<P> Considering these questions, an encampment at Valley Forge had notable advantages . Valley Forge's high terrain meant that enemy attacks would be difficult . Its location allowed for soldiers to be readily detached to protect the countryside . Proximity to the Schuylkill River could facilitate supply movements down the river . Wide, open areas provided space for drilling and training . On December 19, Washington conducted his 12,000 - person army to Valley Forge to establish the encampment . </P> <P> The encampment was primarily situated along the high, flat ground east of Mount Joy and south of the Schuylkill River . In addition to a concentration of soldiers at Valley Forge, Washington ordered nearly 2,000 soldiers to encamp at Wilmington, Delaware . He posted the army's mounted troops at Trenton, New Jersey, and additional outposts at Downingtown and Radnor, Pennsylvania, among other places . In the two winter encampments prior to Valley Forge, the Continental army had sheltered themselves in a combination of tents, constructed huts, civilian barns and other buildings . Valley Forge would mark the first time Washington ordered the army primarily concentrated into a more permanent post where they constructed their own shelters . This strategic shift encouraged a whole new host of problems for the American Patriots . </P> <P> The Valley Forge encampment became the Continental Army's first large - scale construction of living quarters . While no accurate account exists for the exact number of log huts built, experts estimate a range between 1,300 - 1,600 structures . Brigadier General Louis Lebègue de Presle Duportail selected grounds for the brigade encampments and planned the defenses . Afterwards, brigadier generals appointed officers from each regiment to mark out the precise spot for every officer and all enlisted men's huts . Despite commanders' attempts at standardization, the huts varied in terms of size, materials, and construction techniques . Military historian John B.B. Trussell Jr. writes that many squads "dug their floors almost two feet below ground level," to reduce wind exposure or the number of logs required for construction . In addition, some huts had thatched straw roofs, while others consisted of brush, canvas, or clapboards . In a letter to his wife Adrienne, Lafayette described the huts as "small barracks, which are scarcely more cheerful than dungeons ." </P> <P> The Continental Army that marched into Valley Forge consisted of about 12,000 people--soldiers, artificers, women, and children . Throughout the winter, patriot commanders and legislators faced the challenge of supplying a population the size of a colonial city . In May and June 1777, the Continental Congress had authorized the reorganization of the supply department . Implementation of those changes never fully took effect, due to the fighting surrounding Philadelphia . Consequently, the supply chain had broken down even before the Continental Army arrived at Valley Forge . Washington chose the area partly for its strategic benefits, but wintertime road conditions impeded supply wagons en route to the encampment . </P>

What happened to the continental army at valley forge