Ordinary Courage: The Revolutionary War Adventures of Joseph Plumb Martin

230 Pages·2012·1.75 MB·English

by  James Kirby Martin

“If I had to rely on a single book to convey the full experience of the Revolutionary E
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War, it would certainly be Joseph Plumb Martin’s Narrative. Martin personalizes the i
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experience of a common solider with the freshness of youth and the wisdom of age – a E
truly remarkable feat. Like All Quiet on the Western Front, it’s a must-read classic.” d
Ray Raphael, author of A People’s History of the American Revolution b
y
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“No soldier in Washington’s Continental Army ever inscribed a more trenchant and
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vivid account of the hopes, fears, frustrations, and sufferings of the common volunteer
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than Joseph Plumb Martin. In this new edition of Private Martin’s account, James
Kirby Martin has amplified the footnotes and bibliography to breathe new life into this t
remarkable reminiscence. This is indispensable reading for anyone interested in the i
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American Revolution from the inside out.”

Gary B. Nash, University of California, Los Angeles O
Praise for the third edition:
“Ordinary Courage reminds the reader that the American Revolution was fought by r
ordinary persons thrust into extraordinary circumstances. Joseph Plumb Martin did not
advise Washington, write stirring documents, or hold an important political office, but d
he fought and suffered for American independence. James Kirby Martin has done an
extraordinary job editing the work, with notes that provide the historical context for i
Joseph Martin’s experiences.” n
Randy Roberts, Distinguished Professor of History, Purdue University
a
r
First published in 1830, this classic memoir of the American Revolutionary War relates
events from the perspective of patriots who endured the hardships of long-term service in y
Washington’s army during the period 1775–1783. Martin himself joined the Continental

army in 1776 at the age of 15 and endured all the horrors of war, including killer
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diseases, starvation, brutal weather, and bloody combat. This updated fourth edition has
once more been overseen by the celebrated scholar of US history James Kirby Martin, O
who has trimmed the repetitions of the original, updated spelling and punctuation, added
explanatory notes, and augmented the bibliography. The book now also includes a new u
Afterword by Karen Guenther on movie portrayals of Revolutionary-era soldiers. Fourth Edition
r
Martin’s memoir clearly demonstrates that the history made and recorded by ordinary
people is just as compelling as that of the few famous leaders who traditionally a Ordinary
dominate the historical limelight. Told with humor, frankness, and pathos, the work is
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a key primary document of the period and makes thought-provoking reading for today’s
college students and general readers alike. E
COuragE

JAMeS KIRBy MARTIN is the Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen University Professor of History
at the University of Houston. He is the award-winning author of twelve books, including Benedict EF
Arnold, Revolutionary Hero: An American Warrior Reconsidered (1997), and Forgotten do
Allies: The Oneida Indians and the American Revolution (with Joseph T. Glatthaar, 2006). itiur the revolutionary War adventures
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of Joseph Plumb Martin
Cover image: Winter at Valley Forge by F. C. yohn (hand-colored woodcut),
ISBN 978-1-4443-5135-4
1898 © North Wind Picture Archives / Alamy 90000
Cover design by Simon Levy JaMEs Kirby Martin
EditEd by
9 781444 351354
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Ordinary Courage
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Ordinary Courage
The Revolutionary War Adventures
of Joseph Plumb Martin
Fourth Edition
Edited by
James Kirby Martin
With an essay
The Revolutionary War Soldier on Film
by Karen Guenther
A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Publication
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This edition first published 2013
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Wiley-Blackwell is an imprint of John Wiley & Sons, formed by the merger of Wiley’s global
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The right of James Kirby Martin to be identified as the author of the editorial material in this
work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Martin, Joseph Plumb, 1760–1850.
[Narrative of some of the adventures, dangers, and sufferings of a Revolutionary soldier]
Ordinary Courage : the Revolutionary War Adventures of Joseph Plumb Martin / edited
by James Kirby Martin ; with an essay “The Revolutionary War Soldier on Film” by Karen
Guenther. – Fourth edition.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4443-5135-4 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Martin, Joseph Plumb, 1760–1850. 2. United States–History–Revolution, 1775–1783–
Personal narratives. 3. Soldiers–United States–Biography. I. Martin, James Kirby,
1943– II. Title.
E275.M38 2012
973.3′8–dc23
2011051679
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Set in 10/12.5pt Galliard by SPi Publisher Services, Pondicherry, India
1 2013
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For
Aunt Jane and Uncle Don McClelland
with unbounded affection
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Contents
Introductory Comments ix
Overview Maps of Joseph Plumb Martin’s Adventures,
1776–1783 xxiii–iv
Martin’s Narrative of Adventures, Dangers and Sufferings xxv
Preface 1
Chapter I: Introductory 3
Chapter II: Campaign of 1776 11
Chapter III: Campaign of 1777 39
Chapter IV: Campaign of 1778 70
Chapter V: Campaign of 1779 98
Chapter VI: Campaign of 1780 111
Chapter VII: Campaign of 1781 132
Chapter VIII: Campaign of 1782 158
Chapter IX: Campaign of 1783 168
The Revolutionary War Soldier on Film 183
Karen Guenther
Suggestions for Additional Reading 188
Index 195
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