Joseph was born on November 21, 1760. His father was a reverend and well-to-do. Joseph was given a good education, which would later be proven in his memoirs. After Lexington and Concord, he threatened to run away and join a privateer unless they let him enlist in the militia. So, he went off to fight for independence. He joined a militia unit. Later, he joined Washington’s army in New York City. He fought at Brooklyn Heights and White Plains. When his enlistment was up, he returned home before Trenton and Princeton. Finding it boring, he reenlisted for the duration in April, 1777. He was in the 8th Connecticut Regiment under Gen. James Varnum. He was in the successful defense of Fort Mifflin and survived the rough winter at Valley Forge. His memoir is a key source for information about the hardships faced by Continental Army soldiers. He was part of the new and improved army that fought so well at Monmouth. He was with the army at Yorktown as a sergeant in the Corps of Sappers and Miners. His unit was in charge of constructing the entrenchments. And they paved the way for Alexander Hamilton’s attack on Redoubt #10 by cutting gaps through the abattis. And then he joined in the taking of the redoubt. Here is how he described it:
We immediately moved silently on toward the redoubt we were to attack, with unloaded muskets. Just as we arrived at the abatis, the enemy discovered us and directly opened a sharp fire upon us. … I therefore forced a passage at a place where I saw our shot had cut away some of the abatis; several others entered at the same place. While passing, a man at my side received a ball in his head and fell under my feet, crying out bitterly. While crossing the trench, the enemy threw hand grenades (small shells) into it.
Martin was discharged in June, 1783. He had kept a journal during the war, but he did not publish his memoirs until 1830. The title was A Narrative of Some of the Adventures, Dangers, and Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier, Interspersed with Anecdotes of Incidents that Occurred Within His Own Observations. It is considered to be the best primary source about the life of Continental Army soldiers. Martin does not hold back in describing food and other shortages, long time away from his family, low morale, diseases, and deaths.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Plumb_Martin
https://www.history.com/articles/joseph-plumb-martin
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