Two Revolutionary War Era First-Hand Accounts

In the mid-eighties, I began writing what later became A Heart For Freedom, a story that centered around an eighteenth-century ordinary. Later, Setting Two Hearts Free would also take place at the same ordinary, Stewarts' Green.     Ordinaries were business establishments placed in towns, and on or near roads to accommodate travelers. They also often were located near river-crossings for the same reason. Rooms for sleeping, meals, and care for horses were all provided at a reasonable cost.

When I was researching for the story, I met a couple who lived in what was once an eighteenth-century ordinary only ten miles from where I lived in Loudoun County, VA. Visiting Cattail Ordinary was such a treat. It was located not far from what was a colonial thoroughfare as well as a ferry crossing. The owners generously lent me a book, The Journal of Nicholas Cresswell: 1774-1777. He was a British traveler who stayed in the ordinary on more than one occasion. It detailed all of his travels throughout the colonies and frontier. The same journal has since been republished several times, more recently as A Man Apart.

Anyone who writes for or visits this site enjoys history, but reading a first-person account of an era gives the reader a greater insight into the attitudes and experiences of people at the time. Since this journal was written by an Englishman who visited the colonies from 1774 to 1777, his observations and understanding would be different than a participant in the war or from the viewpoint of a historian.  

Nicholas Cresswell sailed to Virginia, believing that “a person with a small fortune may live much better and make greater improvements in America than he can possibly do in England.” In his mid-twenties, he was seeking to independently establish himself in America but those plans would be thwarted by the onset of the Revolution. Though a subject of King George, Cresswell was by no means an advocate of the colonial Loyalists. He expresses some objectivity in the book for both the Loyalist and the Patriot causes. The diary he maintained covered his travels primarily in the mid-Atlantic region and the frontier, what is now Ohio and Illinois. His observations are interesting. His experience was certainly tainted by the timing of his visit, and would have been so different had he come at another time.

A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier by Joseph Plumb Martin provides an entirely different wartime experience not only because it is written by a man who enlisted as a Patriot at fifteen but it was written when he was a seventy-year-old man. It is believed that he based this narrative on journals he may have kept in his younger years. Time and maturity no doubt influenced the retelling of his experiences providing perspective. Had he written it during the war, he no doubt would have been less objective. The son of a “wandering clergyman” Joseph was raised by his grandparents in Connecticut. He details numerous battles he participated in and often endured extreme starvation and hardship. Among tales of friendship, he tells unflattering stories of hardhearted civilians and dishonest soldiers. He learned there were many Loyalists among his countrymen and discovered that the war was not only against the invading British army but was also a civil war often dividing neighbors and families. It’s a fascinating commentary by someone who was there.

Do you enjoy reading historical events by people who were present?

The Camp Followers' Lot

“I was obliged to give Provisions to the extra Women in these regiments, or lose by Desertion, perhaps to the enemy, some of the oldest and best Soldiers in the Service.” —George Washington to Robert Morris.

“The number of Women and Children in the New York Regiments of Infantry . . . obliged me . . . to allow them Provision or, by driving them from the Army, risk the loss of a number of Men, who very probably would have followed their wives.” —George Washington to Major General Henry Knox

“A woman whose husband belonged to the artillery and who was then attached to a piece in the engagement attended 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.” —At Monmouth, from Diary of Joseph Plumb Martin

Molly Pitcher at Battle of Monmouth
J. C. Armytage, c. 1859

During the American Revolution the majority of officers were not overjoyed to have women following the army. Their main objections were that they made the army look unprofessional, created disorder, interfered with military operations, and distracted the soldiers, even tempting them to desert. But blocking women from military camps resulted in the loss of many good soldiers whose families were in need or who simply missed their wives. Some asked for furloughs, and then deserted if denied. Others cut to the chase and simply deserted. It was a Catch-22. Although Washington, like many other officers, hated to admit it, the army needed women as much as the women we call “camp followers” needed the army.

Camp Follower Saluting General Washington

Today we lump all these women into one category, but technically, the term “camp follower”—never used in the 18th century—refers to women who performed paid services such as laundry and nursing, for which they usually received a half or quarter of a soldier’s pay and rations. They were required to obey applicable army regulations that, among other things, forbade riding on the baggage carts, gambling, and engaging in prostitution. Of course, human nature being what it is, not all of them refrained from doing so. Other women who traveled with or visited the army—officer’s wives, refugees, sutlers, and so on—didn’t fit into that category.

Women followed an army for a variety reasons: They wanted to stay with their husbands. They needed an income. They were forced to flee from their homes and had no other options. The army provided a measure of safety, shelter, food, and work. In return the women also endured plenty of discomfort, hardships, and danger. They worked as hard and endured the same suffering as the soldiers. Some even broke out of traditional roles by serving in the ranks alongside their husbands. But a women had to be married to a soldier in order to get one of the limited number of the army’s paying jobs. If he died, she would have to marry another soldier within a short period of time to hold onto her job.

Doing laundry in a British camp

Washington couldn’t afford to lose men because of their families, but he also couldn’t afford to feed every one of the hungry mouths applying for subsistence when the army could barely support its own troops. Women who worked for the army received anywhere from one-quarter to one full ration, depending on what duties they performed, so officers tried to keep a lid on the army’s dependents. “The multitude of women in particular, especially those who are pregnant, or have children, are a clog upon every movement,” Washington wrote in August 1777. “The Commander in Chief earnestly recommends it to the officers to use every reasonable method in their power to get rid of all such as are not absolutely necessary.” To that end commanders called for regular reports the women in their units and sent away those who weren’t married, didn’t perform necessary tasks, behaved badly, or were sick.

Many women earned their rations by washing and mending clothing. Not only could women draw provisions, but they could also charge by the piece. The army regulated prices, however, and overcharging was a serious offense. Women also worked as cooks, but mostly for officers and support personnel such as blacksmiths, wheelwrights, and farriers. Regular soldiers formed “messes” composed of six men who shared chores such as hauling water, chopping wood, and cooking.

Following the Army, Pamela Patrick White

Women also earned money and rations by nursing. Women traditionally served as nurses, and in the army they freed the men to fight. Throughout the war nurses were in short supply, therefore in constant demand. Nurses received regular pay for keeping the hospital and its patients clean and assisting the surgeons, the least desirable jobs in medical care that also exposed them to deadly diseases such as smallpox and all kinds of camp fevers. Officers went as far as promising full rations and an allowance to women who agreed to serve as nurses and threatening to withhold rations from those who refused.

Imagine being a camp follower in the 18th century. You’re lacking the comforts and conveniences of home, so daily chores are much harder and privacy virtually nonexistent. And you’re thrown into the company of women from a variety of social classes whose way of life and behavior are very different from yours. Plus you may often be on the road and in the midst of battle. What do you think would be your hardest challenges, especially if you also had children to care for?

~~~

J. M. Hochstetler is the daughter of Mennonite farmers, a lifelong student of history, and an author, editor, and publisher. Her American Patriot Series is the only comprehensive historical fiction series on the American Revolution. Book 6, Refiner’s Fire, releases in June 2019. Northkill, Book 1 of the Northkill Amish Series coauthored with Bob Hostetler, won Foreword Magazine’s 2014 Indie Book of the Year Bronze Award for historical fiction. Book 2, The Return, received the 2017 Interviews and Reviews Silver Award for Historical Fiction and was named one of Shelf Unbound’s 2018 Notable Indie Books. One Holy Night, a contemporary retelling of the Christmas story, was the Christian Small Publishers 2009 Book of the Year and a finalist in the Carol Award.

Historical Research - A Few Favorite Sources

by Elaine Marie Cooper

Although I write historical fiction, my book shelves are filled with non-fiction. They are the core tools for my research.

While my favorite sources are the original writings of those who lived long ago, I also love old volumes—now out-of-print—that offer special insights into Colonial America, the setting for my fictional tales. While these books are by no means my only sources (historians are some of my favorites!), here are a few of my most used and most treasured volumes that have permanent residency in my home:

This volume by Shirley Glubock is an edited compilation of the writings of Alice Morse Earle. I have to smile whenever I see this book. The first time I discovered it, it was sitting on the shelves of my local library. I checked it out. Then renewed it. Then renewed it again. After about my fifth time asking to renew, the library said I had to send it back. That's when I knew I needed to find a copy of my own. I searched on Amazon and managed to locate an old one. That made my day. :)

Any books by Eric Sloane are a gem for research. He includes information that I've not found anywhere else—human interest stories as well as drawings of buildings I've never even heard of before. I discovered the "Sabbaday House" in one of his works, which provided fodder for my book, The Legacy of Deer Run.

Revolutionary Mothers by Carol Berkin is also a favorite and includes many incidents in the American Revolution that involved the women of the time. Berkin introduced me to Frederika Charlotte Riedesel, wife of the German Commander of the Brunswick troops at the Battle of Saratoga. I have admired that historical figure ever since.

A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier by Joseph Plum Martin is a first person account of a young man who began his life with the Continental Army at the age of 15 and continued with the military until the surrender at Yorktown. His personal recollections are indeed insightful as to speech used at the time as well as culture of the soldiers. Many describe this author as keeping a diary during the war. In fact, his written work was penned as an older man in his seventies. There are several versions of this book available.

This book by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich is filled with excerpts from midwife Martha Ballard's diaries. Some of the commentary by the author was worth skipping over. Some of it added insight to the amazing life of this woman who lived long ago and, not only birthed babies, but often cared for the family's medical needs as well. Well worth keeping on a writer's book shelf!

British Soldiers, American War is one of my newer research books and contains actual diary excerpts from British soldiers who fought in the American Revolution. Fascinating, insightful, and also debunks the myth that most redcoats were prisoners. Most were young men seeking adventure. One was actually a potter by trade.

Don Troiani's Soldiers of the American Revolution is an OUTSTANDING coffee table book with gorgeous illustrations by Troiani himself. He creates artwork depicting soldiers from each country that participated in the war, with detail about their uniforms that I've not seen elsewhere. The book also contains photos of artifacts that have been discovered—items used by soldiers during battles. A five-star research volume!

This list is by no means complete and I'd love to hear about some of your favorite nonfiction books about the American Revolution and Colonial America.

Elaine Marie Cooper is the author of Fields of the Fatherless and the Deer Run Saga. Her upcoming December  release (non-fiction) is entitled Bethany's Calendar. 

Joseph Plumb Martin - Soldier of the Revolution

Re-Enactor Photo by Thomas Deitner

Joseph Plumb Martin was only fourteen years old when the first shots of the American Revolution were fired in 1775. But by the time the Continental Army was formed under the command of General George Washington in 1776, fifteen-year-old Martin was allowed by his grandparents (his guardians) to join the fight.

The Army was his home for the duration of the war.

Virtually none of us would even be aware of his existence except that, as an older veteran in his 70’s, Martin penned recollections of his experiences in the war. He felt compelled to describe his life as a soldier, explaining the incredible sacrifices he and his fellow soldiers had endured.

Martin wrote his war memoir at a time when many Americans were questioning whether or not pensions should be given to these aging veterans. Martin hoped to remind his country, for whom he had made great personal sacrifice, that the soldiers of the Continental Army were indeed worthy of support.

Here is an excerpt from his writings, published as A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier.

Campaign of 1777:

The army was now not only starved but naked; the greatest part were not only shirtless and barefoot, but destitute of all other clothing, especially blankets. I procured a small piece of raw cowhide and made myself a pair of moccasins, which kept my feet from the frozen ground…

The army continued at and near the Gulf for some days, after which we marched for the Valley Forge in order to take up our winter quarters. We were now in a truly forlorn condition—no clothing, no provisions and as disheartened as need be. We arrived, however, at our destination a few days before Christmas. Our prospect was indeed dreary. In our miserable condition, to go into the wild woods and build us habitations to stay (not to live) in, in such a weak, starved and naked condition, was appalling in the highest degree, especially to New Englanders, unaccustomed to such kinds of hardships at home. However, there was no remedy, no alternative but this or dispersion. But dispersion, I believe, was not thought of—at least I did not think of it. We had engaged in the defense of our injured country and were willing, nay, we were determined to persevere as long as such hardships were not altogether intolerable. I had experienced what I thought sufficient of the hardships of a military life the year before (although nothing in comparison to what I had suffered the present campaign) … But we were now absolutely in danger of perishing, and that too, in the midst of a plentiful country. We then had but little and often nothing to eat for days together; but now we had nothing and saw no likelihood of any betterment of our condition. Had there fallen deep snows (and it was the time of year to expect them) or even heavy and long rainstorms, the whole army must inevitably have perished. Or had the enemy, strong and well provided as he was then, thought fit to pursue us, our poor emaciated carcasses must have “strewed the plain.” But a kind and holy Providence took more notice and better care of us than did the country in whose service we were wearing away our lives piecemeal.

I found this original, unedited narrative compelling and gripping. It is truly my favorite first-person resource for the era.

I also found another edition with commentary, entitled Ordinary Courage, Edited by James Kirby Martin, to be a useful companion to the original.

There are Amazon links to both below.

A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier

Ordinary Courage