Bruce E. Burgoyne

The Hesse-cassel Mirbach Regiment in the American Revolution Bruce E. Burgoyne

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. As an appendix to his journal, Rueffer included a list of all Hesse-Cassel officer deaths up to the end of 1777, giving the officer's unit, place, time and cause of death.