Joseph Plumb Martin
Joseph Plumb Martin (
1760-
1850) was a
Revolutionary War soldier, who published an account of his experiences as a soldier in a
Connecticut regiment of the
Continental Army in
1830. This narrative has been frequently cited by scholars as an excellent primary source for the Revolution. It is notable that Martin was a mere
Private in the army, and his account does not involve the usual heroes of the Revolution. Martin participated in, and describes in his narrative, such notable engagements as the
Battle of Brooklyn, the
Battle of White Plains, and the
Battle of Monmouth. Martin was also present during the climatic
Siege of Yorktown.
Martin's narrative was originally published anonymously in
1830, at
Hallowell,
Maine, as
A narrative of some of the adventures, dangers, and sufferings of a Revolutionary soldier, interspersed with anecdotes of incidents that occurred within his own observation. It has been republished in many forms, most notably by
Little, Brown in
1962, in an edition edited by
George F. Scheer (ISBN 0915992108); as well as appearing as a volume in Series I of
The New York Times'
Eyewitness Accounts of the American Revolution in
1968.
*
Diary extracts*Diary
extract "Laying Close Siege to the Enemy"
*Gravestone of
Jospeh P. Martin and wife
