The Continental Army camped at Morristown, New Jersey for a roughly six-month span from December 1, 1779 to June 22, 1780.
Extreme cold proved to be one of the armyâs greatest trials during the winter at Morristown. Though Valley Forge is remembered for its harsh conditions, that winter in Morristown, Washingtonâs troops faced even bitterer cold than they had witnessed in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania a few years before. Known as âthe hard winter,â the season bridging the end of 1779 and early 1780 proved to be one of the coldest on record. Morristown received twenty-eight snowfalls during the Continental Armyâs residence there, adding to the miserable conditions the troops faced in the wake of the shortages of food and supplies. In early January, there was a blizzard that lasted for two days, leaving 4 feet of snow in its wake. The temperature often remained below freezing, and snowdrifts piled up as soldiers struggled to keep warm with their scanty clothes and blankets. The challenges the freezing temperatures presented were only aggravated by the armyâs serious lack of food and supplies. Shoes, shirts, and blankets were scarce, making conditions even more bleak as soldiers sought to fend off hunger and cold.
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