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A Soldier's Life ABOUT A SOLDIER’S LIFE Colonial Militia freedom in exchange for military service. At the beginning of the war, the American Women also became soldiers, but they had colonies had no regular army or navy. Each to disguise themselves as men to serve. colony had a militia, a group of citizen- soldiers who were ready to fight for their France became an ally for the Americans colony. They could be called up for a few and sent money, soldiers, and ships to days or a few months. The militiamen were help defeat the British. The French ships called into action at the beginning of the battled British warships up and down the war and continued to fight throughout eastern coast. The Continental navy was the American Revolution. established, and its 13 ships fought valiantly against the supreme British navy. Continental Army Formed The British Side A regular army was established in 1775. When George Washington took over as By contrast, the British army was large commander, he doubted that part-time and well-equipped. At its peak, the British militias could defeat the powerful British forces in North America numbered 50,000. army. Washington worked to build an Loyalists in the colonies fought with the army made up of disciplined soldiers who British. Many Native Americans, including had enlisted for several years. It was hard the Iroquois and Seneca nations, joined the to recruit soldiers for the newly-formed British side. They believed if the British won, Continental army. Most citizens preferred they would keep the Americans off their to serve in local militias and help the army lands. Thousands of black slaves fought when a battle was near their homes. for the British. The British gave them their freedom in return for their help. Soldiers Washington’s Forces from Germany called Hessians were paid Washington commanded as many as by the British to fight. 15,000 soldiers at a time. Soldiers often Losses on Both Sides went without pay, food, and proper uniforms. Many poorer soldiers stayed in Soldiers on both sides suffered losses. the army because they had been promised Military deaths numbered about 25,000 free land after the war. Others stayed in for the Americans. The British lost 10,000 because they believed in the Patriot cause soldiers. In the end, it was the small, and they trusted Washington’s leadership. rag-tag army of colonists who defeated the mighty British. About 5,000 blacks fought on the Patriot side. Many were slaves who were promised 42 POCKET 4: A SOLDIER’S LIFE 5IF"NFSJDBO3FWPMVUJPOr&.$r¥&WBO.PPS$PSQ DIARY OF A SOLDIER Diary of a Revolutionary About Joseph Plumb Martin Joseph Plumb Martin was born in 1760. He War Soldier did not attend school, but from an early age, Martin had a gift for writing. At age fifteen, Martin signed up to serve in the army for six months. Instead, Martin ended up serving seven long years. He kept a diary of his experiences the entire time. The young soldier saw action in the Battles of Brooklyn, White Plains, Germantown, Monmouth, and Fort Mifflin. He also spent a winter at Valley Forge and was present when the British army surrendered at Yorktown. Long after the war ended, Martin published his diary entitled Some of the Adventures, Dangers and Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier. Historians say that Martin’s diary was the Excerpts from the diary of most complete firsthand account of life for Joseph Plumb Martin a Continental soldier. This excerpt is from Martin’s description of XdciV^cZYiZc]ZVkn\jch0i]ZcZmi the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, where the lVhVWdbWWViiZgnd[i]gZZaVg\Z Americans and their French allies defeated bdgiVgh0VcYhddci]gdj\]i]Zl]daZ the British forces. a^cZ#I]Zl]daZcjbWZg!6bZg^XVc VcY;gZcX]!lVhc^cZin"ildXVccdch! bdgiVghVcY]dl^ioZgh#Djg[aV\hiV[[ >YdcdigZbZbWZg!ZmVXian!i]Z lVh^ci]ZiZc"\jcWViiZgn!jedc cjbWZgd[YVnhlZlZgZZbeadnZY i]Zg^\]id[i]Zl]daZ#>lVh^ci]Z WZ[dgZlZ\didjgWViiZg^Zh^c igZcX]Zhi]ZYVni]Vii]ZWViiZg^Zh gZVY^cZhhiddeZcjedci]ZZcZbn! lZgZidWZdeZcZY#6aalZgZjedci]Z Wjii]^c`^ilVhcdibdgZi]Vcilddg i^eidZd[ZmeZXiVi^dcVcY^beVi^ZcXZid i]gZZ#I]Z;gZcX]!l]dlZgZjedcdjg hZZi]Zh^\cVa\^kZciddeZci]Zl]daZ aZ[i!]VYXdbeaZiZYi]Z^gWViiZg^Zh a^cZd[WViiZg^Zh!l]^X]lVhidWZi]Z V[Zl]djghWZ[dgZjh!WjilZgZcdi ]d^hi^c\d[i]Z6bZg^XVc[aV\^ci]Z VaadlZYidY^hX]Vg\Zi]Z^ge^ZXZhi^aa iZc"\jcWViiZgn#6Wdjicddci]Z i]Z6bZg^XVcWViiZg^ZhlZgZgZVYn# bjX]"l^h]ZY"[dgh^\cValZcije# DjgXdbbVcY^c\WViiZgnlVhdci]Z cZVgWVc`d[i]ZNdg`g^kZgVcY 50 POCKET 4: A SOLDIER’S LIFE 5IF"NFSJDBO3FWPMVUJPOr&.$r¥&WBO.PPS$PSQ DIARY OF A SOLDIER >Xdc[Zhh>[ZaiVhZXgZieg^YZhlZaabn This next part of Martin’s account occurs ]ZVgil]Zc>hVli]ZÆhiVg"heVc\aZY following the storming and taking of WVccZgÇlVk^c\bV_Zhi^XVaan^ci]ZkZgn a British redoubt, or fort. [VXZhd[djg^beaVXVWaZVYkZghVg^Zh# >iVeeZVgZYa^`ZVcdbZcd[hjXXZhh iddjgZciZgeg^hZ!VcYhd^iegdkZY^c 6aai]VilZgZ^ci]ZVXi^dcd[ gZVa^in#6h^bjaiVcZdjhY^hX]Vg\Zd[ hidgb^c\i]ZgZYdjWilZgZZmZbeiZY Vaai]Z\jch^ci]Za^cZ[daadlZY!i]Z [gdb[jgi]ZgYjini]Vic^\]i#LZ ;gZcX]igddehVXXdbeVcn^c\^il^i] aV^YYdlcjedci]Z\gdjcYVcYgZhiZY Æ=jooV[dgi]Z6bZg^XVchÇ>ilVh i]ZgZbV^cYZgd[i]Zc^\]iVhlZaa hV^Yi]Vii]Z[^ghih]ZaahZci[gdbdjg VhVXdchiVciY^hX]Vg\Zd[\gVeZVcY WViiZg^ZhZciZgZYVcZaZ\Vci]djhZ XVc^hiZgh]dildjaYeZgb^ijhidYd! 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Think about key details of their life and include those in your writing. Background information should be woven into your writing to help your reader understand the context. Don’t forget to include the date and location during which the soldier is writing. .
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