Writings from the Valley Forge Encampment of the Continental Army: December 19, 1777-june 19, 1778, Vol. 5: a Very Different Spirit in the Army

Hundreds of letters and documents written at Valley Forge have been published in collections that represent the best-remembered men of the Revolution. There are also documents of uncounted numbers by lesser officers and staff functionaries that have never been published, or have been printed long ago and are no longer readily available. The intent of this effort is to present a selection of these, in the fifth of several such volumes, to allow greater understanding and appreciation of the Valley Forge Encampment. Letters from the last six weeks of the Encampment have a far more positive tone than those written during the first six, signifying the major improvements that had occurred. After Ezra Selden returned from a furlough in March and April, he commented to a friend that he found "a very Different Spirit in the Army." Documents are arranged chronologically, and the original spelling and punctuation has been retained. A descriptive note at the foot of each en! try gives the source location of each document, and identifies the writer and recipient the first time each individual appears. The author scoured the National Archives and more than 20 other state archives, university libraries, and historical societies in his search for these rare papers.