em how to fight. One of
Burgoyne's officers said that when the Continental troops were drawn up
to receive the surrender, they stood like soldiers, though dressed as
if they had come from the farm or the shop. He was surprised to see how
straight and strong and fine they were! General Gates ordered his men
not to cheer or show any desire to humiliate their beaten foes, and this
courtesy tendered him by General Gates was reported to Parliament by
General Burgoyne when he returned to England. He was especially touched
by it because he had needlessly burned some of the beautiful homes of
the very officers who were so gracious to him. This courtesy was very
fine in Gates, but he failed in his duty to his Commander-in-Chief, and
in many ways was unreliable. He did not report the victory to
Washington, as was his duty, and paid no attention to his commands. He
did not send the troops to Philadelphia, as he was ordered, and he did
not even return the company of Virginia riflemen until it was too late.

General Gates and his friends were doing all in their power to destroy
the good name and the authority of Washington. They kept back troops
Washington needed and then criticized him for not fighting a decisive
battle. But Washington endured their fault-finding in silence, for he
knew that an open battle with such a powerful foe meant certain defeat,
and patriotism so filled his heart that it left no room for selfish
ambition. He was not seeking personal glory, but independence for
America. If General Howe had attacked him, he would have fought bravely,
but he and his fellow officers knew it was unwise to attack the British.
In many skirmishes, however, his troops showed courage and
steadfastness, and proved they were making progress in the arts of
warfare.

A few months before this, Congress had made some changes in the
quartermaster (the officer who attends to supplies) and in the
commissary (food) departments, although Washington had opposed the
changes. The result was a bad mix-up in getting supplies to the army,
and food and clothing spoiled and went to waste for want of wagons to
carry them to the camp.

Winter set in, and the troops were poorly clad and worn out from
hardships. There were not enough blankets to go around, and many of the
men were obliged to sit by the camp fires all night and thus got very
little rest. Washington decided to go into winter quarters in the
village of Valley Forge, about twenty miles from