Joseph Plumb Martin was a soldier in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, holding the rank of private for most of the war. His published narrative of his experiences, re-discovered in the 1950s, has become a valuable resource for historians in understanding the conditions of a common soldier of that era, as well as the battles in which Martin participated.Martin's narrative of the war has been frequently cited by scholars as an excellent primary source for the American Revolution. His narrative is considered one of the major primary sources for historians, researchers and re-enactors of the American Revolution.