Searching for Yankee Doodle - Washington's Soldiers in the American Revolution

THE PEOPLE MOST RESPONSIBLE for achieving America's independence bywinning the Revolutionary War were George Washington's foot soldiers-the men of the Continental Army. Who were they, and what was it thatinspired them to endure such appalling hardships throughout theconflict? What was their life like during and after the war? And what is their legacy?

In an effort to uncover the facts about thesemen, author and historian Bob Mayers has scoured through obscuredocumentary material and little known British, Hessian, and Loyalistrecords to unearth truths that challenge traditional beliefs aboutWashington's soldiers. The fighting men and women of the Revolution were incorrectly portrayed as zealously patriotic citizen-soldiers, when inreality they were professionals dedicated to the American cause. Thisrealization lies at the heart of the book, and propels the narrativealong in a way that is entertaining and enlightening.

Corroborated with excerpts borrowed from personal diaries and records, these men(and women!) are once again brought to life, in a way that allows us tounderstand their personalities through their behavior and deeds. Mayersgoes on to study all aspects of the conflict, including the variousoutfits worn by the regiments, the treatment of the sick, the punishment of offenders, and training of the regiments. In the end the reader will experience a new familiarity with the war's participants.

Expertly designed, the book is fortified with fifty-five images in twenty-twochapters, all of which is intended be enjoyed by the average reader, and not just the hard-core history fan. Included is a comprehensive chapter on researching individual Revolutionary War veterans, and fourappendices-the makeup of a regiment, distribution of regiments by state, names and publication sources of diarists, and an actual musterroll-that provide useful supplementary information.