Ordinary Courage: Joseph Plumb Martin's Revolutionary War Story

Introduction: Martin's Place in Revolutionary War History

Joseph Plumb Martin's role in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War has allowed historians to develop a more complex understanding of the conflict and of its effects on ordinary soldiers. By describing the events he lived through, Martin distinguished himself from other soldiers who fought during the War of Independence and provided the world with a rare first-person perspective on the conflict. Here was a man who acknowledged the horrors of war and who could not always make sense of ideas that seemed self-evident to those in power. Martin was determined to share his story with the wider world and to urge American society not to allow history to repeat itself.

Motivations for Joining the Continental Army

There were numerous reasons why a man would be horrified by war during the Revolutionary era. Even so, individuals like Martin were determined to fight in order to win recognition of their rights. Martin was still a child when the idea of fighting for what he believed in first took hold. Even at that age, he had a complex understanding of why action was necessary. Seeing the British express little to no interest in the well-being of the colonies, he concluded that the only course left for him and other colonists was to fight for their lands and their liberties.

Enlistment and the Declaration of Independence

The first time Martin seriously considered fighting against the British was when a number of volunteers from his hometown set out to resist what were becoming the oppressors of freedom on American soil. Although he did not join them on that first occasion, the signing of the Declaration of Independence played an important role in shaping his understanding of the war. He was barely fifteen years old when he signed his enlistment orders. As he later recalled: "Seating myself at the table, enlisting orders were immediately presented to me; I took up the pen, loaded it with the fatal charge [of ink], made several mimic imitations of writing my name, but took especial care not to touch the paper with the pen…" (Martin in Murphy, p. 14).

Considering his initial hesitation and the fact that he did not join the war until after learning of the Declaration of Independence, one can appreciate how clearly he understood what entering the conflict would mean. Martin was well aware of the risks he would face, and despite his youth he did not want to act on impulse alone. That he ultimately enlisted in the Continental Army underscores the depth of his commitment to ending British rule over the colonies.

Works Cited

Martin, J. P. Ordinary Courage: The Revolutionary War Adventures of Joseph Plumb Martin. John Wiley & Sons.

Murphy, J. A Young Patriot: The American Revolution as Experienced by One Boy. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.