Having suffered a string of defeats that fall, including losing the capital of Philadelphia to the British, the Americans made camp for the winter outside of the city.
Problems Faced by the Soldiers #1
For his winter encampment, Washington selected Valley Forge on the Schuylkill River approximately 20 miles northwest of Philadelphia. With its high ground and position near the river, Valley Forge was easily defensible, but still close enough to the city for Washington to maintain pressure on the British.
Problems Faced by the Soldiers #2
I'm Sick
There was a lot of soldiers they began to build log huts. It took them a week to build one hut.
Training with Baron Fredrick von Steuben
The winter at Valley Forge generally conjures images of half-naked, starving soldiers battling the elements.
the arrival of warmer weather in March, disease began strike at the army. Over the next three months, influenza, typhus, typhoid, and dysentery all erupted within the encampment.
100 men were in turn sent out to other units to repeat the process and so on until the entire army was trained. In addition, von Steuben introduced a system of progressive training for recruits which educated them in the basics of soldiering.