Delmar DustPan

As we know the great part of an Army is made up of poor people who decided to join the Army for a stable source of money, shelter and food. Like Obama today, in 1780 the American government was printing money with nothing to back it and was worthless (the expression not worth a continental refers to the money they were paid in). While stationed at Morristown, New Jersey on May 25, 1780 two Connecticut regiments said to hell with it, formed up on the parade grounds and started to march back home. The men that mutinied had not been paid in five months. Food had not been sent to them, they were starving, to add to it they had just gone thru one of the worst winters on record, plus who would be happy to be stationed in New Jersey. Troops from Pennsylvania put down the rebellion. Eight months later the troops from Pennsylvania would also mutiny against the officers. Two leaders of the Connecticut Line protest were then hanged.


Private Joseph Plumb Martin, who marched with the mutineers, wrote of his fellow soldiers: "they could not stand it any longer; they saw no alternative but to starve to death, or break up the army, give all up and go home. This was a hard matter for the soldiers to think upon; they were truly patriotic; they loved their country, and had already suffered every thing short of death in its cause; and now, after such extreme hardships to give up all, was too much; but to starve to death was too much also."