Rev War footgear
 

Here is a quote from the Oct 2005 issue of the Legion magazine, about something I have always wondered about whether and to what extent it is factual...

"American cavalry in the Revolutionary War were issued high-top boots, and the soldiers received low shoes. Nevertheless, Washington's troops at Valley Forge were forced to wrap their frozen, bleeding feet with strips of cloth when their issue shoes fell apart."

Now, I've also seen pictures of our GIs with wrapped feet during Korea, and WW ll... mostly in Winter.

Is or is not that story about Valley Forge true? I've read some other accounts which describe the situation they had not nearly so bleakly.

The shoe problem for the Continental army, actually for all the American forces, was acute during the Rev War. When Washington attacked the Hessians at Trenton, the American army left bloody prints in the snow from the riverbank to the town. One of the first things they did after the victory was to confiscate the Hessians' boots.

The heels of the cheaply manufactured shoes were held on with wooden pegs which wore out quickly, leading to the swift decay of the rest of the shoe. Plus those shoes had to last for many months. Once the French, Spanish, and Dutch got into the conflict, the sea lanes opened up and more uniform supplies got in. If a soldier died for whatever reason, his shoes were the first thing men gambled and fought over.

While the winter at Valley Forge wasn't as cold or heavy as the one the following winter at Morristown, NJ, they made a crucial mistake in the building of shelters. They made dugouts with slightly pitched roofs. The dirt floors and walls were constantly damp and muddy making it a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. The soldiers would often relieve themselves just outside the huts rather than make the treck to the latrines. Their waste leeched into the ground, then into the huts.

Hundreds of men died from disease at Valley Forge (its estimated that during the war, over 10,000 Americans died of diseases, while less than 7,000 were battle-related deaths). The big problem was incompetence of the Quartermaster-General, Thomas Mifflin. He was living a comfortable life in Philadelphia while the men, only 20 miles away, suffered. It wasn't until Washington fired Mifflin and made Nathaniel Greene Quartermaster-General that the situation greatly improved.

Thanks... quite a saga, wasn't it.

May I ask, about how many troops were at Valley Forge?

I have an 1861 style Confederate Uniform and the Boots I have are CV-KMO Brogans,reputedly made by a shoemaker in Koeltztown, Missouri in 1860. Five brass eyelets reinforce the black waxed-flesh uppers, which are sewn and rivited for durability. Pegged soles. Hand made in Nevada,MO from the same last my GrGRGrampa probably got his boots made from in Missouri.
My brogans have Steel rims nailed on the Heels so they will last me a long time .
http://missouribootandshoe.tripod.com/id5.html

I've used black duct tape to hold boots together when the soles start to tear open and let the water in every time it rains . While waiting to get the letter signed to get a new pair issued :D I bet the troops in Valley Forge would have loved duct tape.

That is a great boot site to visit, Jerry.

Hawk,

Washington marched into Valley Forge with just under 12,000 troops on December 19, 1777 and marched out exactly 6 months later. During their stay, over 2,500 died of starvation and disease. The total number of desertions was recorded as 1,334. There were also other camps at Wilmington, DE and Fishkill, NY, bringing the total number of American troops in the north to just under 24,000. During a typical winter month, these camps only averaged about 8,000 effectives total combined due to sickness, desertions, and inadequate clothing and supplies. They had it pretty rough. Like I had stated, the following winter camp in NJ was colder and had more snow, but they learned valuable lessons at Valley Forge so that the death, desertion, and illness rates were much less.

Thanks, Doc.

I could look all that up on my own of course... but I have come to trust what YOU say more than a lot of what is available to read.

Thanks, Hawk! I like to think I know a bit more than the average person about the Rev War since I read so much about it, but it's good that someone appreciates my efforts. Now if only our school systems would let us lecture more...but that's very frustrating subject for us.

You got THAT (amongst other things) right, in excess abundance.

Would that mean what means "No Child Left Behind"?

:D