letter from valley forge

Ben Taylor
Name: Bernard Harpentomleson
From: St Albans Massachusetts
Why: I joined because I have been on the farm my entire life and I wanted to see the rest of the country.
Writing to: Son, Thomas Harpentomleson

Dear Thomas,

I am writing to you from Valley Forge, Virginia. It is now nearing the end of the winter but the winter was a hard one. It was cold and all we have for shelter are small log huts. Many people have died of various diseases. I my self thought I was going to die of typhus early this January but after two weeks in the hospital, I got better. The food here is nothing but fire cakes, a tasteless flower and water mixture, cooked. And we have to drink out of the same river water where we relieve ourselves. People fight with each other and there is hardly any discipline. I miss you and your mother both and I look forward to seeing you when I return.
Son, I am pleased with the leadership of General Washington, he is constantly encouraging us and telling us that we will come back after the winter and start winning the battles. So far, we have lost nearly all of the battles that we have fought and we spend most of the time running from the British. This is his tactic though, to out run the British. I respect Washington and I am glad to be fighting with him.
I support the revolution; the British are taking advantage if our country and we must put a stop to it. However, like I said before we are loosing almost every battle and the rest of the troops are becoming less and less supportive of it. I am still very much supportive of the revolution and I intend to enlist again in the spring. I am also going to have you enlist with me, for you will be old enough, come time to enlist. I look forward to seeing you soon.

Sincerely,
Bernard