Synopsis

Belonging to the Army reveals the identity and importance of the civilians now referred to as camp followers, whom Holly A. Mayer calls the forgotten revolutionaries of the War for American Independence. These wives and children, servants and slaves, merchants, contractors, government officers, and military employees provided necessary supplies, services, and emotional support to the troops of the Continental Army. Mayer describes how they made encampments livable communities and argues that by doing so they played a fundamental role in the survival and ultimate success of the Continental Army. She notes that the army wanted to be rid of most followers but, unable to fulfill its own support functions, instead assimilated these civilians and thus gave an expansive meaning to the term "belonging to the army."
 

ISBN 1-57003-339-0