Fighting is always hard, even if you have plenty of soldiers and
plenty for them to eat; but Washington had very few soldiers, and very
little powder for the guns, and little food for the men to eat.

The soldiers were not in uniform, as ours are to-day; but each was
dressed just as he happened to come from his shop or his farm.

Washington ordered hunting shirts for them, such as he wore when he
went to fight the Indians, for he knew they would look more like
soldiers if all were dressed alike.

Of course many people thought that our men would be beaten, as the war
went on; but Washington never thought so, for he was sure our side was
right.

I hardly know what he would have done, at last, if the French people
had not promised to come over and help us, and to send us money and
men and ships. All the people in the army thanked God when they heard
it, and fired their guns for joy.

A brave young man named Lafayette came with the French soldiers, and
he grew to be Washington's great friend, and fought for us all through
the Revolution.

Many battles were fought in this war, and Washington lost some of
them, and a great many of his men were killed.

You could hardly understand how much trouble he had. In the winter,
when the snow was deep on the ground, he had no houses or huts for his