A different Grandfather on my mother's paternal line, was a Lt. in the 2nd Connecticut Regiment of Foot in Capt. Stephen Hall's Company. With General George Washington, my Grandfather in Stephen Hall's Company stayed in a harsh winter camp at Valley Forge in 1777-1778. The British troops that Washington was shadowing, were comfortably spending the winter in Philadelphia 24 miles away. The Brits enjoyed wine, women, and song before warm fires, toasting King George the 3rd. Meanwhile, the troops at Valley Forge had almost no supplies and were in danger of famine, because their was no federal supply structure and the Pennsylvania govt was not very interested in continually supplying an Army, that few other former colonies were helping to supply. It was in this winter Camp, that General-Baron von Steuben came to drill the troops, and to create a modern army of the American "rabble". It was a major turning point for the Continental Army, and really saved the image of George Washington, who those like Benjamin Rush were trying to undermine and get removed from leadership.
