Union Army’s "Valley Forge"
The Army of the Potomac’s “Valley Forge” took place between January 25 and April 27, 1863. Fighting off demoralization, sickness and disease, and privation, the army’s soldiers and animals persevered through the cruel and fickle weather. No known historian suggests this was not the army’s low point in morale and effectiveness for the entire war in the East.
This strategic pause in the war allowed the army’s leadership to restructure, reform, reorganize and develop plans for the coming spring offensive. During this time they assumed a defensive posture, but conducted division-, brigade- and regimental-size raids, active reconnaissance, and logistical preparations. What resulted was a true non-battle turning point in the army’s wartime fortunes…
