¶ … Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier
In his memoir A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier, Joseph Plumb Martin recounts his experiences fighting in the Revolutionary War as a private, providing a view of the war not usually seen in histories dealing with the more famous major political and military leaders of the day. In particular, Martin's perspective on colonial and British officers and soldiers, the day-to-day experience of the war, and his reasons for staying throughout the campaign offer the reader a useful insight into the realities of the American Revolution from the perspective of an average soldier.
Although Martin serves under a variety of admirable officers during his time fighting for the colonial army, at one point in the narrative he encounters a particularly heartless officer which serves to demonstrate some of the class differences likely not seen in other accounts of the war. As Martin and some of his comrades are attempting to retreat and bring a sick man to safety, they are stopped at "a place where our people had begun to make a stand" and an officer...
Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier In Martin's (2001) narrative, he addresses many aspects of soldiering in the Revolutionary War. There were many deserters during that time, but Martin chose to stay. That makes him somewhat unusual, but he had a different outlook about American officers, British regulars, soldier morale, and the physical discomforts that came with soldiering. He talks of how he could have easily killed Benedict Arnold, but did not
Royster does an effective job of explaining how the revolutionaries managed to hold on and keep fighting against the larger British forces. In the hellish nightmare of war, "Liquor in moderation was thought to relieve fatigue," Royster explains (144). This was not a decision that the generals made -- allowing soldiers to drink alcohol during battles -- but rather it was fully endorsed by Congress. Those that haven't read Royster's
military narrative of the American Revolutionary War is often depicted in clear, bright shades of red, white and blue, with the "Star Spangled Banner" blaring loudly in the background. However, the lived reality of the American Revolutionary War was often quite brutal and harsh, particularly for the ordinary soldiers in the Colonial Army. The account of the Patriot soldier Joseph Plumb Martin, as related in the book Ordinary Courage:
Oscar Cullmann, Nolan, and Genezio Boff. Oscar Cullmann can be described as a Christian theologian within the Lutheran tradition. His most notable work involved the ecumenical movement. He was in part accountable for the formation of dialogue between the Roman Catholic and Lutheran traditions. Nolan was born in the city of Cape Town, South Africa. He is of English descent and is a fourth-generation South African. Influenced by Thomas Merton,
Founding Fathers Freedom and Liberty to the Founding Fathers The founding fathers of the United States of America were a product of the Enlightenment. The "Enlightenment" was the 18th century's attempt to break out of the self-imposed restrictions of society and create something better. (Rosner 2000, 251-253) Beginning with the writings of John Locke in the mid-1600's, a new idea had begun to take root: that man could, through his reason, create
Boston Massacre Brutal Murder or Self-Defense? Boston Massacre is known as the cornerstone of Revolutionary war which resulted into a series of events causing changes in the world's map. On face value, it can be perceived as an incident in which the innocent citizens were murdered by the tyrant government but a careful analysis would reveal that basic reasons of the Boston Massacre are rooted in the years of tension and strain
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