She spent a large portion of the Revolutionary War at winter encampments alongside her husband

During the Revolutionary War, some women joined the Continental Army dressed as men and engaged the British. Even while Martha Washington may not have been one of them, she also didn't just wait about at Mount Vernon, their property in Fairfax County, Virginia. She would go for many months every year during the Revolutionary War to George Washington's winter camp. Washington would stay away from Mount Vernon for more than six years after he departed in 1775. The General often invited Martha to join him at his winter encampment during the lengthy winter months when warfare was at a standstill.

Every year, whether it was at Cambridge, Valley Forge, Philadelphia, Morristown, Newburgh, or anywhere else, she made the difficult trip to his camp. She spent extended periods with him. In reality, Martha was able to spend over half of the time her husband was gone from her between April 1775 and December 1783. The General requested reimbursement from Congress for his wife's travel costs since he believed her presence was so crucial to the cause. Additionally, she wasn't only providing for her husband's needs at the camps. One of the interesting facts about Martha Washington is that she frequently visited the huts of common troops, sewed socks, and other outerwear for them for hours, and cared for the sick or dying soldiers.

But Martha had to go through her trauma before she could make the first journey. She needed to get immunized against smallpox, one of the worst threats troops encountered in times of conflict. After surviving the vaccination, Martha was able to visit the troops' camp without worrying about getting sick or spreading the sickness to others.