The Valley Forge Headquarters orderly book (55 pages) contains the general orders and brigade orders issued from Continental Army headquarters at Valley Forge during winter encampment of January 20-February 22, 1778. An anonymous American officer, stationed at the "Head Quarters, Great Valley," recorded the orders. Each entry provides the signal, the names the field officers on duty, and the brigade major on duty. Later, the author made grammatical corrections to the volume.
Entries primarily concern disciplinary actions and courts-martial decisions for soldiers in Continental Army regiments. The most common crimes were stealing, drunken fights, and desertion attempts. The Commander-in-Chief, George Washington, is mentioned frequently, and on page 47 the author refers to General Washington by name. Orders also concern parade duty, officers' meetings, and rations and supplies. Brigade orders deal almost exclusively with alcohol use.
Two notable entries describe the role of women at Valley Forge:
- "A report having circulated that Mr. Jones [D.C: of I. Jones] had granted a pass to a woman to carry 3 [lbs] of Butter Philadelphia, the Matter has been inquired into, and appears to be without foundation" (February 3, 1778).
- "The most Pernicious consequences having arisen from persons, women in particular being allowed to pass & repass from Philadelphia to camp, under pretense of coming out to visit their friends in the army, & returning with necessities for their families, but, really, with an intent to intice the soldiers to desert...[officers must forbid] the soldiers, under the severest penalties, from having any communication with such persons" (February 4, 1778).
This volume holds a loose fragment containing brigade orders for August 23, 1777, and a list of men found guilty by a court-martial (located between pages 1-2).
In December of 1777, after the Battle of White Marsh (or Edge Hill), the Continental Army, under General George Washington, encamped at Valley Forge, 20 miles north of Philadelphia. The army setup headquarters, defenses, and temporary troop barracks, in what was then commonly referred to as the "Great Valley." They stayed at Valley Forge from December 19, 1777, to June 19, 1778, and suffered a harsh winter, during which the army and the civilians in the area experienced food and clothing shortages. During the long winter, over 4,000 men became sick and as many as 2,000 died from disease and exposure. Because the Continental Congress refused to send more supplies to the camp, the soldiers relied on family and friends (mostly women) to provide nursing care, and to help clean and mend the troops' uniforms. While the Continental Army did not engage the British over the winter, the officers maintained their administrative duties (including disciplinary actions) and the troops practiced drills and battle formations. This orderly book documents their activities from January to February 1778.
