New-York tribune., 1891-09-17
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
REVOLUTIONARY LETTERS.


REVOLUTIONARY LETTERS.
LETTERS OF BRUNSWICK AND HEssIAN OFFICERS
ii DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION: Trans
4to, pp Dos. Albany Joel MunselIs Sons
Munsells Historical Series, No. Is, consists of a
curious and interesting assortment Of letters written
nom this country by Brunswick and Hessian oiucer'
who were engaged In the campaigns that ended so aus
astrously for the British cause These officers formed
part Of the German contingent which was faimed out
10 George the Third They brave and skilful
soldiers and 1t was their misfortune to lie placed In
situation which afforded neither honor, glory nor
riches. All they in for was an abundance OF
hard knocks winding up with an experience OF Amer
lean captivity which certainly reflected ~ credit upon
the Continental Congress. The majority Of the letters
translated by Mr. Stone for this volume first saw the
light In the columns OF German magazine calio'
sSchIozer's Letter Exchange" which was published IN
1915, mainly for the purpose OF giving clrcuau"h !"
private letters OF a specially interesting character,
written BY German officers abroad to their relatives ana
friends at home IT is, however, not only the Officers
serying on the British side who represented. Az
Interesting one will be found from Baron Steubeh'
giving an account Of his reception at portsmouth
n H. on his arrival here and the steps taken by MN
so successfully to drill and discipline the Continental
army.
The letters are dated from various parts of the
country and many OF them incidentally furnish out
line portraits Of notabilitles of the period such as
Hancock Gates, Carleton etc. A NewEnglahu ieo'er
gives cuious details OF the costumes and general ap
pcarance of the Contlnentals and militia. There Is
also narrative OF the engagements about Saratoga bS
an eyewitness which is as graphic as such neceS
sarily imperfect impressions can ever be- Pernaps no
eve witness conld describe modern battle, and cheny
becanse he could by no means see more than VeFS
small part OF IT, while the thicker he was In the nghI
ing the moro restricted would be the field OF his
vision The German officers however, were real pro-
as SUI
HAS They almost always frankly recognize the good
no,nts of their opponents, and the fact that they
themselves were often defeated does not seem TO
have made them bitter prejudiced. In one case
only do they speak with any heat and that is wheh
describing their suferngs in the prison camps after
Saratoga and Yorktown. Here their complaints were
upquestionabIy justified and it does not need to be
asserted to-day that these prisoners were unfairly
and even cruelty treated by the Congress, wmch
did not scrupe to violate its own solemn engagements
One OF these letters incidentally proves that the
prison ships' which history represents as exclusively
British recourse employed by the patriots also
Other letters show how strong the feeling against
the Hessans and Bru1swickers for their interference
in a quarrel which none Of theirs. some OF the
cases noted 20 far TO indicate that what at another
time would have been given its true designation
namely wful murder-was committed not infrequentiy
IN the heat OF such controversies and that the Ioree"
prisoners we're sometimes shamefulg abused
The correspondence opens with some letters wrltteh
I'm Canada by staff officers. chaplains and Others
They give much detailed and interesting Description
of the Canadian people, their habits and customs ana
their country The following information about ratue'
snakes NAV be news to the Canadians themselves
~Mapy rattlesnakes are to be found in The woods IN
this vicinity and we have killed number OF thenl.
Their bite Is one Of the most poisonous knoWh Oe1"
invariably follows within twelve hours, II the proper
antIdotes are not Immediately taken or unless inc
aesh around the bite Is at cut out AS soon
NJ
present lose time in cutting OF the head ana pat
~ The tail and buryng them in the ground; as they
believe that clear and pure stream would be poisoned
were the severed parts to be thrown into IT, On one
occasion they begged of us snake whch one Oh our
party had killed and made of it very palaaoe soup
In all seriousness, however even the EnSlsh regard
the rattesnake as deeacy and prefer 1t to the oest
eel especially IL made into soup, which Is sad 10
have delicious flavor These delicacies are eX
tremey welcome In the kitchen OF General BurgoShe'
1t may be that prejudced, but none OF II Tor me-
Thanksi Recently had some green soup with Big
adler Fraser; but of what it was made do not know
and perhaps II had might not have tasted 1t! IT
was a turtle soup and know that bouillon' can
hardly have more strength or taste better" Ater
that confident assertion that turtle soup is almost
ms good as boulon" perhaps the reader VIII hardly
care for the further gastronomc guidance of this Ger
man officer.
Another German, writing from the point Of view Of
prisoner indulges In humorous remarks upon
the equipments and especially the wigs OF the officers
in Gates's army. OF these hlrsute adorDments ne
saws: "In one place could be seen men with white
wigs from beneath which long and thick hair escaped
thick lambs tails hanging down from the back; In
another the gstening black wig Of an able surmount
ing some red o copper-colOred face; while III sun
another white and gray clericalooking wigs made Of
horse and goat hair, and piled up in successive rolls
In looking at man thus adorned one would imagine
that he had an entire sheep under his hat, with its tall
dangling around his neck. great deal Of respect
entertained for these wigs not only because they are
supposed to give the learned appearance, bu
because they are by all the gentlemen composing
the committees and those who renowned for wis
dom. The gentlemen who wear these different kinds
of wigs are mostly between fifty and sixty years o
and having but recently begun to them, yor
can imagine what cOmical appearance they cut az
soldiers" But he adds frankly: "The determination
which caused them TO grasp musket and powder
horn can be seen in their faces well the fact tina
they are not TO be fooled with, especially in sblrm
ishes In the woods. Seriously speaking, this entir
nation has great natural military talent" Afte
that admission our German friend may be forgiven hi
Jokes at the expense OF the Continental wigs which
doubt must have looked very funny TO European mill
tary preciesares.
The chief charm of these letters consists in thei
naturalness and their many little touches of local color
They certainly well deserve to have been translated
nublished and Mr. Stone has done his part in the wor
with Judgment and accuracy.