Best Little Stories from the American Revolution

Best Little Stories of the American Revolution is a journalistic history of the birth of the United States in the form of more than 100 vignettes reflecting the period. Here is the history of the war as it affected soldiers and civilians, loyalists and patriots, leaders and common folk - people who courageously prevailed against an enemy with vastly superior resources. Included are such stories as: Thomas Jefferson's painful discomfort as the Continental Congress made changes in his vaunted Declaration of Independence. Two rogue warriors, loyalist and patriot, who thought nothing of murder, arson, and kidnapping as a means to victory during the conflict. Henry Knox's gritty effort to drag a large number of cannons from Fort Ticonderoga in northeastern New York to Boston. George Washington's embarrassment and fury in dealing with Benedict Arnold's young wife - hysterical and scantily clad - on the day Arnold deserted the American cause. British soldiers who got General Charles Lee's horse drunk after capturing Lee one morning in a surprise raid on his New Jersey ''bed and breakfast.'' Teenager Andrew Jackson, later president, rescued from British captivity by his mother, to Britain's chagrin. Burton Gwinnett of Georgia, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, who was fatally wounded in a senseless pistol duel by Lachlan McIntosh, a patriot leader. Also included are fascinating stories of several founding mothers, including Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, Betsy Ross, Molly Pitcher, Janet Livingston Montgomery, and many others.

Prize-winning journalist C. Brian Kelly has collected the most riveting letters, diaries, and autobiographies from the people who lived during the Revolutionary War, weaving in pertinent historical background details to create this compelling collection of stories. Readers will discover the history of the war as it affected soldiers, leaders, and common folk, going beyond the usual recounting of strategic battles. Here in vivid detail are the experiences of the people who lived the war and the dreams and aspirations that prodded them to pursue liberty at all costs.