Narrative of the Revolutionary Soldier

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A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier In the book, A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier, Joseph Plumb Martin describes his point of view as a soldier in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. He talks about all the hardships he and his comrades had to endure during this time, the suffering, the emotional and physical toll it took on the soldiers. Fatigue, Hunger, and Cold were the constant companions of Joseph Plumb Martin, the rest of the Continental Army, and the British forces. These companions were detrimental to the soldiers and killed a percentage of the soldiers. Everyone was accustomed to hearing from the prestigious leaders, and Martin wanted to give another perspective. Martin wrote this book to explain what the soldiers had to go through, not from an officer’s point of view, but from a private’s view. He wanted the public to know that the war was as traumatic as the leaders said it to be and for the veterans to get recognition for their actions that they never got. He gets into description about having no food and taking food from the homes that were near the war, and having to be on lookout for hours while the officers and other leaders were in their reserves. Towards the end of the war, Martin becomes very spiteful towards the government’s treatment of him and his former comrades. Overall, Martin does a respectable job of informing the public on how the Revolutionary soldier’s life during the war was and how difficult their life was. Even though Martin was not the most decorated soldier, his efforts should be valued. Martin participated in very prominent battles (the Battle of Bunker Hill, Siege of Yorktown, and the Battle of Red Bank), and describes the Battle of Red Bank. Martin declares, “Five Hundred men defeated two thousand of the enemy, killed and wounded a large number, and mortally wounded and took prisoner their
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