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Brunswick troops in the American Revolutionary War

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Duke Charles I, the reigning Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.
Major General Friedrich Adolf Riedesel, commanding general of the Brunswick Corps.

Brunswick troops in the American Revolutionary War served as auxiliaries to the British Army during the American Revolutionary War, in accordance with the treaty of 1776 between Great Britain and the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Four regiments of foot, one regiment of dragoons, one grenadier battalion, and one light battalion with a Jäger company were dispatched to British America. Most of the Brunswick troops fought at the Battles of Saratoga, where they were forced to surrender as part of British General John Burgoyne's army. A total of 5,723 soldiers were sent overseas, and 2,708 returned to Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Part of the difference can be attributed to casualties, but the rest chose to remain in the United States or Canada instead of returning to Europe. Over the course of the war, the British government paid the Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel a total of £750,000 for the use of his army.

Background

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At the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, Britain felt the need to augment her troops with German auxiliaries, as it had done in previous wars.[1] Duke Charles I was the reigning Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel; his son and heir, Charles William Ferdinand, was married to Princess Augusta of Great Britain, the sister of George III. The Brunswick army had previously served alongside the British during the Seven Years' War (1756–63), successfully campaigning in the Low Countries, but had not been used since. Colonel William Faucitt, the British emissary, entered into negotiations with Brunswick, and the outcome was the first auxiliary troop treaty of the war between Great Britain and a German state.[2]

Treaty between Brunswick and Great Britain

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The treaty between Brunswick and Great Britain was ratified January 9, 1776. It stipulated that Brunswick would make a corps of 3,964 foot and 336 light horse available to Great Britain for service in Europe or America. The corps had to be properly officered, and the men ready for campaign service; the corps had to be fully equipped with the exception of the horses for the cavalry. The corps should be formed into five regiments and two battalions. Brunswick would maintain the number of men in the corps through annual recruitment if necessary. Britain would give the corps the same pay and allowances as enjoyed by British troops, and wounded soldiers would be treated in British military hospitals in the same way as British troops. As levy money Britain would pay 30 Banco-Thaler per man; the Thaler valued at 4 shilling, 9 3/4 pence sterling. For each man killed, or three man wounded, the same amount would be paid. For each year of service, Britain should pay 64,500 Banco-Thaler to the Duke of Brunswick.[3] The total subsidies paid to Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel for these troops were 5,250,000 Banco-Thaler, or 750,000 pound sterling.[4]

In an appendix to the treaty between Great Britain and Brunswick, the number and composition of the troops to be raised were stipulated in detail:[3]

  • General staff, 22 officers and other ranks.
  • Regiment of foot
    • Staff, 25 officers and other ranks.
    • Company of foot, 131 officers and other ranks.
    • With five companies, a regiment of foot contained 680 officers and other ranks.
  • Battalion of grenadiers
    • Staff, 8 officers and other ranks.
    • Company of grenadiers, 139 officers and other ranks.
    • With four companies of grenadiers, the battalion contained 564 officers and other ranks.
  • Regiment of dragoons
    • Staff, 24 officers and other ranks.
    • Company of dragoons, 78 officers and other ranks.
    • With four companies of dragoons, the regiment contained 336 officers and other ranks.
  • Light battalion
    • Staff, 11 officers and other ranks.
    • Company of chasseurs, 147 officers and other ranks.
    • Light company, 125 officers and other ranks.
    • With one company of chasseurs and four light companies, the battalion contained 658 officers and other ranks.

Organization of the Brunswick Corps

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Dragoon Regiment Prinz Ludwig
Musketeer Regiment Prinz Friedrich.
Musketeer Regiment Riedesel. This Soldier is shown wearing overalls, a popular item in North America that was often made from old sails or tents.[5]
Musketeer Regiment Specht
Musketeer Regt von Rhetz.
Light Infantry Battalion von Barner, Light Companies
Light Infantry Battalion von Barner, Jäger Company.

The peace-time military establishment of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel consisted of the regular Dragoon Regiment, Life Regiment, Regiment Prinz Friedrich, Regiment von Rhetz, Artillery Battalion and Corps of Engineers. Each of the three foot regiments had two battalions. In addition the reserve troops consisted of the Garrison Regiment, the Land Regiment (militia) and two invalid companies.[6]

Original organization in 1776

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The Brunswick Corps contained four foot regiments, a grenadier battalion and a light battalion, as well as a dragoon regiment:

General Staff
Commanding General Major General Friedrich Adolf Riedesel zu Eisenach
Source: [7]
Dragoon Regiment Prinz Ludwig
Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Friedrich Baum [a]
Field Officer Major Justus Christoph von Meibom
Squadron Officer Commanding
Life Squadron Stabsrittmeister Carl Schlagenteuffel
Squadron Rittmeister Carl Friedrich Reinking [b]
Major's Squadron Stabsrittmeister Heinrich Christian Fricke
Squadron Rittmeister Adolph Schlagenteuffel
Source: [8][9][10]
  1. ^ Wounded at the Battle of Bennington 1777, and died two days later.
  2. ^ Killed at the Battle of Bennington 1777.
Musketeer Regiment Prinz Friedrich
Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Christian Julius Prätorius
Field Officer Major Friedrich Wilhelm Hille
Company Officer Commanding
Life Company Staff Captain Friedrich Albert Rosenberg
Lieutenant-Colonel's Company Staff Captain George Ernst Zielberg
Major's Company Staff Captain Jacob Christian Sander
Company Captain Adolph Lorenz Dietrich
Company Captain Carl August Heinrich Tunderfeld
Source: [8][11][12]
Musketeer Regiment Riedesel
Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Ernst Ludwig Wilhelm von Speth.
Field Officer Major Otto Carl Anton Mengen
Company Officer Commanding
Life Company Staff Captain Carl Friedrich Bärtling
Lieutenant-Colonel's Company Staff Captain Gottlieb Benjamin Harbord
Major's Company Staff Captain Ernst Heinrich Wilhelm Girsewald
Company Captain Carl Friedrich Morgenstern
Company Captain Julius Ludwig August Pöllnitz
Source: [8][13][14]
Musketeer Regiment Specht
Commanding Officer Colonel Johann Friedrich von Specht
Field Officer Major Carl Friedrich von Ehrenkrook[a]
Company Officer Commanding
Life Company Staff Captain Heinrich Jäger [b]
Major's Company Staff Captain George Schlagenteuffel
Company Captain Bernhard Richard Dahlstierna [c] [d]
Company Captain August Conrad Lützow
Company Captain Leopold Franz Friedrich Balthasar Plessen
Source: [8][17]
  1. ^ Belonged to a Swedish noble family, but born in Brunswick. Younger brother of Lieutenant Colonel von Ehrenkrook.[15]
  2. ^ Died in America in 1782
  3. ^ Died 1778 in Albany, New York from wounds received at the Battle of Freeman's Farm, 1777.
  4. ^ Dahlstierna was on leave from Swedish service as an ensign in the Queen's Life Regiment.[16]
Musketeer Regiment von Rhetz
Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Johann Gustav von Ehrenkrook [a]
Field Officer Major Balthasar Bogislaus Lucke
Company Officer Commanding
Life Company Captain George Philip Arend
Lieutenant Colonel's Company Staff Captain Heinrich Urban Cleve
Major's Company Staff Captain Wilhelm Ludwig Fredersdorff [b]
Company Captain Conrad Anton Alers
Company Captain Ludewig Schlagenteuffel
Source: [8][18][19]
  1. ^ Older rother of Major von Ehrenkrook. Died 1783 in Trois-Rivières.[15]
  2. ^ Died 1778 in Albany, New York from wounds received at the Battle of Freeman's Farm, 1777.
Grenadier Battalion von Breymann
Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Heinrich von Breymann [a]
Company Officer Commanding
Lieutenant Colonel's Company Staff Captain August Wilhelm Hambach
Company Captain Albrecht Daniel Löhneysen
Company Captain Ernst August Bärtling
Company Captain Gottfried Dietrich Schlick
Source: [8][20][21]
  1. ^ Killed at the Battle of Freeman's Farm, 1777.
Light Infantry Battalion von Barner
Commanding Officer Major Ferdinand Albrecht von Barner
Company Officer Commanding
Life Company Captain Gottlief Joachim Gleisenberg
Company Captain George Ludewig Thoma
Company Captain August Friedrich Dommes
Company Captain Carl Geusau
Source: [8][22]

The field regiments Prinz Friedrich and Riedesel and the Grenadier Battalion were raised from five musketeer companies and two grenadier companies from the regular regiment Prinz Friederich. The field regiments Rhetz and Specht came from five companies of the regular Regiment Rhetz as well from two companies from the Prinz Friedrich Regiment that had not already been used to raise the Prinz Friederich and Riedesel field regiments. The Light Infantry Battalion was created through drafts from the Life Regiment and from the companies of the Prinz Friedrich Regiment that remained at home. Its Jäger-company was to be raised from scratch, however, and was recruited from crack shots and woodsmen, mostly sons of state game keepers.[23][24] Each regular company was divided in two, thus creating 28 field companies. The regular Dragoon Regiment Prinz Ludwig marched off in its entirety, although ten new dragoons had to be enlisted in each squadron. In this way 2,011 already serving NCO's and men were raised for the Brunswick Corps. Landeskinder (Brunswick natives) in the field regiments were as far as possible exchanged for soldiers enlisted outside the principality who served in the units that remained at home. To reach the stipulated strength of the Corps, another 2071 soldiers, servants and other support staff were recruited. At home, only the Life Regiment and the Artillery Battalion remained as regular units; the remaining companies of the Prinz Friedrich Regiment would reinforce the Land Regiment until the contingent in British service returned. Each field company would have four officers, a captain, a first lieutenant, a second lieutenant and an ensign. They were to be recruited from the regular regiments, with the exception of the Life Regiments. If necessary, retired officers could be used.[25]

Reorganization in Canada 1777

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In the spring of 1777, as a preparation for the Saratoga campaign, a command for garrison duties that would remain in the winter quarters at Trois-Rivières, was created by detaching a company from each of regiments Prinz Ludwig, Prinz Friedrich, Riedesel, Specht, von Rhetz and the Hesse-Hanau Regiment Erbprinz and from the battalions von Breymann and von Barner.[26] The "Canadian Command" contained 19 officers, 48 nco's and 600 private soldiers, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel von Ehrenkrook.[27]

Reorganization in Canada 1778

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After the surrender at Saratoga in the fall of 1777 Ehrenkrook's Command and Regiment Prinz Friedrich, which had been left as garrison at Fort Ticonderoga with the British 53rd Foot, where the only Brunswick units that remained effective. It was determined that Prinz Friederich would be made complete trough 450 new recruits that arrived from Germany, and that a new battalion under the command of Lieutenant Colonel von Ehrenkrook would be formed from the infantry and dragoons that had remained in Canada. The remaining old soldiers and new arrivals would be used to re-form the light battalion under Lieutenant Colonel von Barner.[28]

General Staff
Commanding General Brigadier General[a]Johann Gustav von Ehrenkrook, 1778-1779
Brigadier General[a] Johann Friedrich von Specht, 1779-1781
Source: [30]
  1. ^ a b Appinted to temporary local rank by Sir Guy Carleton.[29]
Musketeer Regiment Prinz Friedrich
Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Christian Julius Prätorius
Field Officer Major Friedrich Wilhelm Hille
Company Officer Commanding
Life Company Captain Friedrich Albert Rosenberg
Lieutenant-Colonel's Company Lieutenant Colonel Christian Julius Prätorius
Major's Company Major[a] Friedrich Wilhelm Hille
Company Captain Adolph Lorenz Dietrich
Company Captain Carl August Heinrich Tunderfeld
Source: [31][32]
  1. ^ Promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1781.
Regiment von Ehrenkrook
Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Johann Gustav von Ehrenkrook
Bataillon von Ehrenkrook
Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Johann Gustav von Ehrenkrook
Company Officer Commanding
Lieutenant-Colonel's
from Rhetz		 Lieutenant Colonel Johann Gustav von Ehrenkrook
Company
from Riedesel		 Captain Ludewig Schlagenteuffel
Company
from Specht		 Captain Leopold Franz Friedrich Balthasar Plessen
Company
from Dragoons		 Captain George Ernst Zielberg
Bataillon von Barner
Commanding Officer Major Ferdinand Albrecht von Barner
Company Officer Commanding
Life Company
from Light Infantry		 Major Ferdinand Albrecht von Barner
Company
from Light Infantry		 Captain George Ludewig Thoma
Company
from Light Infantry		 Captain Friedrich Albert Rosenberg
Company
from Grenadiers		 Captain August Wilhelm Hambach
Source: [31][33]

Reorganization in Canada, 1781

[edit]

As the Convention of Saratoga faltered , regular exchange of prisoners took place between the belligerents. About 440 exchanged soldiers from the Brunswick Corps were gathered in British-held New York City, where General Riedesel stayed on parole. When the general in was exchanged against three Patriot officers, he and the exchanged soldiers were returned to Canada where another reorganization took place in 1781. With the addition of fresh recruits from Germany, the original regiments would this time be restored to the greatest extent possible. Detached soldiers should return to their mother regiments, and new recruits who already in Germany had enlisted for specific regiments were to be enrolled in these. The Grenadier battalion was to weak to be restored, and its soldiers were used to create one incomplete grenadier company per musketeer regiment.[34][35]

General Staff
Commanding General Major General Friedrich Adolf Riedesel
Source: [32]
Regiments Commanding Officers
Dragoons Captain Ludewig Schlagenteuffel
Prinz Friedrich Lieutenant Colonel Christian Julius Prätorius
Riedesel Major Friedrich Wilhelm Hille
Specht Major Balthasar Bogislaus Lucke
von Rhetz Lieutenant Colonel Johann Gustav von Ehrenkrook
Light Infantry Major Ferdinand Albrecht von Barner
Source: [36][35]

Strength of the Brunswick Corps in British America

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Brunswick Corps in British America
1776 4,300
Recruits sent in March 1777 224
Recruits sent in April 1778 475
Recruits sent in April 1779 286
Recruits sent in May 1780 266
Recruits sent in April 1782 172
Total 5,723
Returned 1783 2,708
Did not return 3,015
Source:[37]

Pay and rations

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Pay of the Brunswick Corps in British America
Rank Pay in Army Sterling[a]
per lunar month after stoppages
£/s/p/f
Colonel 17/16/5/1 [b]
Lieutenant Colonel 8/18/10/3 [b]
Major 6/7/8/3½ [b]
Captain 12/15/3/3
Lieutenant 5/19/0/3 1/3 [c]
Ensign 4/15/6/½
Sergeant 1/13/7/0
Non-commissioned officer 1/7/8/0
Corporal 1/1/7/0
Gefreiter 0/16/4/0
Private 0/14/0/0
Source:[39]
  1. ^ One pound army sterling was the equivalent of .9643 pound sterling.[38]
  2. ^ a b c Also pay as Captain
  3. ^ Lieutenants who were Staff Captains had an additional pay of £1/2/3/2½
Rations per Day for Other Ranks of the Brunswick Corps in British America
Item Amount Metric
Bread 1 pound 450 grams
Fresh meat 1 pound 450 grams
or salt meat or salt pork 9 1/7 ounces 260 grams
Butter 6/7 ounce 24 grams
Peas or other vegetables 3/7 pound 194 grams
Rice 7/8 ounce 25 grams
Source:[40]

Campaigns

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The Brunswick Corps participated in the Siege of Ticonderoga, Battle of Bennington, Battle of Freeman's Farm, Battle of Bemis Heights. The corps, except Regiment Prinz Friedrich (remained at Fort Ticonderoga) and Battalion von Barner, surrendered at Saratoga and became prisoners of war in the Convention Army.[41]

References

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English Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Citations

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  1. ^ Atwood 1980, pp. 1, 21-22.
  2. ^ Lowell 1884, p. 8, 16.
  3. ^ a b Davenport & Paullin 1937, # 156.
  4. ^ Eelking 1863, vol. 1, p. 15.
  5. ^ Haarmann, Albert W. (1970). "Notes on the Brunswick Troops—In British Service During the American War of Independence 1776-1783". Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. 48 (195): 143. JSTOR 44229246. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  6. ^ Elster 1901, vol. 2, 376.
  7. ^ Elster 1901, vol. 2, p. 377.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Huck 2011, p. 49.
  9. ^ Eelking 1868, vol. 2, pp. 265-266.
  10. ^ Elster 1901, vol. 2, pp. 377-378.
  11. ^ Eelking 1868, vol. 2, p. 267.
  12. ^ Elster 1901, vol. 2, pp. 379-380.
  13. ^ Eelking 1868, vol. 2, p. 270.
  14. ^ Elster 1901, vol. 2, pp. 380-381.
  15. ^ a b Elgenstierna 1926, p. 450.
  16. ^ Elgenstierna 1926, p. 144.
  17. ^ Huck 2011, p. 50.
  18. ^ Eelking 1868, vol. 2, pp. 268-269.
  19. ^ Elster 1901, vol. 2, pp. 381-382.
  20. ^ Eelking 1868, vol. 2, pp. 266-267.
  21. ^ Elster 1901, vol. 2, pp. 378-379.
  22. ^ Eelking 1868, vol. 2, pp. 272-273.
  23. ^ Huck 2011, p. 48.
  24. ^ Parker 1983, p. 83.
  25. ^ Huck 2011, pp. 50-51.
  26. ^ Huck 2011, pp. 51-52.
  27. ^ Elster 1901, vol. 2, p. 417.
  28. ^ Elster 1901, vol. 2, pp. 417-418.
  29. ^ Huck 2011, p. 589.
  30. ^ Elster 1901, vol. 2, p. 419.
  31. ^ a b Huck 2011, p. 58.
  32. ^ a b Elster 1901, vol. 2, p. 420.
  33. ^ Elster 1901, vol. 2, pp. 418-419.
  34. ^ Huck 2011, pp. 59-60.
  35. ^ a b Elster 1901, vol. 2, pp. 420-421.
  36. ^ Huck 2011, p. 59.
  37. ^ Lowell 1884, p. 299.
  38. ^ McCullough 1996, p. 292.
  39. ^ Elster 1901, vol. 2, p. 388.
  40. ^ Elster 1901, vol. 2, p. 393.
  41. ^ Lowell 1884, p. 298.

Cited literature

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  • Atwood, Rodney (1980). The Hessians. Cambridge University Press.
  • Davenport, Frances Gardner & Paullin, Charles Oscar (1937). European treaties bearing on the history of the United States and its dependencies. Volume IV: 1716-1815. Washington.
  • Eelking, Max von (1863). Die deutschen Hülfstruppen im nordamerikanischem Befreiungskriege, 1776 bis 1783. Hannover.
  • Eelking, Max von (1868). Memoirs, and Letters and Journals of Major General Riedesel. Albany.
  • Elgenstierna, Gustav (1926). Den introducerade svenska adelns ättartavlor. Vol. 2. Stockholm.
  • Elster, Otto (1901). Geschichte der stehenden Truppen im Herzogthum Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel. Leipzig.
  • Huck, Stephan (2011). Soldaten gegen Nordamerika. München: Oldenbourg Verlag.
  • Jarck, Horst-Rüdiger (ed.) (2000). Brücken in eine neue Welt. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.
  • Lowell, Edward J. (1884). The Hessians. New York.
  • McCullough, Alan Bruce (1996). Money and Exchange in Canada to 1900. Dundurn Press.
  • Parker, David E. (1983). That Loose Flimsy Order. M.A. Thesis. University of New Hampshire.
  • Scales, Jodie K. (2001). Of Kindred Germanic Origins. Writers Club Press.
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