Joseph Plumb Martin (1760–1850)

This is one of the only memoirs written by an ordinary soldier who took part in the American Revolution, and it is pretty incredible. It gives the reader a very different view of the war than the usual one which focuses on the wealthy leaders of the revolution. The author, Joseph Plumb Martin, doesn’t spend the book talking about the soldiers’ worship of Washington and their patriotism.

The soldiers just suffered horrifically. They often went days without any food, yet still had to march show more and do hard labor. Continental Congress and the states were unwilling and unable to feed or pay their soldiers throughout the entire war. And at the end of the Revolution, the soldiers were discharged from the army without pay or care from the government.

Despite all of that, the book is not depressing. Martin writes humorously throughout, both poking fun of others and himself. And the humor translates surprisingly easily to a modern reader. He clearly was an amazing person. show less

I was a little worried this book would be difficult to read, but it was surprisingly well-written, funny, and had a lot of attitude! (Of course I realize much of it had to have been "edited" for spelling and the like.)

Having spent the last few years reading biographies of our Founding Fathers, books on the Constitution, and books on the Revolution in general, it was clear that this book is heavily referenced by other authors, certainly when it comes to the plight of the Continental soldier. show more And what a plight it was. I've no doubt that much of what Martin describes is accurate, most especially when it comes to the lack of "victuals," clothing, and shelter from which these men suffered.

The anecdotes Martin offers are both harrowing and amusing. He's not above poking fun at himself when he's done something questionable (like climb up a shear mountain face only to get hundreds of feet up before realizing he can't reach the summit).

If you've avoided this book because you're afraid of its perceived 18th century language differences or that it would be boring, I assure you that's not the case at all. show less

I've had this book for awhile, but was inspired by a recent Father's Day trip (thanks to my children!) to the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia to read it. The museum has a rare first edition of the book, as well as a life-size figure of the author on display.
The author was 16 years old when he enlisted in a Connecticut regiment, and he stayed for the duration of the war (1776-1783). This book gives a very fine story of the life of a private (later a sergeant) in the show more Revolutionary War. He did not perform any notable heroics or deeds, and doesn't write about the history of the battles that he participated in. He only gives a story of what he saw and did. When Joseph was 70, he wrote this book from a journal that he kept (sadly, now lost). His story is filled with humor, sarcasm, sadness, and heroics. At times he does silly (and dangerous) things, but remember, he was a teenager at the time.
Reading the book, you wonder why the soldiers stayed with the army. Only paid a couple of times throughout the war, hardly given any clothing, treated poorly, going days without food, and when fed given bad food that wouldn't even be considered enough to live on. Marching for hours on end. And then facing battles! Sadly too, the soldiers were never given the pay they earned, nor the 100 acres of land that they were promised when enlisting.
It was interesting to me when Joseph traveled through my home state (Delaware), and mentions towns and places that I am familiar with. And surprisingly he encounters a multiracial family in Wilmington (DE), something he had never seen before (and I'm sure very unusual at that time). A funny event-when at Yorktown (near the end of the war) he meets George Washington, but doesn't recognize him! It is dark, and Washington is just walking by himself talking to the soldiers. Not until some officers address Washington does he realize who it is!
This book is now considered a classic memoir of the war. There are many histories of the American Revolution, but not very many from a soldiers point-of-view. It is well written, very enjoyable, interesting, and is not dated. And you don't have to be a hard-core history buff to enjoy it.
Note: Do not buy a "CreateSpace" edition, like I did. There are typos, and one chapter ends in the middle of a sentence.
And if you live near Philadelphia, make it a point to visit the Museum of the American Revolution-it is well worth it! show less

Joseph Plumb Martin wrote one of the few soldier's accounts of the American revolution. Written some forty years after the war ended from his home Maine, Martin's record is a surprising account of his experiences as a Continental regular. Though he was present at the defense of Fort Mifflin in 1778, fought at Monmouth and Yorktown, it is not his battle experiences that are most engaging. Rather, it is his vivid accounts of the soldiers' day to day struggle to survive. Though food was hard to show more come by under most circumstances, due to an ineffective commissary system and badly depreciated currency, the undernourished army reached starvation conditions during the winters. Martin is particularly eloquent regarding the condition of the army during the Valley Forge winter, and the disastrous Morristown winter of 1780.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in an inside glance at life inside the Continental Army. It is written with humor, is a quick read, and has the merit of being inexpensive. show less