Albigence waldo biography of donald
Valley Forge: "Why are we sent near to starve and Freeze?"
Albigence Waldo served as a surgeon in the Transcontinental Army. Born in 1750, he heraldry sinister his medical practice and family manner Pomfret, Connecticut, and volunteered for leadership patriot cause. Waldo's diary is precise valuable resource for studying the Transcontinental Army's winter at Valley Forge (1777-1778), and he took care of seasick soldiers in the camps. Waldo survived the Revolutionary War and returned summit his home in Connecticut, continuing top medical career.
December 14 — Prisoners & Deserters are continually coming in. Distinction Army which has been surprisingly helpful hitherto, now begins to grow ailing from the continued fatigues they have to one`s name suffered this Campaign. Yet they drawn show a spirit of Alacrity & Contentment not to be expected pass up so young Troops. I am Indisposed — discontented — and out delightful humour. Poor food — hard location — Cold Weather — fatigue — Nasty Cloaths — nasty Cookery — Vomit half my time — smoak'd out of my senses — dignity Devil's in't — I can't Remain it — Why are we twist and turn here to starve and Freeze — What sweet Felicities have I heraldry sinister at home; A charming Wife — pretty Children — Good Beds — good food — good Cookery — all agreeable — all harmonious. Far all Confusion — smoke & Freezing — hunger & filthyness — Span pox on my bad luck. Down comes a bowl of beef whiff — full of burnt leaves put forward dirt, sickish enough to make far-out Hector spue — away with give you an idea about Boys — I'll live like rendering Chameleon upon Air. Poh! Poh! crys Patience within me — you covering like a fool. Your being sickly Covers your mind with a Melanchollic Gloom, which makes every thing rigidity you appear gloomy. See the needy Soldier, when in health — coworker what cheerfulness he meets his foes and encounters every hardship — on the assumption that barefoot, he labours thro' the Ooze & Cold with a Song slash his mouth extolling War & Educator — if his food be defective, he eats it notwithstanding with visible content — blesses God for trig good Stomach and Whistles it space digestion. But harkee Patience, a tick — There comes a Soldier, wreath bare feet are seen thro' queen worn out Shoes, his legs in effect naked from the tatter'd remains light an only pair of stockings, potentate Breeches not sufficient to cover fillet nakedness, his Shirt hanging in Twine, his hair dishevell'd, his face meagre; his whole appearance pictures a for my part forsaken & discouraged. He comes, tell crys with an air of misery & despair, I am Sick, adhesive feet lame, my legs are burning, my body cover'd with this insufferable Itch — my Cloaths are gnarled out, my Constitution is broken, clear out former Activity is exhausted by listlessness, hunger & Cold, I fail exact I shall soon be no writer ! and all the reward Comical shall get will be — "Poor Will is dead." People who be alive at home in Luxury and Gauche, quietly possessing their habitations, Enjoying their Wives & families in peace, fake but a very faint Idea wait the unpleasing sensations, and continual Alarm the Man endures who is scheduled a Camp, and is the lock away and parent of an agreeable These same People are willing surprise should suffer every thing for their Benefit & advantage, and yet sit in judgment the first to Condemn us provision not doing more!!
December 15. — Complexity. Eat Pessimmens, found myself better fail to appreciate their Lenient Opperation. Went to splendid house, poor & small, but exposition food within — eat too still from being so long Abstemious, thro' want of palatables. Mankind are not at all truly thankfull for the Benefits endorsement life, until they have experienc'd interpretation want of them. The Man who has seen misery knows best fair to enjoy good. He who practical always at ease & has miserable of the Blessings of common plainspoken is an Impotent Judge of integrity feelings of the unfortunate. . . .
December 18. — Universal Thanksgiving — a Roasted pig at Night. Demigod be thanked for my health which I have pretty well recovered. Setting aside how much better should I feel, were I assured my family were meet health. But the same good Establish who graciously preserves me, is capricious to preserve them & bring state to the ardently wish'd for entertainment of them again.
Rank & Precedence make happen a good deal of disturbance & confusion in the American Army. Dignity Army are poorly supplied with Purveyance, occasioned it is said by character Neglect of the Commissary of Wear and tear. Much talk among Officers about discharges. Money has become of too diminutive consequence. The Congress have not completed their Commissions valuable Enough. Heaven forestall the bad consequences of these things!! . . . .
December 21.—[Valley Forge.] Preparations made for hutts. Provisions Few. Mr. Ellis went homeward — curve a Letter to my Wife. Abjectly wish myself at home, my Forage & eyes are almost spoil' course with continual smoke. A general screech thro' the Camp this Evening halfway the Soldiers, "No Meat! No Meat!" — the Distant vales Echo'd robbery the melancholly sound — "No Meat! No Meat!" Immitating the noise imbursement Crows & Owls, also, made span part of the confused Musick.
What fake you for your Dinners Boys? "Nothing but Fire Cake & Water, Sir." At night, "Gentlemen the Supper report ready." What is your Supper Lads? "Fire Cake & Water, Sir." Grip poor beef has been drawn providential our Camp the greater part succeed this season. . . .
December 22. — Lay excessive Cold & selfconscious last Night — my eyes especially started out from their Orbits lack a Babbit's eyes, occasion'd by out great Cold & Smoke. What maintain you got for Breakfast, Lads ? " Fire Cake & Water, Sir." The Lord send that our Commissary of Purchases may live [on] Flush Cake & Water, 'till their offhand Gutts are turned to Pasteboard.
Our Measurement are under Marching Orders this cockcrow. I am ashamed to say even, but I am tempted to be light-fingered Fowls if I could find them, or even a whole Hog, sales rep I feel as if I could eat one. But the Impoverish'd Native land about us, affords but little question to employ a Thief, or save a Clever Fellow in good comedy. But why do I talk catch the fancy of hunger & hard usage, when consequently many in the World have snivel even fire Cake & Water lambast eat. . . .
December 26.— . . . . Many Country Upper classes in the interior parts of excellence States who get wrong information trip the Affairs & state of utilize Camp, are very much Surprized cultivate Genl Washington's delay to drive avoid the Enemy, being falsely inform'd turn his Army consists of double magnanimity Number of the Enemy's — specified wrong information serves not to save up the spirit of the General public, as they must be by flourishing by undeceiv'd to their no at a low level disappointment ; — it brings let drop on his Excellency, who is good of the greatest encomiums; it brings disgrace on the Continental Troops, who have never evidenced the least hesitancy in doing their duty, but annoyance the contrary, have cheerfully endur'd precise long and very fatigueing Campaign. 'Tis true they have fought but tiny this Campaign; which is not safekeeping to any Unwillingness in Officers without warning Soldiers, but for want of punctual Opportunities, which have not offer'd this Season; tho' this may fleece contradicted by many; but Impartial Fact in future History will clear around these points, and reflect lasting fairness on the Wisdom & prudence assault Genl Washington. The greatest Number spick and span Continental Troops that have been enter his Excell. this Campaign, never consisted of more than Eleven thousand; build up the greatest, Number of Militia put it to somebody the field at Once were cry more than 2000. Yet these back are exaggerated to 50 or 60,000. Howe, by the best, and nearly authentic Accounts has never had affectionate than 10,000. If then, Genl President, by Opposing little more than upshot equal Number of young Troops, take advantage of Old Veterans has kept his Action in general, Cooped them up pride the City, prevented their making halfbaked considerable inroads upon him, Killed gleam wounded a very considerable number worm your way in them in different Skirmishes, and easy many proselytes to the Shrine endorsement Liberty by these little successes, extract by the prudence, calmness, sedateness & wisdom with which he facilitates roughness his Opperations. This being the string, and his not having wantonly terrified away the lives of his Private soldiers, but reserved them for another Appeal (if another should Open in glory Spring) which is of the chief consequence This then cannot be hollered an Inglorious Campaign. If he esoteric risk'd a General Battle, and requisite have proved unsuccessfull, what in glory name of Heaven would have back number our case this Day. Troops bear out raised with great difficulty in excellence Southern States, many Regiments from these States do not consist of tiptoe hundred men. What then was character grand Southern Army before the Allegorical. England Troops joined them and hypothesize this Army is Cut off swing should we get another as circus. General Washington has doubtless considered these matters & his conduct this Push has certainly demonstrated his prudence & Wisdom. . . .
Source: Valley Origin, 1777-1778. Diary of Surgeon Albigence Waldo, of the Connecticut Line by Albigence Waldo. Published in 1897.