The Only Woman in the Town, and Other Tales of the American Revolution

In Short

This volume is a series of twelve historical vignettes documenting the American Revolution, focusing on the contributions of civilians, children, and inventors rather than generals. Written to foster patriotism during the late 19th century, the stories range from the famous ride of Paul Revere to the obscure labors of boys who gathered fascines for the Siege of Boston and the invention of the "American Turtle" submarine. It has endured as a charming, if didactic, piece of Americana that emphasizes the grit and sacrifice required at the local level to sustain a national revolution.

The Story

The narrative begins with the familiar tension of the April night in 1775 when Paul Revere rode through the countryside. From this broad historical backdrop, the focus shifts immediately to the specific, human scale: Martha Moulton, a seventy-one-year-old woman in Boston, chooses to face the encroaching British regulars in her best silk gown, armed only with her Bible and a prayer book. Her courage is echoed in the neighboring towns, where a young girl named Mary Robbins sacrifices her beloved pet lamb to feed the hungry people of a blockaded Boston.

As the conflict matures, the stories move from defensive postures to active, ingenious resistance. A young boy named Jeremy Jagger toils through the nights in a swamp, gathering the wood needed for the fascines that will eventually help Washington fortify Dorchester Heights. Simultaneously, in the village of Pochaug, David Bushnell works in secret to construct a primitive submarine, the "American Turtle." Despite his father’s skepticism, David succeeds in gaining the support of Governor Trumbull and eventually uses his invention to threaten British shipping in New York Harbor, narrowly escaping capture while creating enough chaos to baffle the enemy.

The narrative arc captures the breadth of the war years, including the fervor that erupts in New York upon the arrival of the Declaration of Independence, leading to the symbolic toppling of King George’s statue. We see the war’s hardships through the eyes of children like Becca Blackstone, who witnesses the misery of soldiers at Valley Forge and the quiet, defiant loyalty of families trying to support the cause despite the presence of Tories in their own households.

The collection concludes with a look at a single day in the Porter House in Waterbury, where mothers wait anxiously for sons who have gone off to participate in the "alarm," capturing the emotional toll of the conflict. The story ends not on a battlefield, but on a porch, where two mothers—one white, one Black, both united by the shared, silent anxiety for their children—witness the return of the boys, grounding the grand narrative of independence in the enduring, universal reality of maternal love and fear.

How It Unfolds

The call to arms The collection opens with the electric tension of the midnight ride, transitioning quickly to the localized reality of individuals like Martha Moulton facing British soldiers in her own kitchen.

The sacrifice of the young The narrative expands to show how the "sister towns" of New England supported the hungry citizens of Boston, highlighting the quiet, poignant gift of a young girl’s pet lamb to feed the needy.

The engineering of resistance A shift occurs toward technical ingenuity, as Jeremy Jagger works through the night in swamps to gather materials for the army, while David Bushnell develops his submarine, the "American Turtle," in the face of parental doubt.

The birth of a nation The focus turns to the emotional impact of the Declaration of Independence in New York, where soldiers and citizens celebrate the new nation, tempered by the sobering reality of British warships looming nearby.

The domestic front The final beats settle into the daily lives of families, showing the quiet defiance of those who knitted stockings for soldiers at Valley Forge and the mothers who endured the uncertainty of having their sons at the front.

The People

Martha Moulton represents the dignity of the elderly, choosing to meet the threat of invasion with composure and "respectable" dress rather than fear. Her insistence on maintaining her domestic routine—even under the shadow of the British—serves as a stabilizing force.

David Bushnell, the inventor, embodies the intellectual and mechanical spirit of the Revolution. He is driven by a singular, obsessive vision to level the playing field against the superior British navy. His path is marked by the loneliness of the innovator, as he must convince both his pragmatic, doubting father and the cautious Governor Trumbull of his invention's worth.

Jeremy Jagger is the quintessential "everyman" youth. He seeks no glory, only the satisfaction of contributing to the cause in the dark of night. He transitions from a boy playing in the woods to a vital cog in Washington’s strategic machine.

Finally, the mothers—Mrs. Blackstone and Mrs. Porter—are the anchors of the book. Their role is to provide, to knit, and to wait. They are defined by their capacity to suffer in silence, keeping their fears hidden so their children might remain brave. They represent the emotional backbone of the Revolution, bearing a burden that is invisible to the history books but essential to the survival of the cause.

In Its Own Voice

"They'll treat me with more respect if I look respectable, and if I must die, I'll die good-looking in my best clothes, anyhow."

Martha Moulton prepares to face the king's soldiers in her kitchen, choosing to maintain her dignity in the face of potential violence.

"The enemy's ships had kept Boston in siege for nearly two years, the Americans having no opposing force to contend with them."

The author provides the context for David Bushnell's urgent need to develop the submarine he called the "American Turtle."

"Their sorrows they could bear; their joys they hid from sight."

This line encapsulates the stoic, reserved nature of the New England mothers, whose internal lives were often defined by the extreme uncertainty of the war.

What It's Really About

At its heart, this book is an argument for the "small" history. It posits that the American Revolution was not merely won by generals or politicians, but by the quiet resolve of those who performed the thankless, daily tasks of survival and resistance. It explores the tension between local, domestic life and the encroaching demands of a national cause. The book asks whether a nation can truly be built on the sacrifice of the individual, and it consistently answers that the strength of the union rests entirely upon the character of the common citizen.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate the granular, human-interest side of history will find much to admire here. The book captures the feeling of living in a world that is fundamentally shifting, where a mother’s anxiety or a boy’s long night in a swamp carries as much weight as a major military engagement.

However, modern readers should be prepared for the book’s specific 1898 perspective. The prose is sentimental and heavily didactic, reflecting the late 19th-century desire to cultivate a specific brand of nationalistic piety. The dialect used for some characters, particularly the enslaved figures, is a product of its era and may feel jarring or insensitive to contemporary sensibilities. Furthermore, the focus is narrow; it is a celebration of the New England contribution to the Revolution, largely ignoring the regional diversity of the conflict.

If you read this, you will likely be struck by the author’s attempt to bridge the gap between her own time—the centennial era—and the foundational struggles of the 1770s. It is a slow, warm, and intentional read that values the "quiet" virtues. It is best enjoyed as a cultural artifact that reminds us how a nation chooses to remember its own origins, valuing the courage of the ordinary person over the myth of the singular hero.