Surviving the Winters: Housing Washington's Army during the American Revolution
- ISBN-10
- 0806169753
- ISBN-13
- 9780806169750
- Category
- History
- Pages
- 252
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2021-03-25
- Publisher
- University of Oklahoma Press
- Author
- Steven Elliott
Description
George Washington and his Continental Army braving the frigid winter at Valley Forge form an iconic image in the popular history of the American Revolution. Such winter camps, Steven Elliott tells us in Surviving the Winters, were also a critical factor in the waging and winning of the War of Independence. Exploring the inner workings of the Continental Army through the prism of its encampments, this book is the first to show how camp construction and administration played a crucial role in Patriot strategy during the war. As Elliott reminds us, Washington’s troops spent only a few days a year in combat. The rest of the time, especially in the winter months, they were engaged in a different sort of battle—against the elements, unfriendly terrain, disease, and hunger. Victory in that more sustained struggle depended on a mastery of camp construction, logistics, and health and hygiene—the components that Elliott considers in his environmental, administrative, and operational investigation of the winter encampments at Middlebrook, Morristown, West Point, New Windsor, and Valley Forge. Beyond the encampments’ basic function of sheltering soldiers, his study reveals their importance as a key component of Washington’s Fabian strategy: stationed on secure, mountainous terrain close to New York, the camps allowed the Continental commander-in-chief to monitor the enemy but avoid direct engagement, thus neutralizing a numerically superior opponent while husbanding his own strength. Documenting the growth of Washington and his subordinates as military administrators, Surviving the Winters offers a telling new perspective on the commander’s generalship during the Revolutionary War. At the same time, the book demonstrates that these winter encampments stand alongside more famous battlefields as sites where American independence was won.
Get the book
Other editions
-
- 2021-03-25
- 252 pages
- Paperback
- University of Oklahoma Press
Similar books
-
Surviving the Winters: Housing Washington's Army During the American Revolutionvolume 72
By Steven ElliottExploring the inner workings of the Continental Army through the prism of its encampments, this book is the first to show how camp construction and administration played a crucial role in Patriot strategy during the war.
-
Feeding Washington's Army: Surviving the Valley Forge Winter of 1778
By Ricardo A. HerreraSurviving the Valley Forge Winter of 1778 Ricardo A. Herrera ... Letters to Thomas Wharton, 1777. ... Writings from the Valley Forge Encampment of the Continental Army, December 19, 1777– June 19, 1778. 4 vols.
-
Birds in Winter: Surviving the Most Challenging Season
By Roger F. PasquierIn Malaysia, Eastern Great Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus orientalis) also separate by sex based on vegetation structure, with females primarily in reed beds (Phragmites) similar to their nesting habitat and males at the edge of the beds ...
-
Surviving the Winter: The Evolution of Quiltmaking in New Mexico
By Dorothy R. ZopfDorothy Zopf was not planning to start a new career when she and her husband moved to a village in northern New Mexico. But with the completion of their hand-made...
-
Surviving Cold Weather
By Gregory J. DavenportThe National Safety Council presents the fact sheet "Surviving the Cold Weather.
-
Making Winter: A Creative Guide for Surviving the Winter Months
By Emma MitchellMaking Winter will encourage you to banish winter blues and embrace the frosty months by cosying up with Emma Mitchell's nature-inspired collection of crafts.
-
Surviving the Bond Bear Market: Bondland's Nuclear Winter
By Marilyn Cohen, Christopher R. MalburgMarilyn Cohen describes the bond market's coming nuclear winter and what investors must do to protect themselves. This book comes with an automated workbook to help you manage your bond investments like the pros.
-
Brian's Winter
By Gary PaulsenInstead of being rescued from a plane crash, as in the author's book "Hatchet," this story portrays what would have happened to Brian had he been forced to survive a winter in the wilderness with only his survival pack and hatchet.
-
Feeding Washington's Army: Surviving the Valley Forge Winter of 1778
By Ricardo A. Herrera"In this major new history of the Continental Army's Grand Forage of 1778, award-winning military historian Ricardo A. Herrera uncovers what daily life was like for soldiers during the darkest and coldest days of the American Revolution: ...
-
Winter Time: Memoirs of a German Sinto who Survived Auschwitz
By Walter Stanoski Winter自制自自自 Prisoner Blocks SS Buildings Workshops and Works A Headquarters B Bunker C Crematorium D Execution Place E Gas Chamber ( Wooden Barrack ) F Infirmary G Disinfection Block Il Gas Chamber ( New Building ) I Punishment Block J ...