When Washington’s army ate their shoes: the hellish winter of 1779

Freezing Men Built a City of Logs

Soldiers worked through December to build over 1,000 log huts to Washington’s exact plans. Each cabin was 14 by 16 feet with a stone fireplace and held about 12 men who slept on rough wooden bunks.

The men cut and moved logs in bitter cold without proper clothes or tools. Many had no good shoes or warm coats as they built what became a small log city in the woods.

Officers got slightly better places, with Hamilton and other helpers staying at Ford Mansion.

Mother Nature Unleashed Her Worst Winter Ever

The winter of 1779-1780 turned out to be the coldest in 18th century America. Early January brought a huge snowstorm that dropped four feet of snow in just two days.

The cold froze every saltwater inlet from North Carolina to Canada.

New York Harbor froze so hard that British soldiers walked from Manhattan to Staten Island on the ice. Locals told soldiers they had never seen anything like it.

The cold cut through the log hut walls, leaving men shaking around small fires.

Blizzards Kept Coming Week After Week

Morristown got hit by 28 different snowstorms during the army’s six-month stay. Temperatures rarely went above freezing for months.

Snow piled up six feet high, hiding roads and fences completely. Officers found their ink freezing in quill pens while writing reports.

Men huddled together at night, sleeping in shifts so some could keep fires going while others rested.

The constant snow made supply deliveries almost impossible, cutting off the army from what little food might have reached them.

Politicians Left Soldiers to Starve

The Continental Congress foolishly gave supply duties to individual states, creating a system that totally failed. Army food stores sat empty for weeks.

Soldiers got half-rations for over a month, then went days without bread. Washington sent urgent letters warning the army would break apart without help.

Local farmers hid their supplies when they learned they’d be paid in nearly worthless Continental money. State officials blamed each other while men starved.

The supply system failed so badly that Washington thought about giving up the war.

Hungry Men Chewed Bark to Stay Alive

Private Joseph Plumb Martin later wrote that he went four days eating nothing but black birch bark chewed from a stick. Starving soldiers roasted and ate their own leather shoes to quiet their empty stomachs.

Officers killed and cooked a pet dog belonging to one of their friends.

Men snuck away to find food illegally while officers looked the other way, knowing it was the only way to stop mass starvation. Soldiers grew so weak they could barely stand guard duty.

Benedict Arnold Faced Justice While Plotting Treason

Future traitor Benedict Arnold stood trial at Dickerson Tavern on December 23, 1779, during the early days of the camp. General Joseph Reed accused him of using his military job for personal profit in Philadelphia.

The court found Arnold guilty on minor charges, giving him just a scolding from Washington. The light punishment didn’t help Arnold’s hurt pride.

His anger over this trial later helped push him to betray the American cause at West Point.

Connecticut Troops Finally Reached Their Breaking Point

The Connecticut Line snapped on May 25, 1780, when soldiers of the Eighth Connecticut Regiment started a sudden mutiny.

Men grabbed their weapons and gathered on the parade ground, protesting months without pay and lack of food. The rebellion quickly spread to other Connecticut units.

Colonel Return Jonathan Meigs tried to restore order but got accidentally stabbed with a bayonet in the chaos. Pennsylvania Colonel Walter Stewart calmed things through talks.

The troops eventually went back to their huts without bloodshed.

Lafayette Arrived With News That Saved Morale

The Marquis de Lafayette reached Morristown on May 10, 1780, bringing news that changed everything.

The young Frenchman told Washington that 6,000 French soldiers and six warships were coming to help the Continental Army.

Washington, who grew more desperate through the winter months, felt happy at the thought of French backup under his command. The news spread quickly through camp, giving men a reason to hang on despite their suffering.

The British Made One Last Push Toward Camp

British forces launched an attack from Staten Island toward Morristown in June 1780 as the Continental Army got ready to leave.

American troops successfully slowed the enemy advance at Springfield, buying time for the main army.

Timothy Ford, the 17-year-old son of Washington’s host family, joined the fight as a volunteer and got hurt in the battle.

The British burned Springfield in anger but went back to Staten Island after failing to reach the winter camp.

Washington Somehow Kept His Army Together

The Continental Army finally marched out of Morristown on June 8, 1780, after enduring six months of hell. The winter had claimed 96 soldiers through death, while 1,062 men deserted and another 140 got captured.

Despite conditions far worse than the famous Valley Forge encampment, Washington held his force together through sheer determination.

The small, ragged army that left Morristown remained America’s main hope for independence. Washington’s leadership during this crisis proved as important as any battlefield victory in securing American freedom.

Visiting Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area, New Jersey

You can explore the Continental Army’s brutal "Hard Winter" at 586 Tempe Wick Road in Morristown for free. The Jockey Hollow Visitor Center opens Thursday-Sunday 10am-4pm.

Take the 3-mile driving tour or hike to see four reconstructed soldier huts where troops nearly starved.

Tour the 1750 Wick House during operating hours and walk 20 miles of trails through the 1,400-acre park where soldiers ate bark to survive.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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