Troops from Hesse-Cassel, Waldeck and Ansbach-Bayreuth were sent to Howe's command, as well as some troops from Hesse-Hanau and Anhalt-Zerbst, while troops from Hesse-Hanau, Brunswick and Anhalt-Zerbst provided the forces sent to Canada, together with some troops from Hesse-Cassel which were sent from New York to Canada, later in the war. The Brunswick troops, numbering 4,300 men, sailed for America in two divisions, one departing in late March 1776, and the other, including Von Papet, departing 31 May 1776, two weeks after the start of the journal. Von Papet was one of the Hessians ( only 600+ officers and noncommissioned officers) who remained behind in Canada when John Burgoyne began his march against the American colonists in 1777. Though only 21 years old, Von Papet was assigned the important position of brigade major. Because he kept a diary throughout his English service (all the way up to his return march to Brunswick), we have a picture of the military, social and cultural life in Canada at that time. As a very young man in a very demanding position, Von Papet records the inner reactions among his superiors with a noteworthy caution and understanding not to let his position cause him harm. As there is a scarcity of information concerning military affairs in Canada during the American Revolution, Von Papet's journal provides much-needed insight into why Canada never became a very large fourteenth American colony.
Bruce E. Burgoyne
2005, CD-ROM, Graphic Images, Adobe Acrobat v6, PC or Mac, 237 pp.
ISBN: 9780788438776
101-CD3877
