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The Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Patriots of the Tolman Cemetery, Rockland, Maine
$40.95
Paperback
,  8″ x 10″
365 pages
ISBN 978-1-63381-422-6


$54.95
Hardcover
,  8″ x 10″
365 pages
ISBN 978-1-63381-421-9


by Lady Knox Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution

Fighting For Freedom, Fighting For Survival recounts a unique place and period of Maine history as told through the lives of real people interred in one small cemetery in Rockland, Maine. Patriots of the American Revolution served from Lexington to Long Island, Quebec City to Saratoga. Sons in the War of 1812 battled trade wars, smugglers, and privateers with firefights in Rockland Harbor and a standoff in Camden. These men come to life through details of their families, community, and occupations. Their biographies are portals to the past, when early settlers of present-day Thomaston and Rockland fought the British and nature. Family relationships, their homes, and final resting places are documented. Historical and military summaries supply context. History buffs, family detectives, and the curious are invited into this vision of the past.

* * *

Fighting for Freedom, Fighting for Survival captured my imagination about life in midcoast Maine during the era of America’s struggle for independence. The lives of forty men buried in the Tolman Cemetery reveal their patriotism, sense of community, and struggles on the frontier—the very foundation of America’s character. Far from describing saints and heroes, I found ordinary men living ordinary lives who were trying to survive and do what was right. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the bedrock of America.

—Ann Turner Dillon, Honorary President General

Daughters of the American Revolution Fighting for Freedom, Fighting for Survival…is a treasure. The book…contains the biographies of the soldiers and their families, along with extensive genealogical research for which the DAR is noted… but it also includes a very helpful summary of both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 with a local slant. The book highlights the activities of our local soldiers across the whole American theater as well as our sailors abroad, with a focus on the raids of the British on local towns during both wars. The book is a framework for understanding the settlement and growth of Thomaston, Rockland, and Rockport. It places the early settlement of the midcoast in the context of international immigration and colonial and indigenous policies. But its strength is in the hyper-local history that underscores how the lives, families, and stories are interwoven as our patriots interacted, intermarried, and faced the same struggles…plus the added challenges of two wars of independence.

—Ken Gross, Director, Walsh History Center, Camden Public Library

Fighting for Freedom, Fighting for Survival is a must-have addition to any serious taphophile’s historical reference library. “Courage, commitment, community, and country” was more than a catchphrase for these forty patriots; it was a way of life. A poignant and enlightening read!

—Walter Guptill, President, Maine Old Cemetery Association

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

The Lady Knox Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, was established in Rockland, Maine, in 1898. The Daughters of the American Revolution is a nonprofit, nonpolitical volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America’s future through education.

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