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The Hesse-Cassel Mirbach Regiment in the American Revolution
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Bruce E. Burgoyne. Every-occurrence Index, Fullname Index, 128 pp. This book comprises two accounts of the Mirbach Regiment and its involvement in the Revolutionary War. Firstly, there is the regimental journal, kept by quartermaster August Schmidt, which spans the period from the unit's departure from regimental headquarters in Melsungen on March 1, 1776 to its return home May 30th 1784 at the close of the war. Secondly there is the journal kept by Ensign (later Lieutenant) Karl Reuffer. Although it covers a shorter time span (March 1, 1776 to December 28, 1777), it goes into much greater detail, and occupies three quarters of the book. Thus we are able to compare two accounts of the same events (readers who enjoyed this approach in Burgoyne's Enemy Views should take note). This book shows the roughly 625-man Hesse-Cassel Mirbach Regiment seeing action mainly in the New York City area, although they do spend some time in the Wilmington/Brandywine area of Delaware after sailing up the Chesapeake Bay. The Mirbach Regiment was not engaged in battle as frequently as some other units, but it suffered combat losses far in excess of most other units as the result of the unsuccessful, primarily Hessian attack on Fort Mercer, also known as Fort Red Bank, in New Jersey. In this one attack on October 22, 1777, Rueffer reports losses in dead and wounded of 397 men. When the Mirbach Regiment set sail from Sandy Hook, New Jersey on July 23rd, 1777 as part of a 300-ship British fleet, Rueffer's diary included a diagram of the arrangement of ships. Prior to the publication of this book, this diagram has never been published anywhere as far as we know. Also, Rueffer gives an extract from a letter containing the articles of Lt. General Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga in 1777. Some of the terms of surrender might seem odd to modern readers, such as the officers being granted parole and being allowed to keep their side arms. As an appendix to his journal, Rueffer included a list of all Hesse-Cassel officer deaths tip to the end of 1777, giving the officer's unit, place, time and cause of death. Following the fullname every-occurrence index, we are pleased to include some biographical information on Mr. Burgoyne (who has served three out of four of the U.S. armed forces), as this makes the tenth Hessian work he has published with us. [B875-H]