What happened at Valley Forge?

The British army had captured the city of Philadelphia (September 1777), which was the de facto capital of the rebellious colonies. General George Washington tried to liberate the city but to no avail and had to retreat to Valley Forge where his army wintered for six months. Due to a serious lack of supplies and the harsh weather, some 1700 to 2000 soldiers died of several diseases. However the Americans resisted and persevered and the next year, as the British retreated from Philadelphia, the Continental forces pursued them and fought them at the Battle of Monmouth.