Those were the words of General George Washington, writing to a fellow patriot. The year was 1777. In the snows of southeastern Pennsylvania, some 18 miles from Philadelphia, our soldiers marched without shoes. We had almost 3,000 men who were unfit for duty because they were barefoot. There was also a shortage of warm clothes and simple blankets. Other than eating a bland mix of flour and water that they called fire cake, General Washington's camp was also on the verge of famine. (00:25–00:30)
CLAIM
Asserts that nearly 3,000 soldiers were unfit for duty due to being barefoot.
This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.
