A Narrative Of The Adventures, Dangers And Sufferings Of A Revolutionary War

Joseph Plumb Martin penned an account on his times during the Revolutionary War called A Narrative of Some of the Adventures, Dangers, and Sufferings of a Revolutionary War Solder, Interspersed with Anecdotes of Incidents That Occurred Within His Own Observation. The title itself, while long, paraphrases the contents of his memoir. In unit nine, we were given the introduction chapter to this narrative, as well as most of chapter four. Mr. Martin is an intriguing figure from the American Revolutionary era, as his documentation shows how he had a different reason for joining the war rather than simple necessity. After years of observing interactions between his home country and mother country, he began to support the cause for independence …show more content…
Historians have analyzed his writing and have come to conclusion that his account is accurate in terms of the details regarding his journey and recollection of battles. Therefore, one can read Mr. Martin’s narrative and gain an understanding of what war life was like on a day-to-day basis, as well as gather what the flow of the entire Revolutionary War was like. However, the reasons why Martin joined the war are different than most men of this time. The significance of service from Martin’s perspective is different than the significance of the average colonial man. This is purely because Martin chose to join the war for personal reasons. He joined when he wanted, he enlisted for a time period that was comfortable for him, and he joined with the basis to protect the land he called home. This idea leads into why Martin’s account provided an explanation of how the war contributed to the conception of a new nation. Martin joined the war believing that the war itself was a way to make his conceptualized nation a reality. It seems, as though he gathered from the old politicians around him that the best way to enact these new ideals is to fight for them. The war itself was the biggest contributing factor to the conception of a new …show more content…
Martin provides a peak into the daily life and routine of a solider during the Revolutionary War. Having the knowledge of daily life helps readers and historians further understand the nature of what service was like during the war. Mr. Martin explains the daily trials and daily successes that occurred during his service. Mr. Martin appears to have an average solider experience, despite his choice in enlisting. This in itself provides further interest to the reader. In the text, Mr. Martin constantly eludes to how the environment affected the moral of the group. These environmental conditions were often related to the weather, camp conditions, and overall health. Mr. Martin provided insight that the nature of service in the military was that of struggle and little