, but I don’t want to die. In conclusion as my March 1st deadline approaches, I will not be re-enlisting in the fight for independence.
