The Continental Army spent six months at Valley Forge, from December 19, 1777, to June 19, 1778.
George Washington led the army into winter quarters at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, after British forces captured Philadelphia during the 1777 campaign. The site was about 18 miles northwest of the city and offered defensible high ground.
The encampment became famous for shortages of food, clothing, and other supplies. Disease and poor conditions caused substantial deaths, but the army also underwent important organizational and training changes during the winter.
Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben helped train soldiers in standardized military drills at Valley Forge. When the army left in June 1778, it was more disciplined and better prepared. Valley Forge was an encampment, not a single battle, and the army did not remain there for the entire Revolutionary War.