Excerpt from the Autobiography of Joseph Plumb Martin and the Letters of Margaret Morris

Transcription

1 1 Excerpt from the Autobiography of Joseph Plumb Martin and the Letters of Margaret Morris Questions to think about: Joseph Plumb Martin 1. How does Martin justify writing his memoirs? Why do you think he apologizes for writing them? 2. Based on these excerpts, how much support did the civilian population give to the Continental Army? 3. What examples does Martin give of how dire conditions in the Continental Army were? Given these conditions, why did Martin remain in the army? (This question is a very important one!) Margaret Morris 4. Explain what happens when American soldiers show up at Margaret Morris house. Why is she nervous? Why does she ask the Americans if they are Hessians when they are quite clearly not? Tying these sources to your textbook: 5. Based on these sources and what you have learned in your textbook, what roles did women play in the Revolutionary War? What special challenges did they face during the war? - From R.D. Marcus et al., eds, America Firsthand, Vol. 1, 8 th edn (Boston, 2010), pp

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5 5 [Here Martin describes the actions of Mary Hays McCauley (aka Molly Pitcher ), the wife of a Pennsylvania private, at the Battle of Monmouth Courthouse (1778). With their husbands away in battle, many working-class women were unable to provide for themselves. Some of them chose to follow their husbands from battle to battle. Although they were looked down on by some, these women provided much needed services for the poorly supplied Continental Army: they cooked, cleaned the soldiers clothes, and served as nurses. 1 ] One little incident happened, during the heat of the cannonade, which I was eyewitness to, and which I think it would be unpardonable not to mention. A woman whose husband belonged to the artillery, and who was then attached to a piece in the engagement, attended with her husband at the piece the whole time. While in the act of reaching a cartridge and having one of her feet as far before the other as she could step, a cannon shot from the enemy passed directly between her legs without doing any other damage than carrying away all the lower part of her petticoat. Looking at it with apparent unconcern, she observed that it was lucky it did not pass a little higher, for in that case it might have carried away something else, and continued her occupation. 1 This excerpt from Private Yankee Doodle Being a Narrative of the Adventures, Dangers and Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier by Joseph Plumb Martin, ed. by G. F. Scheer (Boston, 1962), pp

6 6 From the letters of Margaret Morris (December 6, 1776 to January 11, 1777). Morris was the widow of a Philadelphia merchant and lived near Trenton, New Jersey. 2 Morris was a Quaker and a pacifist, and during the war she provided shelter to both patriots and loyalists (Tories). This source provides a glimpse of what life was like during the Revolutionary War for noncombatants who lived near the front lines. Hessians were German mercenary soldiers hired by the British government. (They are the foreign mercenaries to whom Jefferson referred in the Declaration of Independence.) These soldiers had been sold to the British by the ruler of the principality of Hesse, in what is now Germany. Conditions in the British military were notoriously harsh, but they were worse in the Hessian military and corporal punishment (for example, flogging) was common. One consequence of the brutal training that the Hessian soldiers received was that they would advance under even suicidal conditions and they would not break ranks under heavy enemy fire. The Hessians were therefore the crack troops of the British army; hence when Washington captured around 1,000 Hessians at the battle of Trenton in December 1776 it was a major psychological victory for the Americans. Many Hessians hoped to make their fortunes in America through plunder; the officers who commanded Hessian troops often looked the other way. About 20,000 Hessians and 10,000 more other Germans served in the British army during the Revolutionary War. Dec. 6th, Being on a visit to my friend, M. S., at Haddonfield I was preparing to return to my Family, when a person from [Philadelphia] told us the people there were in great Commotion, that the English fleet was in the River & hourly expected to sail up to the city; that the inhabitants were removing into the Country; & and that several persons of considerable repute had been discover[e]d to have formed a design of setting fire to the City... On my journey home I was told the inhabitants of our little Town [Burlington, N. J.] were going in haste into the Country & and that my nearest neighbors were already removed. When I heard this, I felt myself quite Sick; I was ready to faint--i thought of my S. D. [Sarah Dillwynn, her sister], the beloved companion of my widow[e]d State her Husband at the distance of some hundred miles from her; I thought of my own lonely situation, no Husband to cheer with the voice of love, my Sinking spirits. My little flock too, without a Father to direct them how to steer. All these things crowded into my mind at once, & I felt like one forsaken; a flood of friendly tears came to my relief & I felt a humble Confidence that He, who had been with me in six troubles, would not forsake me now. While I cherish[e]d this hope, my tranquility was restor[e]d, & I felt no Sensations but of humble Acquiescence to the Divine Will & and was favour[e]d to find my Family in good health upon my Arrival 2 Reprinted in Retrieving the American Past, ed. by David Yancey (Boston, 2007), pp HIST 29

7 7 12th A Number of Men landed on our Bank this Morning, & told us it was thier settled purpose to set fire to the Town I beg[ge]d them not to set my house a fire. They ask[e]d which was my House, I show[e]d it to them, & they said they knew not what hinder[e]d them from fireing on it last Night, for seeing a light in the Chambers, they thought there were Hessians in it, & that they pointed the Guns at it Several times. I told them my Children were Sick, which oblig[e]d me to burn a light all Night. Tho they did not know what hinder[e]d them from fireing on us, I did, it was the Guardian of the Widow & the Orphan, who took us into his Safe keeping, & preserv[e]d us from danger About noon this day (the 16) a very terrible account of thousands coming into Town & now actually to be seen on Gallows Hill A loud knocking at my door brought me to it. I was a little flutter[e]d & kept locking and unlocking that I might get my ruffled face, a little compos[e]d. At last I open[e]d it, & half a dozen Men all Arm[e]d, demanded the keys of the empty House. I asked what they wanted there. They said to Search for a D d tory who had been spy[in]g on them from the Mill. The Name of a Tory so near my own door seriously alarm[e]d me for a poor refugee dignify[e]d by that Name, had claim[e]d the shelter of my Roof & was at that time very conceal[e]d, like a thief in an Auger hole. I rung the bell violently, the Signal agreed on, if they came to Search, & when I thought he had crept into the hole I put on a very simple look & cry[e]d out, bless me I hope you are not Hessians say, good Men are you the Hessians? Do we look like Hessians? Ask[e] one of them rudely[?] Indeed I don t know. Did you ever see a hessian? No never in my life but they are Men, & you are Men & may be Hessians for any thing I know. Bit Ill go with you into Col. C[oxe s] house, tho indeed it was my Son at the Mill, he is but a Boy & meant no harm, he wanted to see the Troops. So I march[e]d at the head of them, open[e]d the door, & search[e]d every place but we cou[l]d not find the tory. Strange where he cou[l]d be. We returned; they greatly disappointed, I pleas[e]d, to think my house was not Suspected [20th] A friend from Town call[e]d in about 4 oclock & told us they [the Hessians] were all acoming. We ask[ed] if he had seen them; no but he heard they were Just here[;] we ask[e]d him how we, at this distance from Town sh[oul]d know of thier coming, they might popp upon us here, & Scare us out of our Witts, as we had no Man in the house, he said, oh you will know it fast enough I warrant, why the Noise of the Waggons, & rattling of the Cannon will be heard at agreat distance & I advise you to make good use of your time till they do come, & put all things of gold & Silver out of thier way & linen too, or youll lose it. I said they pillaged none but Rebels & we were not such, we had taken no part against them, &c. But that Signified nothing, we shou[l]d loose all all &c. After he has gone, my S.D. & myself ask[e]d each other why it was that all these Stories did not put us into a fright; we were not even discompose[e]d. Surely it is a favour never to be forgotten. HIST 29