General George Washington’s army settled into a second
season at Morristown, New Jersey, on December 1, 1779.
Washington’s personal circumstances improved dramatically
as he moved into the Ford Mansion and was able to conduct
his military business in the style of a proper 18th-century
gentleman.
However, the worst winter of the 1700s coupled with the
collapse of the colonial economy ensured misery for
Washington’s underfed, poorly clothed and unpaid troops
as they struggled for the next two months to construct their
1,000-plus “log-house city” from 600 acres of New Jersey
woodland.
