The Diary of Joseph Plumb Martin, a Revolutionary Soldier

by Joseph Plumb Martin

Book Overview

A wide-eyed teenager during most of the Revolutionary War, Joseph Plumb Martin left his grandfather's farm in Connecticut in 1775 and spent much of the next eight years with the Continental Army,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Library Binding
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0761410147
• ISBN13: 9780761410140
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Cavendish Square Publishing
• Length: 64 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.2" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 10 to 13 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 8

Customer Reviews

Heavily edited by George F. Scheer but suitable for younger readers

I ordered this book without realizing it was edited for younger readers; completely my fault for not paying attention. I did not want one that has had the grammar and spelling corrected and the editor has "omitted a number of Martin's passages and phrases that would be of little interest;" yet it is still proclaimed as "Joseph Martin's story the way he himself told it." However, I think this version is suited for younger readers as stated or adults looking for a less authentic sort of experience for reading. I will be donating it to my local library and searching for an unedited version. BE SURE OF WHICH BOOK YOU ARE ORDERING.

Now I understand

I had very little knowlege of the Revolutionary War although I live in the Historic Triangle of Yorktown, Jamestown and Williamsburg. This little book made the day to day life of a soldier become real. It also explains the background of the war the way history books can't. It's also entertaining with moments of teen-age hijinks (which we may not expect from starving soldiers) and very personal observations of our historic heroes.

Learn about the past

Good book. Worth reading to learn about what ordinary folks did during the Revolutionary War.

Excellent: Educational AND Entertaining

Joseph Plumb Martin who writes of his own experiences during the American Revolution is such an interesting and multifaceted character. He is a true rarity as he left us a firsthand account of a private soldier in the Revolutionary War. He is very human and suffers miserably under excruciating circumstances; yet, he is able to see the humorous side to things as well. There seem to be so few personal accounts of the Revolutionary War, but I am thankful that his is one of the few. Joseph is very intelligent as well, even philosophical at times. He is gentleman enough to even have sympathy for individual British enemy soldiers who are wounded and/or dying. He also thinks about the future and tries to give the reader many things to contemplate. Just one of many examples are as follows:"...I, with some of my comrades who were in the battle of the White plains in the year `76, one day took a ramble on the ground where we were then engaged with the British and took a survey of the place. We saw a number of the graves of those who fell in that battle; some of the bodies had been so slightly buried that the dogs or hogs, or both, had dug them out of the ground. The sculls [sic] and other bones, and hair were scattered about the place. Here were Hessian sculls as thick as a bomb shell; ---poor fellows! they were left unburied in a foreign land; ---they had, perhaps, as near and dear friends to lament their sad destiny as the Americans who lay buried nearthem. But they should have kept at home, we should then never have gone after them to kill them in their own country. But, the reader will say, they were forced to come and be killed here;forced by their rulers who have absolute power of life and death over their subjects. Well then, reader, bless a kind Providence that has made such a distinction between your condition andtheirs. And be careful too that you do not allow yourself ever to be brought to such an abject, servile and debased condition."Please get this book and read it. This should be required reading for every American citizen!

A Soldier's soldier

This is as good as it gets for history buffs. Just prior to reading this book I read the McCullough book, John Adams, and was heart sick at the suffering that Abigail Adams had to endure while her husband was off in Europe, Philadelphia or Washington. Well compared to Jospeh Plumb Martin's experiences Abigail was in heaven. She had a farm with food and clothing and a warm fire. Three things that Pvt. Martin seldom had in his many years fighting for the country. Pvt Martin is an excellent, courageous soldier when the times call for it, but during the lulls in between he is a kid who gets himself in trouble. It was a miracle he survived some of his escapades. He is irreverent and funny and often furious at his country and the damn British sympathizers. Even at 70 years old, 50 years afterward he is bitter over the treatment of veterans. Some things will never change. Politicians especially. If you like history and are tired of reading it as written from the "top down" this "bottom up" view will be refreshing.

Meet A Man Who Made "US" Possible

The diary of Joseph Plumb Martin is an excellent account of the Revolutionary War told from the soldier's view.Martin campaigned almost continuously from the beginning of the War through Yorktown (with the exception of the first winter after his initial three month service). He lived much of what have become the hallowed tales of our epic struggle for nationhood. He was at the Battles of Brooklyn, Harlem Heights and White Plains, endured Valley Forge (though for most of that winter stationed away from the camp as a forager), Monmouth, the other terrible winter encampments and Yorktown to name a few. Through it all, Martin marched, froze, starved and suffered for his service. It is remarkable that he kept at it for most of the war. (One reads of the constant lack of food - often for two or more days - and is amazed that more soldiers didn't simply just quit.) It is more remarkable that he kept at it in fairly good humor - though he did parade with the Connecticut troops who conducted a minor mutiny over the lack of provisions. (An incident that Washington reported to Congress as more worrisome to the cause than the British force occupying New York.)Martin is a good storyteller and raconteur. The reader will not find detailed accounts of battle here. In fact, battle is mentioned rather matter-of-factly. What is delightful to find is an account of the day in and day out hardships of life in Washington's army. Stories abound of camp life, foraging, marching, guard duty, scrapes with Torries, the hunt for clothing and the other ever-present challenges that soldiers had to endure and perform to simply survive between battles.This is a wonderful book that I highly recommend.