"Those who have only been in Valley Forge and Middlebrook during the last two winters, but have not tasted the cruelties of this one, know not what it is to suffer." Major General Johann de Kalb, an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, was describing the winter of 1779-80 at Jockey Hollow, a wilderness near Morristown, New Jersey.
The beaten up and worn down Continental soldiers had marched through two feet of snow and record-breaking cold to get to Jockey Hollow. This winter will become the harshest of the century. The men also face chronic supply shortages, desertions, enemy attacks, and even treason by one of their beloved officers. What's more, the soldiers' pay is often delayed. In fact the Pennsylvania and Massachusetts Lines hadn't been paid in a year.
Freezing, starving, half-naked troops persevere while the war's outcome becomes increasingly more precarious. If they give up now, all hope for their country's independence will be lost. Pushed to the brink of mutiny, how will these neglected men overcome all odds and win America's freedom?
This book looks at Jockey Hollow, its impact on the soldiers, and ultimately its impact on the second half of the American Revolution.