Who commanded the Continental Army during its winter encampment at Valley Forge?

George Washington commanded the Continental Army during its winter encampment at Valley Forge.

The army entered Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, on December 19, 1777, after British forces captured Philadelphia. The site was about 18 miles northwest of the city and offered defensible high ground close enough to monitor British movements.

The encampment lasted until June 19, 1778. Approximately 12,000 people, including soldiers, workers, women, and children, were associated with the camp. Troops built log huts and endured severe shortages of food, clothing, and equipment, while disease caused many deaths.

Valley Forge is often remembered as a story of extreme cold, but historical accounts describe a winter with fluctuating rain and snow rather than continuously bitter weather. The army also carried out a large-scale smallpox inoculation program. Nathanael Greene later improved supply administration as quartermaster general, but Washington remained the army’s commander.