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Article provided and sponsored* by Rosalie Lauerman
The Children’s Book Review | December 17, 2016
Book highlighting the little-known Revolutionary War encampment near Morristown, New Jersey, reveals how the tenacious Continental soldiers persisted to win America’s freedom during the brutal winter of 1779-‘80
It has all the makings of a riveting work of fiction—treason, mutiny, enemy attacks, extreme weather conditions, unpredictable personalities, a shortage of supplies—but what happened at Jockey Hollow in the winter of 1779-’80 is entirely and monumentally true.
It’s also virtually unknown, which is why Rosalie Lauerman, who specializes in uncovering and writing under-told stories for young readers, is telling it.
In Jockey Hollow: Where a Forgotten Army Persevered to Win America’s Freedom, Lauerman chronicles how the beaten up and worn down Continental soldiers marched through two feet of snow and record-breaking cold to get to Jockey Hollow in the harshest winter of the century.
Facing chronic supply shortages, desertions, enemy attacks, and even treason by one of their beloved officers, the exhausted soldiers often went unpaid as well. In fact, the Pennsylvania and Massachusetts Lines hadn’t been paid in a year!
How tough was this particular winter? Says Major General Johann de Kalb, an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, “Those who have only been in Valley Forge and Middlebrook during the last two winters, but have not tasted the cruelties of this one, know not what it is to suffer.”[1]
This award-winning book shows the depth of the soldiers’ conviction that America should be a free country and the price they were willing to pay to win that freedom. In his farewell address, General Washington lauded the soldiers, noting, “The unparalleled perseverance of the Armies of the United States . . . was little short of a standing miracle.”[2]
For chronicling the impact of Jockey Hollow on the soldiers and ultimately on the second half of the American Revolution, Jockey Hollow is the recipient of the 2016 IPPY Bronze Medal for Best Mid-Atlantic Region Nonfiction.
Add this book to your collection: Jockey Hollow: Where a Forgotten Army Persevered to Win America’s Freedom
[1] Friedrich Kapp, Life of John Kalb (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1884), Nook e-book, 129.
[2]“The unparalleled perseverance of the Armies . . .,” Fitzpatrick, Washington Papers, Farewell Orders to Armies of the U.S., November 2, 1783.
The Author Showcase is a place for authors and illustrators to gain visibility for their works. This article—Award-Winning Book Brings Jockey Hollow to Life and Provides the Ultimate Lesson in Perseverance—was provided by Rosalie Lauerman. Discover more great writing and illustrating artists in our Showcase. You can also learn more about marketing books and finding an Author Showcase book marketing plan that is right for you here …
