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HIST 120 Dr. Schaffer

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?

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___________________________________________________ From R.D. Marcus et al., eds, America Firsthand, Vol. 1, 8

th edn (Boston, 2010), pp.

110–16.

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HIST 120 Dr. Schaffer

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HIST 120 Dr. Schaffer

[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. 132–3.

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HIST 29 Dr. Schaffer

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, 1776. 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. 119–21.

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HIST 29 Dr. Schaffer

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.