Excerpts From The Journal of the Fusilier Regiment v. Knyphausen From 1776 to 1783
But first, a few notes on why this is of interest in our genealogy:
While the term Hessian has been, and still is, used to refer to all German troops who were employed by Great Britain during the American Revolution, the term in its proper sense applies only to the troops sent from Hesse-Cassel and Hesse-Hanau. Other German principalities including, Brunswick, Anhalt-Zerbst, Anspach-Bayruth, and Waldeck, contributed troops for service in America, in all around 30,000 men. These soldiers were not mercenaries in the usual sense of the term since they did not offer their services in return for money or booty. They were troops who served under their own officers following an agreement or "treaty" between Great Britain and the rulers of the German principalities. Each German ruler received payment from Britain in return for the services performed by his soldiers.
Drawing of the uniforms of Hessian troops, Von Knyphausen Regiment, Rall's Brigade - 1776. Uniform on the right is that of the "Gemeiner", a Private
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In the words of Nelson Sulouff, regarding:
Johannes Zulauf
a member of the Minnigerode (3rd) Co. of the Knyphausen Regiment:
"My immigrant Hessian ancestor, Johannes Zulauf , was in the Minnigerode (3rd) Co. of the Knyphausen Regiment. The Knyphausen was one of the regiments in the Mirbach Brigade, First Division.
They marched out of Hesse-Cassel on 29 February 1776, followed down river valleys northward to the sea, and began boarding ships in Bremerlehe (Bremerhaven) on 23 March. There were no precedents to follow and the logistics of the operation was learned as they went along. During boarding it was learned that the ships assembled at Bremerlehe were insufficient to carry the entire First Division, so the troops ended up sailing in two separate convoys. As a consequence, 3-2/3 companies of the Knyphausen departed Bremerlehe on 17 April and the remaining 154 men of the Knyphausen sailed in a hastily organized second convoy out of the mouth of the Weser River on 18 May. The two convoys joined up outside New York (Raritan) Bay on 12 August, and the Knyphausen Regiment was set ashore on Staten Island on 15 August 1776.
For the next four months the Mirbach Brigade was engaged in the campaigns of Long Island, the New York mainland, New York (Manhattan) Island, and New Jersey. The Mirbach Brigade was renamed the Rall Brigade shortly before it moved into Trenton on 14 December 1776.
Johanne Zulauf was with the Rall Brigade in Trenton when it was surprised the morning of 26 December 1776 by Washington's famous attack across the ice-laden Delaware. He was one of the 753 soldiers who evaded capture by Washington's army that day, and before the end of December these remnants of the Rall Brigade were mustered into a temporary unit called the "Combined Battalion."
The Combined Battalion went into garrison on New York Island for a month of rehabilitation, and by early February 1777 the unit was once again fit for duty. During the summer campaign season of 1777, the new battalion sailed out of New York Bay with about 18,000 British and German troops on about 250 ships headed for Philadelphia. Access to Philadelphia was denied by a chain of fireboats across the Delaware, so they sailed around to the Chesapeake and disembarked on the north bank of the Elk River. Zulauf, in the Combined Battalion, was among those assigned to cross the Elk and move east along the southern shores of the river, foraging for livestock and food to sustain the invading army during their march against Philadelphia.
During the battle of the Brandywine, the Combined guarded the supply wagons, after which they were engaged in holding Wilmington as a hospital and supply point. After Philadelphia was secured by the main force, the Combined moved to the Schuylkill River and crossed to the Philadelphia side in the early hours of 23 October. They spent the winter in Philadelphia, then marched across New Jersey, were engaged in protecting the supply train during the battle of Monmouth, marched on to Sandy Point, sailed across the Bay and reached New York Island the second week of July 1778. The year following their return to New York was uneventful.
The Knyphausen Regiment was reconstituted in the Summer of 1779, and the second week of September it was shipped out of New York in a convoy headed for Canada to oppose the French.
The fleet ran into a hurricane, and on 26 September 1779 the entire Knyphausen Regiment was captured at sea aboard storm-damaged ships. Zulauf was among those POWs who were put ashore at Little Egg Harbor in Jersey, held briefly in Philadelphia, and then were sent on to Reading in Berks Co. PA. With hostilities finally ended four years later, the units of the Knyphausen Regiment were rounded up, marched to New York, from which they sailed for their homeland on 15 August 1783.
However, the name of Johannes Zulauf was not on the roster of those who sailed. He was back in Berks Co. with his bride of six months. He had found what he wanted in this fledgling new nation. He spent the remainder of his life as a Pennsylvania farmer.
Johannes Zulauf changed his name to Sulouff in the beginning of the 19th Century and became the founding patriarch of a singular family with two spellings for their surname, Sulouff and Suloff. All persons with these surnames are descended from Johannes Zulauf, one of some 6000 immigrant Hessian
soldiers who chose to remain in North America after the Revolutionary War.
Extractions Journal of the Fusilier Regiment v. Knyphausen From 1776 to 1783by Robert A. Fetters
Also included: Andreas Wiederhold was captain of Grenadiers in the Hessian Subsidiary Army Corps, of the Staff of the Division Knyphausen. He kept a diary from October 7, 1776 to December 7 1780, included here are excerpts from the November 1776 battle at Trenton. Widerhold's diary is in Marburg, Germany. These entries include much more detail, and are easy to differentiate, but they are also notes as - Wiederhold Diary after each entry.
With added maps and document photos, particularly in relation to Johannes Zulauf, provided by Nelson Sulouff & Heather [Sulouff] Truckenmiller
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This Journal was reportedly kept by a Lt. Ritter, and was called his diary, though this cannot be verified in the manuscript. It was in Hessian Documents in the American Revolution documents as translated, typed and obtained from microfiche at the U.S. Army & Education Center, U.S. Army Military History Institute, 950 Soldiers Drive, Carlisle, PA 17013-5021 (Apr 2005). The originals are reported to be at the Morristown National Historical Park in New Jersey.
The following is an extraction of the key dates and elements of the Journal. Many other Regiments are mentioned, but this extraction is specific to the von Knyphausen Regiment. However, an attempt was made to extract not only reported activities but their relationship to other events of the Revolution. The Journal is 101 typed pages, reduced here to less than 5 pages, but includes comments by the extractor [in square brackets].
1684 Manuscript begins with a Regimental history, covering the period from formation until:
1776 11 Jan: Regiment ordered to North America, with officers appointed to the Companies (25).
03 Mar: Regiment marched from permanent headquarters at Ziegenhain, with entries for day by day movements.
17 Apr: Set sail.
26 Apr: Anchored at Plymouth [England], and received an additional ship (the Hartley), and supplies. A distribution of officers among the ships is given.
06 May: Fleet set sail, under Commodore Hotham, each ships Captain with sealed orders for rejoining forces if separated.
11 Aug: Nova Scotia land sighted.
25 Aug: Ferried to Long Island.
27 Aug: Army advanced to the lines at Flatbush, where the rebels were entrenched, and fighting began, with the Americans withdrawing to fortifications at Brooklyn.
30 Aug: Last night, the enemy left Long Island, to New York, forsaking fortifications at Brookland [sic] & Redhook.
01 Sep: Firing on New York began today.
16 Oct: The Knyphausen Regiment had its first man wounded.
23 Oct: Knyphausen’s 2nd Division landed and encamped at New Rochelle.
26 Oct: Engagement on the heights at White Plains, with Knyphausen occupying heights not held by the enemy (Knyphausen had 2 men wounded), and pursuing the enemy 2 miles.
Wilhelm von Knyphausen
06 Nov: Von Knyphausen Regiment advanced against Kingsbridge and drove enemy from Fort Independence.
776 10 November. — Our brigade went to King's Bridge under Col. Kail, since Col. Bose, in whose command we had first been, was ill; we were to reinforce Lt.-Gen. von Knyphausen's brigade. The enemy had erected a fort on a high rocky elevation, which seemed fortified by nature itself, which they called Fort "Washington. Human skill had also been employed to make it very strong. Without possession of this fort we could not keep up communication with New York, nor could we think of advancing any farther, much less get quiet winter-quarters. -Wiederhold Diary
11 November. — At 5 o'clock in the morning the entire division of his Ex. Gen. von Knyphausen marched out to attack this place, but a violent rain-storm setting in, we had to abandon the attack for this day. -Wiederhold Diary
14 November. — Gen. Howe arrived with the entire army and camped about a mile in the rear of us. Now another plan was made, and 16 November. — was fixed upon for the attack. At half past five in the morning, we passed over King's Bridge with the following regiments: Knyphausen, Theyne, Bienau, Ball, Lossberg and Waldeck, which were joined by Wutgenau and the grenadier battalion Kohler, and all formed in two columns. The right column consisted of the regiments Wutgenau, Knyphausen, Theyne and Bienau, and was led by Maj.-Gen. Schmidt; the whole attack was commanded by his Ex. Li-Gen. von Knyphausen. The latter at all times could be found in the thickest of the fight, where resistance and attack was the hottest, and he tore down the fences with his own hands to urge the men on. He was also exposed like a common soldier to the frightful cannon and shrapnell-fire, as well as to the rifle shots, and it is wonderful that he came off without being killed or wounded. The advance-guard on the right consisted of a body of Jagers and 100 men, which was commanded by the Major von Dechow. The advance-guard of the left column consisted of 100 men commanded by Oapt. von Medern, of the regiment "Wutgenau, and with this body I went, as well as Lt. Lowenfeld. Both the captain and his lieutenant are dead ; the latter was killed on the spot, the former died the next day. But I am still alive, thanks be to God ! and have escaped unhurt, but for a little scratch in my face caused by a broken twig, although I led the van of this advance-guard, a body of thirty men. Here I thought of the old proverb, Weeds are never hurt — " Unkraut vergeht nicht." At 7 o'clock a violent cannonade was begun to divert the attention of the enemy, so that they should not know where the real attack was to be made. If we had continued in our charge at that time, we would not have suffered one third as great a loss as we did later on ; for I was already nearly halfway up the hillside with my vanguard when Gen. Knyphausen sent me an order to retire. Gen. Howe had sent word to Gen. Knyphausen that as everything was not ready that was needed for the feigned attack, therefore, they were to delay the real one. At half past 7 o'clock the English Gen. Lord Percy with two English and one Hessian brigades under Maj. Gen. von Stirn (the Erbpring, Donop and Mirbaeh) attacked the lines which were between the fort and New York, and took them without any heavy loss as they had only two wounded, and the rebels left their lines. At 11 o'clock the boats with two brigades of English came down Harlem creek in order to make a landing near the woods on the left to make a feigned attack. At this moment the real attack was begun near us, and we stood facing their crack troops and their riflemen all on this almost inaccessible rock which lay before us, surrounded by swamps and three earthworks, one above the other. In spite of this every obstacle was swept aside, the earthworks broken through, the swamps waded, the precipitous rocks scaled and the riflemen were driven out of their breastworks, from where they had been -Wiederhold Diary
The grenadier-battalion Kohler occupied the fort in the evening and we went back to our camp, where all those who were well, once more had cause enough to thank God for their preservation. The loss of the Hessians in dead and wounded amounted to more than 300. Among the dead were : Captain Walther of Rail's regiment and Lieutenant Lowenfeld of the Wutgenau ; mortally wounded were Captain Barkhausen, of the Knyphausen and Colonel von Bork of the same regiment. Captain von Medern of the Wutgenau; Colonel von Bork and Lieutenant Briede died the same day, all the rest on the second or third day after. Slightly wounded were Major von Dechow, of the Knyphausen, and Lieutenant Kiihne of the Rail. -Wiederhold Diary
17 November. — All the grenadiers and a brigade of English troops crossed the North River into New Jersey under command of General Lord Cornwallis and conquered forts Lee and Constitution without any losses. -Wiederhold Diary
Topographical map of the north-part of New York Island, exhibiting the plan of Fort Washingtion, now Fort Knyphausen, with the rebels lines to the southward with the attack made to the north., by the Hessians surveyed by order of Lieu. Gen. Knyphausen 16. Nov. 1776
21 Nov: Fort Washington renamed Fort Knyphausen. The American Troops crossed to New Jersey.
Plan of a section of the Isle of York adjacent to Fort Knyphausen
Content description: Top of map: roads to Kings Bridge; Fort Knyphausen with external barracks and bakeries, Laurel Hill, Harlem Creek
08 Dec: Went through Princeton, with the baggage following the Battalions to Trenton.
Fort Knyphausen in Amerika
13 Dec: Captured the enemys General Lee, surprised in his quarters.
25 Dec: 100 men attacked Picket posted along road to Maidenhead, but both withdrew after a volley.
Sketch of Trenton by A Hessian Soldier
26 Dec: At half-past seven this morning the picket on the road was attacked with great force and compelled to retreat. The rebels surrounded the town (Trenton) on all sides. Colonel Rall [commander at Trenton] was twice fatally wounded, and the troops were obliged to surrender. The Knyphausen surrendered after the other two Regiments had capitulated. 200 men of the 3 Regiments forded the river and escaped imprisonment, retreating to Bordentown [NJ].
Abridged list, in German, of Hessian soldiers who evaded capture when Washington's forces crossed the Delaware River and attacked Trenton on 26 December 1776. The Zulauf name is on line 33, third from the bottom. Since Hessian records show there was only one soldier named Zulauf who came to America during the Revolutionary War, this most certainly refers to our ancestor, Johannes Zulauf. The record showing his escape at Trenton is the earliest mention of his name found in any record in America. (Copy of document supplied by Dr. Fred Vickerson, Montreal, Canada.)
28 Dec: A combined Battalion was formed from the remainder of the 3 captured Regiments.
1777 - Bottom left of map: Maryland, road to Baltimore; Center of map: Pennsylvania with Newport, Philadelphia, Germantown, Chester, New Castle, Wilmington, Delaware; Right edge of the map: New Jersey detailed description of the movements of the American and British-Hessian troops
1777 Until 11 Jan: Turmoil among the British and Hessians, until both armies went into winter quarters. About 4th of Jan, QM Sergeant Müller was dispatched with necessaries for the [Hessian] prisoners in Philadelphia. P.28 of the manuscript shows a listing of the numbers of prisoners, by Regiments, with 333 men and 5 women from v. Knyphausen taken in the attack at Trentown [sic]. Totally, 1044 men and 22 women were shown as taken prisoner, with officers named. A re-organization of the units followed into February, and the troops moved back into New York and variously to NJ and minor skirmishes.
16 Feb: QM Müller returned from Philadelphia, reporting the men were imprisoned in Lancaster, but that the officers had been conveyed 300 miles further, as far as the extreme frontiers of Virginia.
23 Mar: Colonel v. Borck [commander of my Johann Henrich Hammera's Company], who had now recovered from his wound received at Fort Knyphausen, returned to the Regiment to-day.
16 Feb: QM Müller returned from Philadelphia, reporting the men were imprisoned in Lancaster, but that the officers had been conveyed 300 miles further, as far as the extreme frontiers of Virginia.
23 Mar: Colonel v. Borck [commander of my Johann Henrich Hammera's Company], who had now recovered from his wound received at Fort Knyphausen, returned to the Regiment to-day.
Original title: Plan of the surroundings of Kingsbridge up to Fort Knyphausen with the fortification works done in the year 1777 and those currently being done on Laurelhill
Hand drawing, colored [1779] Content description:
Left side of the map: North River, middle of the map: Northbridge to Fort Knyphausen with the fortifications, right side of the map: Fort Independence, Deichman's Bridge, Harlem Creek; Positions and fortresses of the Americans
08 Jun: The Regiment received 36 recruits to-day from Germany, but none to Knyphausen.
11 Jun: Marched and encamped at Brunswick, and on 30 Jun to Staten Island.
09 Jul: The army embarked, with the v. Knyphausen on board the Nonsuch, and set sail with 300 ships (23 Jul), landing in the Chesapeake river at Turkey Bay in Maryland to face the enemy at Brandewin [sic] Hill (25 Aug).
11 Sep: Early in the AM, the main army detoured 17 miles to attack the enemy's right flank, while v. Knyphausen occupied the attention of the enemy [Battle of Brandywine]. The enemy fled.
27 Sep: Lord Cornwallis has occupied Philadelphia, with outposts at Germantown.
04 Oct: The rebel army attempted a surprise attack at Germantown [Battle of Germantown], but was repulsed with loss.
02 Nov: Report received that Bourgoyneâ [sic] army disastrously taken prisoner at Saratoga.
21 Nov: Enemys fleet burned by the rebels themselves.
26 Nov: “Ensign v. Lützow and six recruits joined the Knyphausen Regiment†with transport of re-inforcements [sic] from Europe.
02 Dec: Present combined Battalion now divided into two Battalions (250+ men, each).
22 Dec: Lt-General v. Knyphausen remained in command of the town [Philadelphia] and the lines, as arrangements are being made for winter quarters (30 Dec).
29 Dec: Some of enemy going into quarters at Lancaster but the remainder “will be quartered in huts, 25 miles from here†[Valley Forge].
1778 01 Jan: New uniforms issued (lost at Trenton), with new helmets received by the Knyphausen Regiment.
18 Mar: Prisoner exchange attempted---3000 rebel prisoners at Philadelphia & NY and about 1000 Hessian & British. No agreement reached.
25 Mar: General Lee paroled by British and officers from Knyphausen arrived in Philadelphia on parole (28 Mar).
20 Apr: Twelve more imprisoned Hessian officers arrived on parole.
08 May: Word received of alliance between France and the American States.
18 Jun: Commanding General Clinton left Philadelphia with troops, which had not been transported. The rear guard under von Knyphausen left early morning, the 20th. “The army camped at Mount Holly, and we at Morristown†[beginning the march across NJ].
24 Jun: Continuing the march, “the men deserted in great numbers.â€
28 Jun: Battle of Monmouth, but the Journal says only “fought an action, whereby the English lost 300 men, but the rebels a great many more.â€
01 Jul: “Since we marched out from Philadelphia 31 men have deserted from the Knyphausen Regiment.â€
06 Jul: The embarked troops arrived at New York in the evening, where the army was distributed on Staten, York and Long Islands.
19 Jul: Transport of our exchanged prisoners arrived; “the Knyphausen Regiment received 10 Non-commissioned officers, 3 Drummers, and 116 men.†The 2 Battalions were reformed into the original Regiments.
06 Aug: “A Non-commissioned officer and 23 men of the Knyphausen Regiment, who had been in imprisonment, were exchanged and returned.â€
16 Aug: “Of our prisoners, another Non-Commissioned officer and 10 men arrived today.†“An Ensign Führer of the v. Knyphausen Regiment deserted the 7th of this month.â€
20 Aug: “The Regiment received 2 men from a re-inforcements [sic] transport from Hesse.â€
21 Sep: The v. Knyphausen Regiment (with others) went to Valentin’s Hill for forage, returning 10 Oct.
27 Oct: 9 Non-commissioned officers and 87 men returned from being prisoners of war.
09 & 10 Nov: Winter quarters taken, the Knyphausen being assigned a position on the North River, 6 miles from New York, at John's House, where huts were built.
1779 28 Jan: Our cavalry surprised a troop of rebels at Tarrytown [the location of Washington Irvin's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and the headless (Hessian) horseman. The headless horseman was supposedly hunting for his head taken off by a cannon ball during this engagement.]
17 May: The Knyphausen Regiment went into camp at New York on the East River, serving as town guard.
17 July: The rebels under General Wayne attacked Fort Stoneypoint, and took the garrison. The Fort was re-occupied on 20 Jul. Knyphausen changed its place of encampment on the North River.
30 Jul: Lt. V. Ferry of the Knyphausen Regiment dismissed for bad conduct.
12 Aug: v. Knyphausen Regiment notified to hold themselves in readiness to embark.
08 Sep: Knyphausen Regiment (with others) embarked with all their heavy baggage on the Archer, Triton,, and Molly. Col. V. Borck [Johann Henrich Hammera's commander], an Ensign Ritter [perhaps the Lt. Ritter responsible for this Journal?], and others were on the Archer while the officers on the other ships were also named. The ships were in bad condition and short of sailors. The Archer with 200 men aboard, became separated from the other 12 ships and escort, by 10 Sep, and thus returned for New York. Enroute back, a British frigate intervened with attacking Privateers, and ran them aground at Egg Harbour. At Sandy Hook, they were told to catch up with the fleet that had earlier left from there (12 Sep). Contrary winds kept them anchored at Sandy Hook, and 4 days of storms caused them to drop two anchors.
17 Sep: 5:00 PM, set off with favourable [sic] and variable winds, until a violent gale on 23 Sep tore two sails to pieces.
Abridged list, in German, of prisoners from the Knyphausen Regiment taken off the storm-damaged British ship named TRITON, which was captured at sea on 26 September 1779. Johannes Zulauf's name is on line 90, second from the end of the list, among four soldiers listed as "Bedienst" (servant to officers). (Copy of document provided by Mark Schwalm, Secretary, Johannes Schwalm Historical Assn.)
Abridged list, in English, of the Knyphausen Regiment prisoners taken off the TRITON and held in the "Philadelphia Gaol" on 10 October 1779. Johannes Zulauf's name appears 6th from end of list, among names for five other servants to officers. (Document published in Journal Of The Johannes Schwalm Historical Assn.)
"For over a year Johannes Zulauf was classified as a POW in Reading, during which time he and three other men served as attendants to the two Minnegerode Company officers, Captain Wiederhold and Lieutenant Breide. As officers' attendants, they would have been in the private employ of the officers, would essentially have been civilians with a pseudo-military status, and would not have worn military uniforms. Johannes' duty with these officers ended when the officers were exchanged and returned to New York Island (Manhattan) in November 1780, at which time Johannes remained in Reading. Between that time and 1783 his name appears on a few Hessian rosters with the consistent notation, "POW, Location unknown." His name does not appear on the rosters drawn up in the Summer of 1783 in preparation for return of the Hessians to their homeland." - Nelson Sulouff
A Search at HETRINA [Hessian Soldeiers in the American War For Independence]
shows the following:
Zulauf, Johannes – appointed, 12.1776
Zulauf, Johannes – captured, 9.1779
Zulauf, Johannes – appointed, 12.1776
Zulauf, Johannes – captured, 9.1779
Zulauf, Johannes – captured, 9.1782
Zulauf, Johannes – captured, 11.1782
Zulauf, Johannes – captured, 5.1783
Zulauf, Johannes – captured, 5.1783
Church records show a Johannes Zulauf Marriage to Maria Margaretha Spahr on March 29 1783 - 2 months before his last date of capture in the HERINA records.
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13 Oct: After a skirmish with a Privateer, they ??? into the gulf of St. Lawrence.
20 Oct: After fighting unfavorable winds and storms, and getting no closer to land, the decision was made to winter on St. John’s Island (supplies being forwarded). 7 houses and some huts represented the sparsely populated town, called Charlotte Town.
29 Oct: Landed and pitched tents, until wood and earth huts built by 12 Nov. Provisions arrived 22 Nov.
20 Oct: After fighting unfavorable winds and storms, and getting no closer to land, the decision was made to winter on St. John’s Island (supplies being forwarded). 7 houses and some huts represented the sparsely populated town, called Charlotte Town.
29 Oct: Landed and pitched tents, until wood and earth huts built by 12 Nov. Provisions arrived 22 Nov.
Nov 1779
16 Dec: The harbour was frozen over. The cold is very severe here and the winter lasts seven months.
1780 By 02 Jan, had been snowing 3 weeks and difficult to get out the door. Weather still the same on 10 Apr, with 4 feet of snow in 2 days, by 16 Apr.
26 Apr: Ice cracked in the harbour.
06 May: First strange boat in 6 months arrived from Fort Cumberland.
19 May: Col. V. Borck had a defensive entrenchment built. Maple syrup described.
23 May: Snowing, but warm weather by the 27th.
31 May: Learned that the v. Knyphausen Regiment on board “Triton†and “Molly,†after the ships were dismasted in the storm, had been captured by privateers.
11 Jun: Escort brig from Quebec “arrived to fetch us thither,†and we embarked 15 Jun, sailing 16 Jun.
29 Jun: After difficulties during the trip to and up the St. Lawrence, anchored at Quebec.
30 Jun: Disembarked at Wolfe Cove and quartered at St. Foix. Ensign Ritter became Col. v. Loos’s Adjutant. [Note: The Journal seems to become less detailed from this point in time.] A combined Battalion was formed under Col. v. Borck. Quebec is described as not clean like the English, but is mostly French. Many other Regiments are located here at Quebec.
20 Jul: All the German troops were mustered by the Commissioner, Major Holland.
22 Aug: The Hessian combined Battalion (plus Hanau detached Regiment) going into camp on Abraham’s Plain not far from Quebec. They provide guard for Quebec and furnish 460 men daily for work on the fortifications.
25 Sep: Approaching winter drives all ships not staying, to leave.
04-06 Nov: Troops to winter quarters, with Knyphausen Regiment in Quebec. Requisite winter clothing issued, and cattle butchered. A different fish brought in each month. Snowshoes were issued 27 Dec.
1781
21 Mar: Hessian troops and other German troops mustered.
09 Apr: Sun melted 18 inches of snow depth in the past 48 hours.
01 May: Ice broke on St. Lawrence. Ships begin arriving on 1st of May.
27 Jul: Knyphausen (& Lossberg) Regiments into camp on Abraham’s Plain, performing same duties as last year.
12 Sep: Knyphausen Regiment received orders to travel to New York in returning ships. The portion of the Knyphausen Regiment which had been taken prisoner at sea, had been exchanged and a combined Battalion formed under Major v. Stein, at New York.
02 Oct: Colonel v. Borck embarked to-day with the remainder of the v. Knyphausen Regiment on the ship “James and William,†with 3 officers, 19 non-commissioned officers and 174 men. Ensign Ritter stayed in Quebec with Col. v. Loos.
04 Oct: Sailed under escort of “Garland,†and at Halifax’s port 16th thru 18th Oct.
28 Oct: Arrived at New York, and quartered at barracks on the North River, where the Regiment was reunited and reformed.
31 Oct: Lord Cornwallis compelled to surrender at York Town [VA].
18-25 Nov: Lord Cornwallis’ officers arrived in New York on parole.
30 Nov: The English and Hessian invalids sailed for Europe, with Cornwallis following 08 Dec.
1782 25 Jan: v. Knyphausen Regiment and others mustered to-day.
18 May: Lt. General v. Knyphausen embarked with permission to return to Hesse.
20 May: General Carlton mustered all the English and Hessian Regiments on York Island.
Placement of Hessian Troops on York Island, September 1782
York Island with Fort Knyphausen, Harlem, New York, the streets and the three lines of the English and Hessian troops Left edge of the map: North River, top edge of the map: Kingsbridge, right edge of the map East River; bottom edge of the map: New York
22 Sep: The Knyphausen Regiment went into camp at Kingsbush.
[31 Oct: Extractors 4 great grandfather, Corporal Johann Henrich Hammer of the Borcka Company, von Knyphausen Regiment, deserted from NY, taking an Oath of Allegiance to Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia.]
07 Nov: The Knyphausen Regiment marched into quarters at Jamaica on Long Island.
1783 09 Apr: Armistice concluded and formally announced.
23 Apr: Two men of Knyphausen Regiment returned after paying for their release.
04 May: Transport of 6,000 to 7,000 refugees and Loyalists left for land in Nova Scotia. 2nd fleet sailed 11 Jun.
02 Aug: Knyphausen Regiment left its winter quarters in Jamaica; encamp at Newton Creek.
04 Aug: Notice received of evacuation order of all America, except Nova Scotia and Canada; ordered by peace treaty, recognizing the States of America as free and independent states.
05 Aug: Hessian Regiments notified to prepare for return journey to Hesse.
12 Aug: Embarkation of the Knyphausen Regiment on the Ladies Adventure. 500 people were on board, not including the crew. During the past 2 months, 56 men who had been imprisoned, had successfully come in, of whom eight had ransomed themselves and the remainder exchanged. Those 119 who had not returned were checked off as deserted and left behind
15 Aug: Set sail and left Sandy Hook.
06 Sep: Arrived at mouth of English Channel, after only 21 days.
08 Sep: Anchored off Deal, the rendezvous point for all ships with German troops on board.
14 Sep: Continued voyage to Bremerlehe, alone, anchoring there on 21 Sep.
25 Sep: The Knyphausen Regiment marched overland to Hesse, though the artillery, invalids, women and children went by water. The march stop towns were named, by day.
10 & 11 Oct: Mustering of the Hon. Regiment took place, returning the Regiment to a peacetime footing.
16 Oct: The Hon. Regiment marched into garrison at Ziegenhain.
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