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diff --git a/27230.txt b/27230.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f0d23fc --- /dev/null +++ b/27230.txt @@ -0,0 +1,954 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Voyage of The First Hessian Army from +Portsmouth to New York, 1776, by Albert Pfister and Johann Gottfried Seume + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Voyage of The First Hessian Army from Portsmouth to New York, 1776 + +Author: Albert Pfister + Johann Gottfried Seume + +Release Date: November 10, 2008 [EBook #27230] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FIRST HESSIAN ARMY, 1776 *** + + + + +Produced by Markus Brenner and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + Heartman's Historical Series No. 3 + + + THE VOYAGE + OF + + The First Hessian Army + + FROM PORTSMOUTH TO NEW YORK + 1776 + + + + One hundred and ten Copies printed for + CHAS. FRED. HEARTMAN, New York City + + + + +The following Historical Sketch is a translation from the German of A. +Pfister. It was published some fifty years ago in a German periodical +and is interesting enough to be reprinted in English as it contains +hitherto very little known details of this voyage. At the end will be +found an Extract from the Diary of the German Poet and Adventurer, J. G. +Seume, a Hessian Soldier and Participator on the Voyage. + +January, 1915 + CH. F. H. + + + Number ___ of 110 copies printed. + Also six printed on Japan Vellum. + + +The troops belonging to the first Hessian Division had as yet not all +been assembled in the harbor of Portsmouth, for, on account of the lack +of transport ships, General von Mirbach with his regiment and that of +Commander Rall, a Knyphausen Company, and a part of the Commissariat +still remained at Bremerlehe, when the fleet was ready and the wind +often long in coming, was just then very favorable to leave the channel. +Then a rather peculiar circumstance occurred to prevent the start. +Heister, the Hessian Commander-in-Chief, refused to start, feeling bound +by the land grave's express orders to keep all his divisions together. +The king became exceedingly impatient, for the delay set an incalculable +amount at stake--at last the Hessian minister at London, General von +Schlieffen, took upon himself the responsibility of this urgent matter, +and Heister, with a spirit of true faithfulness to service, went over +with his Hessian troop ships to the remaining squadron at anchor at St. +Hellens in the immediate vicinity. + +The fleet as gathered here numbered 100 sailing vessels, among which +were 2 men-of-war with 50 cannons, 4 frigates of 36 cannons, and 2 +fire-ships for the protection of the transports and provision ships. +These vessels carried in all about 12,500 land troops, of which the 7400 +Hessians were distributed in 52 ships. William Hotham, their Commodore, +was on the man-of-war Preston. When the ship captains had received from +him the signaling directions and their sealed instructions (which may be +opened only after a ship has sailed in order to learn its destination), +he gave the signals to weigh anchor and to sail by means of a cannon +shot and the displaying of a flag. This was on the evening of the 6th of +May. + +Very soon an adverse and violent storm arose, the sea became turbulent +and there was much seasickness. No one could stand upright in the +cabins, everything was tossed about pell-mell and sailors fell overboard +and could not be saved; yet the fleet by the evening of the 9th was +sailing with calmer weather through the dangerous region of the Scilly +Islands, where, over a mass of rocks and reefs a warning lighthouse +stood. After sunset the last land was seen to disappear under the +horizon, the promontory, Landsend. On the next day the cables, which +usually are on the capstan, were coiled on deck; still greater waves, +and more violent motions of the ship indicated that the vessels had +reached the great ocean. Who may be the master of the ocean was made +evident during the very next few days to the astonished soldiers, when a +Danish and later two Swedish East Indian ships were passing through the +fleet; these then lowered their flags and a sail of the middle mast, as +soon as they were within the distance of a shot. This was the mark of +esteem which every foreign ship on meeting an English man-of-war or +squadron in the Atlantic Ocean was to render to it, as indicating the +recognition of Great Britain's sovereignty there. + +A perfect calm had set in; the great waves rose to an astonishing +height, and, although at a time of wind and full sail, the vibrations of +the ships are lessened by the quick forward motion, yet in calm the +opposite is true, for the ships were heaving and pitching, so that there +seemed to be danger of complete capsizing, or at any rate of the loss of +the masts. In the darkness of night the foam sparkled on the ships and +at times the lightning flashed and quivered on the waves. Several ships +had already met with accidents, in getting badly damaged by running +against each other, and in some the constant pumping out of water was +made necessary. The ship Good Intent ran with its prow into the stern of +the Claudina, on which there was a company of the regiment von +Knyphausen under Lieutenant Baum, and to the great anguish and cry of +the crew and troops made a great hole over the cabin. The ship +Speedwell, on which there was Lieutenant-Colonel Block with the +Grenadier-Company of the Prince Karl regiment drew so much water that it +seemed doomed to sink. Accordingly signals of distress were hoisted, the +Commodore signaled the fleet to halt and by means of several boats had +the ship thoroughly investigated. It became evident that there was no +immediate danger, and that, with constant use of the pumps, the +Speedwell could continue the voyage. + +On the 20th of May a strong wind suddenly arose (simply good fresh air +as the sailors said), but the water became rough, the waves struck over +the decks, and all fires were ordered to be put out; porpoises made +their appearance in great numbers, the sight of which was cheering +especially to the officers who shot at them; little was it supposed by +them then that these porpoises were but the forerunners of an +approaching storm. On the 25th the whole sky became clouded over with +dark and heavy clouds, the air became close and sultry, and the +Commodore had shots fired frequently as a signal to prevent the +scattering of the ships. The wind and waves became more violent from +hour to hour during the night of the 25th to the 26th, and on Whitsunday +the full force of the storm was felt. The Commodore gave the signal to +draw in all sails except one and to remove the uppermost parts of the +masts. The ships were being scattered far apart. In the cabins all +articles, though tied fast, were broken loose and were thrown +helter-skelter, the occupants likewise, many with bruised limbs, and +there was no end to the spells of seasickness and of misery made +ridiculous. The storm was ever growing worse. On the second day the last +sail was drawn in, and the rudder bound fast, so that now the ship was +left to its fate. The raging sea was playing with the gigantic +structure of the ships as with a toy; sailors were swallowed up by the +waters, others committed suicide and soldiers who ventured to go on deck +fell down unconscious because of the force of the waves. Only one +consolation remained, namely, the clarified atmosphere; but on the third +day of Whitsuntide dark gloomy clouds and torrents of rain darkened the +whole firmament, the winds seemed to be let loose, sounding like roaring +thunder, all nature seemed to have united in bringing to young America a +terrible funeral feast. While thousands are pleading here for the +protection of Heaven a furious wrathful indignation rages in the +American pulpit scattering its curses and, praying to God and the +Savior, dedicates the fleet to destruction. + +With a loud and deafening roar the huge waves wash over the ships; the +decks and every port-hole had to be made extra tight. The soldiers were +lying in the lower compartments as if buried alive in coffins, gasping +in the darkness after air and water; from moment to moment the most of +them, quiet and depressed, expected to go out of this dark night into +the eternal day of heaven. Still on the next day the storm was raging +and the heavy sea also continued, and this threatened to break the ships +to pieces; but the clouds broke, the great downfall of rain ceased, the +air became clear, the wind subsided, and in the evening at 10 o'clock +the storm had stopped entirely--only the seething waters were still +roaring and placed the ships in even greater danger. It was not until +the morning of the 30th that this violent sea had spent its fury; sound +sleep reinvigorated exhausted nature; and when the soldiers and sailors +awoke to the beautiful day and looked out upon the glittering, smooth, +quiet sea, and saw how little by little the ships drew closer together, +they each and everyone felt as if they had awakened to a new day of +creation. The kitchen fires were again glowing, the kettles were +steaming, the provisions, clothing and bed linen, all so thoroughly wet +through, were dried, everywhere repairs were undertaken, the masts were +again properly set up, and the sails spread; on the decks praises to God +were sung with fervent feelings of gratitude in devout meetings of +prayer. + +The religious, sympathetic feelings certainly prevail in the deeply +rooted piety of our (Hessian) people. It was customary on all ships that +as often as the weather and the motion of the vessel permitted it, a +prayer meeting should be held every morning and every evening and a +preaching service on Sundays. Though not obliged to attend, yet one +could regularly see the soldierly religious congregation assembled, +standing with uncovered heads and filled with devotion, drawn thither by +the inner voice of conscience. If the sea were rough then one could hear +the people from their resting places starting up religious hymns. +Communion with God was necessary for the soul; more urgently did the +present remind of eternity, and the very recent past give grounds for +gratitude. The ordinary man had in lieu of other songs learned to sing +his religious hymns at school, and he sang these even during his march +against the enemy. It was not a book of epic poems that accompanied him +on his expeditions, it was a small book of prayer, which even now is a +chief constituent part of the small bookshops of the Hessian +peasant-folk, so precious to him because of the divine power of its +influence, to his mind a pure, old, genuine "Jesus wine." This was the +well known "Habermaennchen," the epic poem and the private chapel of the +warrior as well as of the serving man. And not alone with the exalted +spectacle of divine omnipotence on the furious or rapturous sea--but +even in the camps and quarters the masses of soldiers did not neglect +public worship any more than they neglected a simple military duty. So +with the ancient fear of God of the patriarchs in their hearts the +Hessian people landed on the soil of America. + +The dispersion of the fleet had obliged a halt of three days, during +which time the frigates sailed in all directions, collecting the ships +by means of cannon shots, yet this was not entirely successful; fifteen +battered ships had opened their sealed orders and had sailed on ahead to +Halifax, the goal designated therein. The contrary winds prevented the +advance of the fleet. It appeared in great grandeur on the 4th of June; +this was the birthday of King George III. In unusual splendor did the +day shine, on all vessels the red English flag was waving, on all war +ships and all frigates, twenty-one cannon shots resounded at noon and +the transport ships were only too glad to follow with their joyful +celebrations. But on the ship Unanimity an unfortunate pistol shot was +fired in the morning. A captain of the life-guards, Count von der Lippe, +offended one of his subordinates, Lieutenant Kleinschmidt, because he, +though accidentally, had caused his dog to give a cry of pain, and with +coarse words demanded an immediate pistol duel without witnesses. The +lieutenant gave his opponent a mortal wound. The one was descended from +a sovereign house, the other of humble civil origin, yet according to +the ancient chivalrous views, which at all times prevail in the military +profession, they were equals. The court-martial, also in consequence +thereof, acquitted the lieutenant. This is the proceeding followed in +accordance with all proper army regulations: the highest officer next to +the count takes the lieutenant's sword, places a sentinel over him, made +a request, by means of a speaking-trumpet, of the commodore, whose ship +fortunately was quite near, for a clever English surgeon (as the Hessian +Army generally had but few well qualified army surgeons) and then takes +a boat to the ship Elizabeth to make a report to the Lieutenant-General. +Immediately a court-martial is ordered, Lieutenant Kleinschmidt, under +arrest, is taken to the ship of the staff of the regiment, and the +staff-surgeon-major and the chief staff-chaplain were sent to the count. +The former could do nothing except to leave the dying man to the +services of the latter. In prayer with the chaplain, during which time a +religious service was being held on deck, the count departed this life. +Thereupon the adjutants of the general took an inventory of the effects +of the deceased, an autopsy was held to determine the cause of death, +then, dressed in his military suit, placed into a hammock weighted down +with stone, and sewed in white canvas, without any further formality, +his body was consigned to the sea. + +Dense fogs had fallen; in order to keep the ships together frequent +shots were fired from the commodore's ship; the danger of knocking +against one another was unavoidable. The ships, Happy Jeanette and +Henrietta, because of the carelessness on the part of the former, ran +against each other at a time when the winds were strong and the sails +were set full, so that the latter very nearly capsized, and, +hard-pressed by the former, could not again right itself. On all faces +there was the picture of death; and panic arose. The soldiers of the +regiment von Ditfurth, driven to despair, endeavored to leap upon the +Jeanette and those of the regiment Prince Karl tried to save their lives +on the Happy, and only with difficulty were they prevented from doing an +act of foolhardiness which would have cost the lives of many. After +repeated knocks the two ships were finally parted; in the Henrietta a +great hole had been made--only one foot lower down and in a few minutes +nothing more would have been seen of the ship. There were on this ship +Captain von Malsburg, the Lieutenants von Ditfurth, von Malsburg, von +Bardeleben, and Ensign von Schachten. + +A new drama took place soon after the 10th of June. A frigate brought +the orders to set all ships and cannon in defensive condition; an East +Indian ship had reported the proximity of many American privateers. One +of these had even been captured. The Hessian officers thereupon set all +cannon in order and arranged for the distribution of the men in the case +of an attack. The commodore remained now in the middle of the fleet, a +frigate had to stay at the head in his place, and the others had to be +all the more active, everywhere in the fleet, as commodore's messengers, +to keep up the order and to search every strange vessel. Even the +transport vessels received orders in case they should discover a strange +vessel to display a red flag at the stern of the ship until the +commodore by means of a similar signal has indicated that he has taken +cognizance of the information. Almost to the very tops of the masts the +guards on watch could be seen. More frequently than ever the stragglers +now received the usual warning (always with a fine of money imposed), +namely, several sharp cannon shots which struck close to them. The same +was the case with those ships which sailed too fast in advance of the +others. As soon as the commodore had given the signal by means of the +flag-language, one could see the marines and the sailors on the +men-of-war practice fully armed and equipped and with such great zeal +carry on a naval battle exercise as certainly cannot be shown any better +in a real battle. By means of bags of sand the decks were protected +against cannon shot from the side; back of these, men with muskets; at +different places the auxiliary troops; at the middle mast the chief +sentry; between the masts a sort of pile structure for defense was built +up to accommodate smaller cannon and soldiers; with uncommon dexterity +the artillery was managed; and at last the sailors with lances and other +like weapons hurried on deck to drill for defense in order to prevent +the enemy from mounting the ship. + +With many a change of wind and weather, of calm and turbulent sea, of +joyous or anxious feeling, the great sandbanks of New Foundland were +reached on the 20th of June. + +A mighty sea of breakers indicates the location of these sandbanks; upon +their precipitous rocky walls covered forty fathoms high by the sea, the +restless ocean waves are beating and are with a like force repelled. The +winds go howling over them; dense, cold fogs always cover these regions. +In order to warm the ships against colliding, the drums, foghorns and +ship bells were resounding day and night on all ships. In order to +prevent their being separated too far from one another a cannon shot was +fired every half hour on the commodore's ship. Nevertheless many ships +drifted from their course; fourteen of them were found by a fire ship +and conducted to Halifax. For three or four days the ships remained in +the vicinity of the sandbanks. The many phenomena seen there increased +the astonishment of the ordinary man concerning the wonders of the sea, +which had here appeared to him: the whale, swimming majestically; and +the spongy mass polyps, scarcely with the organization of a living +creature; multitudes of porpoises, which pursued with amusing leaps out +of the water the course of the flying fish, and the latter then fell +down upon the decks, where they found a more certain death; shoals of +dolphins, which followed the ships with their glittering colors, and +often were reached by the harpoon or other weapon thrown at them; in the +dark night countless brilliant, fiery stripes, generated by a school of +fishes swiftly passing through the waters; turtles, caught for the +tables of the gentlemen; whole swarms of wild ducks; above all the +enormous quantity of cod fish, which had caused several fleets of +French, British and Norwegian fishing smacks to be gathered here, and +now enriched the kitchens of the army fleet. + +On the 25th of June the sandbanks were left behind and from the damp, +biting cold, against which even the protection of a fur mantle was of no +avail, the expedition experienced a warm, beautiful day and soon again +many changes of weather. The great number of whales now to be seen +indicated the proximity of the coast of Nova Scotia. A green fir tree, +which was floating on the waters, brought still more joyful tidings. The +ever diminishing depth of the sea on July 3rd gave rise to the hope that +yet before evening land would come into sight, but as heavy fogs and +strong winds set in it became necessary to avoid the probable dangers by +returning to the deeper ocean. Ever following a course of approaching +and then leaving the coast, and experiencing another heavy thunder +storm, which tore the sails to pieces, it was with indescribable joy +that the coast of Nova Scotia came to view on the 7th at break of day. +As soon as the anchoring place of Halifax was reached the commodore +signaled to the fleet to gather and sail before the wind. Now those +ships came along and rejoined the fleet which had become lost in the +fogs and had anchored several days previously in the harbor. They +greeted the commodore with fifteen shots and he replied with eleven. +From these ships much information was gained, and especially did they +bring joyful news about the ship Malaga, which had become totally lost +to all appearances in the Whitsuntide storm, and which with all on +board, a company of the life-guards, under Captain Waldenberg, had +already been given up as lost. Its bowsprit was gone and it had suffered +considerable damage too, but it had had the good fortune to bring to +Halifax a French ship which was carrying munitions of war to the +Americans. A reward of 2,000 pounds sterling had been granted to the +commander and his troops--but in course of time this was paid out to the +commanders of the English men-of-war. Having joined the great British +fleet it had followed the commander in chief, General Howe, to the new +rendezvous of the squadron and of the army. + +Howe had already begun his career with blunders and perplexities. He had +been selected through an unfortunate vote conducted by his party and so +was entrusted with an affair, the nature of which demanded, in the midst +of the transactions of considerate love, the speediest progress of arms +and the greatest decision of character. Instead of leaving Boston, the +firebrand of the war, so important because of its location, either not +at all, or at such an early time that the state of New York which was +still chiefly loyal could be saved, he started for Halifax so +inopportunely, that meanwhile the power of the Congress was made felt in +New York, and prepared there the strongest defence; Howe finally made +Rhode Island his destination, and changed his mind during the trip, and +at last aimed for New York, when the commodore, William Hotham, +collected before Halifax the previously given sealed orders from the +several ship captains and had designated Rhode Island as the new +destination, a frigate brought the again changed instruction to fix as +rendezvous the lighthouse of Sandy Hook. + +The joy of immediate landing after so long a voyage, which had even +become highly disagreeable towards the close, was now gone. The various +changes as to their destination, the unfavorable weather, poor sailing +vessels, which oftentimes had to be taken in tow by the war vessels, and +the difficulty to keep together such a fleet, always in danger of +hostile attack, all combined to lengthen the voyage to 100 days, which +was even at that time very rare, and now could be of incalculable +advantage to the cause of the Americans. With an unfavorable wind the +fleet started; the eyes of everybody were directed to the green coast +and the undulating hilly background. During the night the sharp glow of +the Halifax lighthouse accompanied the troops, until, like a star +gradually fading away, it at last disappeared from view. + +On the evening of the 8th of July the fleet halted. The ship Spring had, +by means of a signal of distress and four cannon shots, indicated that +it was in the greatest danger. All men-of-war approached it. They +learned that the sailors had mutinied, whereupon these were arrested, +and then exchanged for others. With a changeable wind the fleet +continued, now tacking, now sailing. To one of the ships the +threatening, gigantic cone of a water spout approached, yet it escaped +the danger of being overcome by its great deluge of water; elsewhere the +so-called St. Elmo's Fire appeared at the tops of the masts, feared as +an apparition of a warning spirit; then on the night of the 11th to the +12th of July the sky and the ocean met, the spectacle of a most fearful +thunder storm. The ships kept at a great distance from each other, drew +in their sails, and while generally on the commodore's ship the light +signal was burning, now on all ships the lanterns could be seen unlit, +vibrating in the deepest darkness; the clouds at night gave forth a most +violent hailstorm; the terrible waves roared and piled themselves up +into great fiery-looking mountains, the lightning flashed and quivered +in the air, now and then splintering the top of a mast. With thunder on +all sides and fearful in the expectation of the approaching storm, the +soldiers sank down in silent resignation and the crew remained during +the whole night on deck in anxious agitation and work. In the morning +there arose a strong wind which tore to pieces the sails on several +ships, but it also dispersed the storm clouds. Then, on the 14th, a calm +set in, and from the ships there resounded the hymns of the Sunday +services, but dense fog and continuous rains occurred and the vibrations +of the ship became in the calm ever greater. All at once there was a +great outcry in the fleet: Two ships, the Hartley (with Knyphausen +soldiers under Captain von Biesenrod) and Lord Sandwich (on board of +which was Colonel von Wurmb and a part of the life guards) could be seen +colliding because of the great waves, causing each other considerable +damage, and, thereupon, the ship Henrietta, with the Union, (upon which +there was Colonel von Herringen and a section of the regiment of +Losberg) could be seen likewise driven against each other. Alternately +heaving and sinking the upper ship always appeared as if threatening +destruction to the lower one, until the Union hoisted out a boat which, +then, by means of a rope thrown over the bowsprit, pulled the Henrietta +away. After a few agreeable days there followed on the 19th of July very +stormy weather, the sea was in a most furious rage, sails ripped apart, +but the ever agile activity of the sailors at the time of such +accidents, was always ready with instant relief and reparation. As a +spider that moves about as swiftly as the arrow in her web, so the +sailors were going up and down the rope ladders of the masts and through +the rigging, hanging only at their feet, tieing the tackle and binding +the sails. Then there followed days and nights too hot to be endured, +with heavy thunder storms; sleepless and famishing for a little fresh +air, the soldiers came even in the night time on deck; the longing for +the land grew hour by hour. + +This most tedious voyage had given full play to the development of +diseases. The most careful cleanliness, the daily scrubbing of the +decks, the frequent cleaning of the cabins and rooms, the washing and +the disinfecting with steaming vinegar, the pumping in of fresh air, and +the airing of the bedding on decks: all this belonged to the general +health regimen, yet the effect of the restrained, often unnatural +physical exercises, and improper food, was not to be suppressed. While +to many a Hessian the ship became his first cradle, without granting +unto him in its hasty course a place which he could call his birthplace, +there were others, who, deceased, were buried at the bottom of the sea, +the Ensign von Stedel of the Regiment von Donop, among the first +victims. Scurvy was developed as a result of tainted humors, for which +the drinking of sea water was used as a medicine, and also the chewing +of tobacco, which the Hessians had learned from the sailors and later +kept up as a habit in their own homes. The disease reigned supreme, +however, and many individuals suffered for a long time yet after the +disembarkation from paralyzed limbs, and some even died. There was a +lack of the most necessary things. The food supplies provided for by the +officers themselves were exhausted, even the rations of zwieback were +cut down to only 17 loth (8-1/2 oz.) a day. The water, which in the +whole fleet had been stored in new oaken casks, became undrinkable and +finally putrid. The beds of the soldiers were broken up in the storms, +camp kettles and canteens were smashed, tents, clothing apparel, even +the cartridges had been destroyed by the rats, which finally had even +gnawed through the water casks; all of these troubles more or less were +suffered by most of the transport ships. + +Meanwhile a much wished for wind filled the sails, and the ever more and +more anxious, but daily disappointed hope, now at last to see New York, +grew upon its wings; yet the wind on the 30th of July became so strong +that the sails had to be drawn in, the rudders bound fast, and the ships +left to the shattering blows of the waves, which roaringly dashed and +resounded about the ships. As soon as the storm had subsided the +commodore by means of the cannon shots gathered together the scattered +fleet and gave instructions for a changed course in order to avoid being +driven against the near coast, but, unfortunately, the ships came into a +strong contrary current, the water again became high and turbulent, it +rained and lightened incessantly, masts toppled over, as was the case on +the Friendship which had on board 200 members of the Regiment Crown +Prince, besides Colonel von Hachenberg. Sailors and ship carpenters +found everywhere enough to do, until finally a favorable strong wind on +the 4th of August fortunately blew the fleet out of the current. On the +10th of August the fleet offered an excellent and very hopeful +appearance as it, in a most speedy wind, with high towering sails, was +cutting its course through the little waves. On the 11th, at the hour +of noon the happy signals indicating the sight of land were to be seen. +Soon the charming coast of Long Island came into the view of all and +great shouts of joy were wafted across the waters towards it from this +swimming city. Carefully did the fleet tack during the night because the +water was becoming ever more shallow. On the next morning, the 12th of +August, an English squadron of 24 vessels was seen from the ocean and +this, after a few hours, united with the fleet, following the mutual +greeting by means of a definite number of shots. Among the new arrivals +was also Major General von Mirbach with the troops which also belonged +to the first Hessian Division, and which did not take to the transport +ships at Bremerlehe until four weeks after the embarkation of Heister, +and then had waited for a favorable wind. + +Now the English flag was unfurled on all ships; Sandy Hook came into +sight with its white lighthouse, immediately thereupon Staten Island, +and a veritable painting spread itself out before the eyes of these +newcomers, most charming after so many dangers had been encountered and +after so long a denial of a glance on the beautiful smiling landscapes, +teeming with inhabitants, exalted and majestic, the shores studded with +troops, the tents of a friendly and a hostile camp, of a forest of masts +of 500 ships, and the many hundred boats which so vigilantly were +watching the hostile shores--here a belligerent power assembled, such +as America had never seen before in order to have a combat, which in the +destiny of the world gave its immeasurable decision. + + + _Extract from the Diary of the German Poet and + Adventurer, J. G. Seume, a Hessian Soldier + and Participator on the Voyage_ + +On the English transporter we were pressed and packed like salted +herrings. To save room the deck, low as it was, had been partitioned +off, and we lay instead of in hammocks, in these bunks, one row above +the other. The deck was so low that a grown man could not stand upright, +and the bunks not high enough to sit in. These bunks were intended to +hold six men each but after four had entered, the remaining two could +only find room by pressing in. The situation was, especially in warm +weather, decidedly not cool: for one man to turn from one side to the +other alone was absolutely impossible, and to lie on one's back was an +equal impossibility. The straightest way and the hardest edge were +necessary. After having roasted and sweated sufficiently on one side, +the man who had the place to the extreme right would call: round about +turn! and all would simultaneously turn to the other side, then having +received quantum sabis on this one the man to the left would give the +same signal. The maintainance was on an equal scale. Today bacon and +peas--peas and bacon tomorrow. Once in a while this menu was broken by +porridge or peeled barley, and as an occasional great feast by pudding. +This pudding was made of musty flour, half salt and half sweet water and +of very ancient mutton suet. The bacon could have been from four to five +years old, was black at both outer edges, became yellow a little farther +on and was white only in the very centre. The salted beef was in a very +similar condition. The biscuits were often full of worms which we had to +swallow in lieu of butter or dripping if we did not want to reduce our +scanty rations still more. Besides this they were so hard that we were +forced to use canon balls in breaking them into eatable pieces. Usually +our hunger did not allow us to soak them, and often enough we had not +the necessary water to do so. We were told (and not without some +probability of truth) that these biscuits were French, and that the +English, during the Seven Years' War had taken them from French ships. +Since that time they had been stored in some magazine in Portsmouth and +that they were now being used to feed the Germans who were to kill the +French under Rochambeau and Lafayette in America--if God so wotted. But +apparently God did not seem to fancy this idea much. + +The heavily sulphured water lay in deep corruption. After a barrel had +been hoisted up and opened, the deck was pervaded by a conglomeration of +very evil odours indeed. It was full of worms as long as a finger and +had to be filtered through a cloth before it could be drunken. And even +then it was dangerous to breathe above it. Rum and sometimes a little +strong beer helped to make it somewhat more drinkable. + +Herded together in this manner, forced to breathe putrid air, to eat bad +food and to drink foul water, these youths, old men, students, merchants +and peasants, many of them but insufficiently clothed, were tossed about +for months upon the Atlantic. + +Many of the sufferings undergone by us on this voyage were no doubt +unavoidable, and many of the recruits were used to a hard +life--nevertheless, many of the things they endured were the result of +an intentional deficiency of care taking and of a great greed. + +What can be said of the British Quartermasters-Department which sent +these people to sea without proper food and drink? What of the Duke of +Brunswick who sent his subject to Canada without durable boots or +stockings and without overcoats? Often enough have men borne a hard life +cheerfully, because they knew the why and wherefore, but these poor +fellows suffered on account of a quarrel which was not their own, +suffered only that their masters might pay their debts or enjoy new +pleasures. + + + +[Transcriber's Note: The following correction was applied to the +original text: + +p. 15: Habermaenchen -> Habermaennchen ] + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Voyage of The First Hessian Army +from Portsmouth to New York, 1776, by Albert Pfister and Johann Gottfried Seume + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FIRST HESSIAN ARMY, 1776 *** + +***** This file should be named 27230.txt or 27230.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/7/2/3/27230/ + +Produced by Markus Brenner and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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