Andrews, John Lennell, Jr. South Carolina Revolutionary War Indents: A Schedule, (South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, 2001.)
Burgoyne, Bruce E., compiler. Waldeck Soldiers of the American Revolutionary War, (Heritage Books, Inc., 2008.)
Crytzer, Brady J. Hessians: Mercenaries, Rebels, and the War for British North America, (Westholme Publishing, LLC, 2015.)
Krebs, Daniel. A Generous and Merciful Enemy: Life for German Prisoners of War during the American Revolution, (University of Oklahoma Press, 2013.)
Lewis, James A. Neptune's Militia: The Frigate South Carolina during the American Revolution, (The Kent State University Press, 1999.)
Moss, Bobby Gilmer. South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983.)
Revill, Janie, copier. Copy of the Original Index Book: Showing the Revolutionary Claims File in South Carolina Between August 20, 1783 and August 31, 1786, (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969.)
Wates, Wylma Anne, editor. Stub Entries to Indents: Issued in Payment of Claims Against South Carolina Growing Out of the Revolution, Books C-F, (South Carolina Archives Department, 1957.)
The previous summer of 2016 was a time of a great deal of focus being placed on the ethnic Germans who, as members of various different German military units that had been captured by the patriot forces, deserted in captivity and served on board the frigate South Carolina. Many of the posts written during those summer months of mid June - mid August, 2016 addressed the members of the 3rd Waldeck Regiment . But, not all of the posts written during this time focused on the Waldeck soldiers exclusively. One of these posts addressed the personal diary entries of a musketier (private) of the Bayreuth Regiment, Johann Conrad Dohla, who on a few occasions saw the frigate South Carolina and recorded these observations as the British transport ship he was aboard carried him and his regiment back to Europe after the conclusion of the war in 1783. As is the manner of the writer of this blog, as new information is located, a new post is entered with the previous post it is related to being cited by title and date of that post so that the new information is given a frame of reference as to where it fits in the overall story of the frigate South Carolina. Thus, the genesis of this particular post is the post from last summer of 2015 entitled "'Another Group of German Soldiers on board the Frigate South Carolina' - Additional Information on Other, Previously Unknown Members of the 3rd Waldeck Regiment Who Served on board the Frigate South Carolina, Pt. IV" and dated "08/20/2015". The reason for this specific post is that new information concerning these men who deserted their captivity in Havana, Cuba to serve on board the frigate South Carolina has been located and now should be incorporated into the ongoing story of the frigate South Carolina.
Commodore Alexander Gillon was a true gentleman of the 18th century world. According to Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, page 13, he had emigrated from Holland to America in 1766 at the age of twenty-five years old. Once there in Charleston, SC, he had quickly established himself as a prominent merchant and, eventually, as a planter. He arrived in America speaking four different languages - Dutch, English, French and German. All of these would be of great benefit to him as the Commodore of the South Carolina Navy and, later, as ranking officer on board the frigate South Carolina. In relation to this specific post, his understanding of and fluency in German helped in recruiting German soldiers held captive here in America as crew men or marines for the frigate South Carolina. But, even earlier than his efforts to recruit among the German troops who had been captured with General John "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne at Saratoga, NY in October 1777, the Commodore had recruited among other German prisoners-of-war. These Germans were members of the 3rd Waldeck Regiment and had been captured by the Spanish in various different engagements along the Gulf Coast during 1780 and 1781. It is these men of this particular German-speaking regiment and this time frame with which this post will deal.
Again, according to Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, page 63, the following entry appears:
"The Commodore took extraordinary steps to keep and increase his personnel.... He requested permission to exchange his prize captives for German prisoners, members of the Waldeck regiment whom the Spanish had captured at Pensacola. The proposal must have been accepted since at least three Waldeckers signed on; indeed, one eyewitness maintained that twenty-one did so.".
(Note: There is a footnote attached to the above citation. It simply reads: "Gillon to Cagigal, Havana, 18 March 1782". This indicates that Commodore Alexander Gillon communicated with Juan Manuel de Cagigal, Captain-General of Cuba during the American Revolution, by letter on March 18, 1782, probably requesting Spanish permission to recruit among the Waldeck prisoners-of-war in Spanish custody in Havana, Cuba. This is only an assumption on the part of the writer of this blog. But, this assumption is based on the dates of desertion from Spanish captivity given by subsequent Waldeck sources for the individual Waldeck personnel cited below begin immediately after this date.)
As per the post referred to above and dated "08/20/2015", Pensacola, FL had fallen to the Spanish on May 10, 1781. But, the Spanish had been actively engaged against British Crown force troops in Western Florida for quite some time prior to the surrender of Pensacola, FL. In fact, the Spanish had been struggling against troops of the British Crown since the initial fighting broke out in Louisiana. Much of this fighting involved troops of the 3rd Waldeck Regiment. In these engagements, these Waldeckers were made prisoners-of-war by a numerically superior force, fighting them in geographical territory both unfamiliar as well as alien to the young Waldeckers. Again, as per the post cited above, the 3rd Waldeck Regiment would experience the greatest scope of operations and the greatest amount of action of any of the German regiments sent to subdue the American Revolution.
In reference to the quotation directly above, the writer of this blog has located additional information on these men of the 3rd Waldeck Regiment that signed on board the frigate South Carolina, quite possibly as a direct result of the personal recruiting efforts of Commodore Alexander Gillon. The section of Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, entitled "Appendix: Roster of the Crew and Marines of the South Carolina", pages 135-170, only cites two men of the 3rd Waldeck Regiment as having served on board the frigate South Carolina. Yet, the unnamed "eyewitness" cited above stated that there were twenty-one that did so. The writer of this blog has, to date, identified twelve men of the 3rd Waldeck Regiment who served on board the frigate South Carolina. There may be others and if they are identified in latter research, their information will be recorded in a subsequent blog.
The new source under examination in this post is Bruce E. Burgoyne's work, Waldeck Soldiers of the American Revolutionary War. This book is a type of compendium of all the personnel who served with the 3rd Waldeck Regiment while it was stationed here in North America during the American Revolution. This information, understandably, is all drawn from German sources and, thus, only shows one perspective on the individuals in question here. Since the twelve men under scrutiny in this post all deserted, they are listed as such by the German sources and those are the concluding remarks concerning them. It will be the intention of the writer of this blog to actually "finish" the record on each of them and document what exactly happened to each of them after they deserted their "Prince's Standard". This is possible but, to varying degrees with each of these Waldeckers. More is known concerning some of them, while less is known of others.
It is the intention of the writer of this blog to present the information in a coherent manner on each individual soldier who first served with the 3rd Waldeck Regiment and later served on board the frigate South Carolina. This will entail presenting information from the Germans sources first, which is appropriate due to this information being of a more biographical nature. After this, information from American sources will be presented, hopefully, illustrating what became of them after their desertion from the captivity of the 3rd Waldeck Regiment. This information is a bit sketchy and occasionally non-existant for certain individuals. It is not the intention of the writer of this blog to repeat information already presented in the earlier post on the 3rd Waldeck Regiment entitled "'Another Group of German Soldiers on board the Frigate South Carolina' - Additional Information on Other, Previously Unknown Members of the 3rd Waldeck Regiment Who Served on board the Frigate South Carolina, Pt. IV'" and dated "08/20/2015". But, some amount of repetitive information may be necessary for a form of coherency to be established for each individual cited. The writer of this blog apologizes ahead of time for any redundancies in the text of this specific post.
The information contained in Burgoyne's work, Waldeck Soldiers of the American Revolutionary War, on each of these men is extensive in nature. In brief, it gives birth and baptism dates for each man, his mother and father's names, his place of birth, and religious affiliation. The remainder of the information provided for each man is military information such as the date he sailed with the 3rd Waldeck Regiment to America, the company of which he was a part, engagements in which he participated, and if he was captured, where and when they were captured, and if they returned to the regiment and when they did so. For some of the personnel of the 3rd Waldeck Regiment, the entries for them are quite lengthy. For others, these same entries are very brief. But, the writer of this blog intends to enter as much information on each of these men and from whatever sources this information can be located. Again, this is in an effort to present the man and his personal history coherently and fully in this post.
Ther are, evidently, twelve men from the 3rd Waldeck Regiment that deserted their prisoner-of-war status in Havana, Cuba and subsequently served on board the frigate South Carolina. Two of these men were corporals and the rest were privates. The writer of this blog will begin with the two corporals and follow them with personal information on the privates. All men will be cited in alphabetical order and all information collected on them will be cited after each man's name. Initially, the pre-enlistment, civilian information on each of the men will be cited, followed by the information concerning their service in the 3rd Waldeck Regiment. These men are as follows:
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Christoph Roemer - According to Burgoyne's work, Waldeck Soldiers, page 118, he was born in 1749 in Hesperinghausen, Waldeck. He was a Lutheran.
He sailed to America with the 3rd Waldeck Regiment in 1776 as a corporal in the 1st (Grenadier) Company. At the time of the sailing of the regiment for America, he was 26-27 years old. His initial 1st (Grenadier) Company commanding officer was Captain/Major (later Lieutenant-Colonel) Konrad Albrecht von Horn until 1778. After 1778, and until his capture, his commanding officer was Captain Georg von Haacke. He was taken prisoner at Baton Rouge on September 21, 1779. He deserted from his prisoner-of-war status at Havana, Cuba on March 31, 1782. He rejoined the regiment, as a private, in December of 1782. He deserted again at Flatbush, NY on July 2, 1783. Prior to joining the 3rd Waldeck Regiment, he had 10 years of military experience in the 1st Waldeck Regiment.
According to Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, section entitled "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina", page 164, he is cited as follows:
Christopher Romer no "position" given
According to Revill's work, Copy of the Original Index Book, page 385, Christopher Romer filed a claim against the state of South Carolina. On September 13, 1783, he received a certificate for 96p/10s/1d from the state of South Carolina.
According to Moss's work, South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, page 830, the following entry appears:
Christopher Romer - He served aboard the frigate South Carolina. Revill, p. 385.
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Johannes Tuitel - According to Burgoyne's work, Waldeck Soldiers, page 151, his first name is spelled "Jean". Nothing is cited concerning neither his mother or father nor the denomination to which he belonged. He was born in Laasphe (which must not be in Waldeck due to no "(W)" appearing immediately after the town name).
He sailed to America with the Recruitment Shipment of 1778. He was assigned as a corporal to the 5th Company. At the time of his arrival in America and until his subsequent capture, his 5th Company commanding officer was Major/Lieutenant Colonel Konrad Albrecht von Horn. He was taken prisoner at Baton Rouge on September 21, 1779. He deserted from his prisoner-of-war status at Havana, Cuba on March 31, 1782.
According to Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, section entitled "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina", page 168, he is cited as follows:
Jonas Tuttle Marine?
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Philipp Duesse - According to Burgoyne's work, Waldeck Soldiers, page 28, he was born in Boehne, Waldeck and baptized on November 17, 1758. His father was Johann Michael Duesse and his mother was Clara Duesse. He was a Lutheran.
He sailed with the 3rd Waldeck Regiment to America in 1776. At the time of the sailing of the regiment to America, he was 17 years old. He was assigned as a private to the 5th Company. At the time of his arrival in America, his initial 5th Company commanding officer was Captain Georg von Haacke until 1778. After 1778, his 5th Company commanding officer was Major/Lieutenant Colonel Konrad Albrecht von Horn. He was taken prisoner at Baton Rouge on September 21, 1779. He deserted his prisoner-of-war status at Havana, Cuba on March 24, 1782.
According to Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, section entitled "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina", page 144, he is cited as follows:
Ralph Disse no "position" given
(Note: This may seem like a "stretch" to identify Philipp Duesse and Ralph Disse as being one and the same person. But, there is reason at work here. Phonetically, the German last name "Duesse" and its Anglicized-form of "Disse" would both be pronounced almost the same way. This leaves the discrepancy between this individual's two separate and distinct first names - "Philipp" and "Ralph". Usually, but not always, first names are directly transliterated from one language into their Anglicized-form. But, this individual's middle name could have been "Rolf", the Germanic equivalent of "Ralph" or he could have simply taken the "new" first name of "Ralph". There is no way of being absolutely certain on this issue. But, according to Revill's work, Copy of the Original Index Book, page 89, a "Ralph Disse" did submit a Revolutionary War claim against the state of South Carolina, which was included in Return 88. Several others of these twelve deserted Waldeckers also submitted claims against the state of South Carolina. These claims were all included in Returns 61 and 88. This lends more strength to the assertion of Philipp Duesse and Ralph Disse as being the same man.)
According to Revill's work, Copy of the Original Index Book, page 89, Ralph Disse did submit a claim against the state of South Carolina for his services in support of the state during the American Revolution. This claim was submitted as a part of Return 88 which went to the legislative council on November 26, 1785.
According to Moss's work, South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, page 257, the following entry appears:
Ralph Disse - He served aboard the frigate South Carolina. Y350.
The notation "Y350" is a stub indent number that was issued to him as regarding his claim and indicates he was paid for his claim against the state of South Carolina.
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Christian Figge - According to Burgoyne's work, Waldeck Soldiers, page 33, he was born in 1756 in Elleringhausen, Waldeck. He was a Lutheran.
He sailed with the 3rd Waldeck Regiment to America in 1776. At the time of the sailing of the regiment to America, he was 19-20 years old. He was assigned as a private to the 3rd Company. For the duration of his time in the 3rd Waldeck Regiment, his 3rd Company commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel/Colonel Johann Ludwig Wilhelm von Hanxleden. He was taken prisoner at Baton Rouge on September 21, 1779. He deserted his prisoner-of-war status at Havana, Cuba on March 24, 1782.
According to Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, section entitled "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina", page 147, he is cited as follows:
Christian Felgge sailor
According to Revill's work, Copy of the Original Index Book, page 106, Christian Feigge did submit a claim against the state of South Carolina for his services in support of the state during the American Revolution. This claim was submitted as a part of Return 61 which went to the legislative council on May 3, 1785.
According to Moss's work, South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, page 307, the following entry appears:
Christian Felgge - He served as a mariner aboard the frigate South Carolina. C.S.
(Note: The notation "C.S." indicates "Columbia State - January 4, 1904 - February 1905". No further explanation is given for this designation in Moss's work, South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution.)
According to Andrews's work, South Carolina Revolutionary War Indents, page 48, the following entry appears and is cited in text form here:
Christian Feigge - Book X, No. 438. He served as a mariner on board the frigate South Carolina. He received a certificate from the state of South Carolina for 4p/3s/1d.
(Note: This is an instance of multiple spellings for the last name of the individual in question. Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, and Moss's work, South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, spell the last name as "Felgge". Burgoyne's work, Waldeck Soldiers, spells the last name as "Figge". Andrews's work, South Carolina Revolutionary War Indents, and Revill's work, Copy of the Original Index Book, spell the last name as "Feigge".)
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Johannes Goebel - According to Burgoyne's work, Waldeck Soldiers, page 43, he was born in 1759 in Willingen, Waldeck. He was a Lutheran.
He sailed with the 3rd Waldeck Regiment to America in 1776. At the time of the sailing of the regiment to America, he was 16-17 years old. He was assigned as a private to the 3rd Company. For the duration of his time in the 3rd Waldeck Regiment, his 3rd Company commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel/Colonel Johann Ludwig Wilhelm von Hanxleden. He was taken prisoner at Baton Rouge on September 21, 1779. He deserted his prisoner-of-war status at Havana, Cuba on March 25, 1782.
According to Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, section entitled "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina", page 149, he is cited as follows:
John Goebel sailor
According to Revill's work, Copy of the Original Index Book, page 129, John Goebell did submit a claim against the state of South Carolina for his services in support of the state during the American Revolution. This claim was submitted as a part of Return 61 and went to the legislative council on May 3, 1785.
According to Moss's work, South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, page 366, the following entry appears:
John Goebel - He served as a mariner aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A.2920C; X458.
The two notations of "A.A.2920C" and "X458" are stub indent numbers that were issued to him as regarding his claim and indicate that he was paid for his claim against the state of South Carolina.
According to Andrews's work, South Carolina Revolutionary War Indents, page 48, the following entry appears and is cited in text from here:
John Goebel - Book X, No. 458. He served as a mariner on board the frigate South Carolina. He received a certificate from the state of South Carolina for 3p/10s/0d.
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Karl Friedrich Kleine - According to Burgoyne's work, Waldeck Soldiers, page 70, he was born on August 12, 1755 in Bringhausen, Waldeck. His father was Dietmar Kleine and he was a herdsman. His mother was Katherine Margarete Kleine. He was a Lutheran.
He sailed with the 3rd Waldeck Regiment to America in 1776. At the time of the sailing of the regiment to America, he was 20 years old. He was assigned as a private to the 3rd Company. For the duration of his time in the 3rd Waldeck Regiment, his 3rd Company commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel/Colonel Johann Ludwig Wilhelm von Hanxleden. He was taken prisoner at Baton Rouge on September 21, 1779. He deserted his prisoner-of-war status at Havana, Cuba on March 31, 1782.
According to Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, section entitled "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina", page 141, his name is transliterated into Spanish and he is cited as follows:
Carlos Clain German recruiter (Waldeck Regiment)
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Johannes Meuscke - According to Burgoyne's work, Waldeck Soldiers, page 90, he was born on November 28, 1754 in Wildungen, Waldeck. He was baptized on December 1, 1754. His father was Moritz Meuscke. His mother was Maria Catharina Meuscke, nee Rudelbach. He was 5' 3.5" tall. He was a Lutheran.
He sailed with the 3rd Waldeck Regiment to America in 1776. At the time of the sailing of the regiment to America, he was 21 years old. He was assigned as a private to the 3rd Company. For the duration of his time in the 3rd Waldeck Regiment, his 3rd Company commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel/Colonel Johann Ludwig Wilhelm von Hanxleden. He was taken prisoner at Baton Rouge on September 21, 1779. In December 1779, while he was still a prisoner, he was transferred to the 5th Company for administrative purposes. He deserted his prisoner-of-war status at Havana, Cuba on March 24, 1782.
According to Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, section entitled "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina", page 157, he is cited as follows:
John Menscke no "position" given
According to Revill's work, Copy of the Original Index Book, page 238, John Meuscke did submit a claim against the state of South Carolina for services in support of the state during the American Revolution. The claim was submitted as a part of Return 88 and went to the legislative council on November 26, 1785.
According to Moss's work, South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, page 674, the following entry appears:
John Menscke - He served aboard the frigate South Carolina. Y390.
The notation "Y390" is a stub indent number that was issued to him as regarding his claim and indicates that he was paid for his claim against the state of South Carolina.
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Johannes Risch - According to Burgoyne's work, Waldeck Soldiers, page 116, he was born in Ulm (which must not be in Waldeck due to no "(W)" appearing immediately after the town name). Nothing is recorded of his parents or his denominational affiliation.
He sailed to America in the Recruit Shipment of 1777. Due to not knowing his birth date, there is no indication as to his age at the time of the regiment sailing for America. He was assigned as a private to the 5th Company. At the time of his arrival in America, his initial 5th Company commanding officer was Captain Georg von Haacke until 1778. After 1778, his 5th Company commanding officer was Major/Lieutenant Colonel Konrad Albrecht von Horn. He was taken prisoner at Baton Rouge on September 21, 1779. He deserted his prisoner-of-war status at Havana, Cuba on March 19, 1782.
According to Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, section entitled "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina", page 163, he is cited as follows:
John Risch no "position" given
According to Revill's work, Copy of the Original Index Book, page 290, John Risch did submit a claim against the state of South Carolina for services in support of the state during the American Revolution. His claim was submitted as a part of Return 88 and went to the legislative council on November 26, 1785.
According to Moss's work, South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, page 816, the following entry appears:
John Risch - He served on board the frigate South Carolina. Y400.
The notation "Y400" is a stub indent number that was issued to him as regarding his claim and indicates that he was paid for his claim against the state of South Carolina.
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Johann Friedrich Rodewald - According to Burgoyne's work, Waldeck Soldiers, page 117, he was born in Oesdorf, Pyrmont. He was baptized on June 12, 1757. He was 5' 6.25" tall. His father was Friedrich Rodewald. He was a Lutheran.
He sailed to America with the 3rd Waldeck Regiment in 1776. If he had been born at some point just prior to his baptism, at the time of the sailing of the regiment to America, he would have been 19 years old. He was assigned as a private to the 5th Company. At the time of his arrival in America, his initial 5th Company commanding officer was Captain Georg von Haacke until 1778. After 1778, his 5th Company commanding officer was Major/Lieutenant Colonel Konrad Albrecht von Horn. He was taken prisoner at Elizabethtown, New Jersey on January 8, 1777. He was sent to Philadelphia, PA for exchange on June 21, 1778. He was taken prisoner again in Baton Rouge on September 21, 1779. He deserted his prisoner-of-war status at Havana, Cuba on March 21, 1782. He had had one year of previous military experience in the 2nd Waldeck Regiment in Holland.
According to Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, section entitled "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina", page 164, he is cited as follows:
Frederick Rodeswald sailor
According to Revill's work, Copy of the Original Index Book, page 385, Frederick Rodeswald did file a claim against the state of South Carolina. On October 6, 1784, he received a certificate for 8p/18s/6d from the state of South Carolina.
According to Moss's work, South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, page 826, the following entry appears:
Frederick Rodeswald - He served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A.6542B; C525.
The two notations "A.A.6542B" and "C525" are stub indent numbers that were issued to him as regarding his claim and both indicate that he was paid for his claim against the state of South Carolina.
(Note: It is interesting to note that "Frederick Rodeswald" received two stub indent numbers but, was only paid a total of 8p/18s/6d for his services in support of the state of South Carolina during the American Revolution. This is rather a small sum and is of the amount that would be paid to an enlisted man. Either he was paid through one of these stub indents and the second stub indent indicated that he had received payment for his services already or he was paid a very small amount through both of these stub indents and they totaled the above stated amount.)
Subsequent research has uncovered one of these stub indents filed against the state of South Carolina by Frederick Rodeswald. According to Wates's work, Stub Entries to Indents, page 93, it is the stub indent cited above as "C525" and is as follows, the full text of it being cited below:
No. 525, Book C - Issued to Mr. Frederick Rodeswald late of the Frigate South Carolina Mariner, the 7th day October 1784, for Eight Pounds 18/6 Sterling Ballance of wages due him on board said Ship as Certificate from the Auditor General dated 6th October 1784.
Principal - 8p/18s/6d
Interest - 0p/12s/6d
So, Frederick Rodeswald received all of the funds indicated in Revill's work, Copy of the Original Index Book, page 385, in this single stub indent. The writer of this blog still does not know the content of the stub indent "A.A.6542B" nor the information communicated by that stub indent. The stub indent the text of which is cited above also indicates that he was a "mariner" or common sailor on board the frigate South Carolina. It also tells us that the date of October 6, 1784 was the date that the certificate was issued to Frederick Rodeswald by the Auditor General of the state of South Carolina and not specifically the date that Frederick Rodeswald received the certificate himself.
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Johann Georg Schimmel - According to Burgoyne's work, Waldeck Soldiers, page 126, he was born in Heuchelheim, Darmstadt in 1757. He was a Lutheran.
He sailed with the regiment to America in 1776. At the time of the sailing of the regiment, he was 18-19 years old. He was assigned as a private to the 5th Company. At the time of his arrival in America, his initial 5th Company commanding officer was Captain Georg von Haacke until 1778. After 1778, his 5th Company commanding officer was Major/Lieutenant Colonel Konrad Albrecht von Horn. He was taken prisoner at Baton Rouge on September 21, 1779. He deserted his prisoner-of-war status at Havana, Cuba on March 25, 1782.
According to Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, section entitled "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina", page 165, he is cited as follows:
George Shimmel no "position" given
According to Revill's work, Copy of the Original Index Book, page 304, George Schimmel did submit a claim against the state of South Carolina for services in support of the state during the American Revolution. His claim was submitted as a part of Return 88 and went to the legislative council on November 26, 1785.
According to Moss's work, South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, page 860, the following entry appears:
George Shimmel - He served aboard the frigate South Carolina. Y407.
The notation "Y407" is a stub indent number that was issued to him regarding his claim and indicates that he was paid for his claim against the state of South Carolina.
The final piece of information concerning Johann Georg Schimmel appears in Burgoyne's work, Waldeck Soldiers, page 126, and is singularly unique in nature. This piece of information is as follows:
In the 1790 Census of the State of New York, a "John Scimmel" is cited as a resident of the township of Watervliet, Albany County, state of New York. He is cited as living in a household of one adult male, one male under sixteen years of age, and two females.
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Johann Henrich Weber - According to Burgoyne's work, Waldeck Soldiers, page 158, he was born in Wahlen (which must not be in Waldeck due to no "(W)" appearing immediately after the town name). Nothing is recorded of his parents or his denominational affiliation.
He sailed to America in the Recruit Shipment of 1778. Due to not knowing his birth date, there is no indication as to his age at the time of the regiment sailing for America. He was assigned as a private to the 1st (Grenadier) Company. At the time of his arrival in America, his initial 1st Company commanding officer was Captain/Major/Lieutenant Colonel Konrad Albrecht von Horn until 1778. After 1778, his 1st Company commanding officer was Captain Georg von Haacke. He was taken prisoner at Baton Rouge on September 21, 1779. He deserted from his prisoner-of-war status at Havana, Cuba on March 31, 1782.
According to Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, section entitled "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina", page 169, his name is transliterated into Spanish and he is cited as follows:
Enrique Veber German soldier (Waldeck Regiment)
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Henrich Hermann (Christoph) Zimmermann - According to Burgoyne's work, Waldeck Soldiers, page 167, he was born in Oesdorf, Pyrmont. He was confirmed in 1772 at the age of fifteen years old. He was a tobacco worker by profession. He was 5' 3.25" tall. He was a Lutheran.
He sailed to America with the regiment in 1776. He was on a six-year enlistment. At the time of the sailing of the regiment to America, he was 18-19 years old. He was assigned as a private to the 5th Company. At the time of his arrival in America, his initial 5th Company commanding officer was Captain Georg von Haacke until 1778. After 1778, his 5th Company commanding officer was Major/Lieutenant Colonel Konrad Albrecht von Horn. He was taken prisoner at Springfield, NJ on January 5, 1777. He was sent to Philadelphia, PA for exchange on June 18, 1778. He was subsequently taken prisoner again at Baton Rouge on September 21, 1779. He deserted from his prisoner-of-war status at Havana, Cuba on March 19, 1782.
The above referenced work - Burgoyne's work, Waldeck Soldiers of the American Revolutionary War - is the only source that refers to this individual as Henrich Zimmermann. All the remaining works used in this specific post - Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia; Moss's work, South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution; and Revill's work, Copy of the Original Index Book - cite this individual as Henrick Timmerman.
According to Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, section entitled "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina", page 168, he is cited as follows:
Henrick Timmerman no "position" given
According to Revill's work, Copy of the Original Index Book, page 340, Henrick Timmerman did submit a claim against the state of South Carolina for services in support of the state during the American Revolution. His claim was submitted as a part of Return 88 and went to the legislative council on November 26, 1785.
According to Moss's work, South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, page 932, the following entry appears:
Henrick Timmerman - he served aboard the frigate South Carolina. Y415.
The notation "Y415" is a stub indent number that was issued to him regarding his claim and indicates that he was paid for the claim against the state of South Carolina.
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(Note: Bruce E. Burgoyne has produced two works which have both been invaluable to this specific post. These works are The 3rd English-Waldeck Regiment in the American Revolution (2008) and Waldeck Soldiers of the American Revolutionary War (2008). Both of these priceless works are quite literally packed with extensive information concerning the men who served in the 3rd Waldeck Regiment during the American Revolution. But, understandably, there are slight errors or discrepancies that occasionally appear in one or the other of these works. These slight errors are possibly evident to some of the readership of this blog and both posts on this topic, the one above and the post dated "08/20/2015", should be consulted if one of these errors occurs. Again, these discrepancies are very slight in nature and usually deal with an individual's age or place of origin.)
There are a number of striking "coincidences" or similarities that occur within this group of Waldeckers that served on board the frigate South Carolina. To begin, the writer of this blog will deal with the more personal aspects that are similar. First, all of these Waldeckers were young men at the time of their arrival in America. For the ones whose birth dates we know, which is nine of them, all of them, except one, are between 17-21 years old. Corporal Christoph Roemer of the 1st (Grenadier) Company is the single exception and was the oldest at 26-27 years old and already had ten years of soldiering experience in the 1st Waldeck Regiment to his credit before arriving in America.
Second, there is the issue of the similarity of their religious affiliation. Again, we know the religious affiliation of nine of these men. They were all Lutherans. This indicates nothing in the least of the "propensity" of soldiers who are members of the Lutheran church to desert their "Prince's Standard" in time of war. It only seems to point to the fact that the province these men originated from was a predominantly German Lutheran/Protestant province as opposed to a German Catholic province. Still, it is interesting that none of these men, not one of them, were members of another Christian confession.
Third, six of them were born in Waldeck and two were born in Pyrmont. Four were either born elsewhere in Germany or their places of birth were unknown. All of their places of birth seem to be smaller towns or even villages. Thus, it is more than likely that these were rural, country young men who were recruited into the Prince's service away from their families and places of residence. There is only a single record of any of their professions - Henrich Hermann (Christoph) Zimmermann, who is cited as being a tobacco worker.
In a sense, once the 3rd Waldeck Regiment had arrived in America, the similarities became even more striking within this group of twelve Waldeckers. Once they were in the southern colonies, and specifically, in West Florida, their experiences have no "few" exceptions - they all experienced the same battles, captures and captivities. All of them were sent to Fort Bute at Manchac and later withdrawn to what, according to Crytzer's work, Hessians, page 244, was "...the feeble earthen redoubt called Fort New Richmond...:", which constituted the fortifications at Baton Rouge, West Florida. After nine days of Spanish investment of Fort New Richmond followed by three hours of shelling on the morning of September 21, 1779, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Dickson of the British 60th Regiment of Foot, overall Crown commanding officer at Baton Rouge, surrendered the entire garrison of Fort New Richmond to the Spanish. All twelve of these men were included in the captured garrison. All twelve of them, along with the garrison of Fort New Richmond, were sent initially to New Orleans where they were held for almost a full year. Later, according to Crytzer's work, Hessians, page 268, they were transported to "...the legendarily cruel dungeons of Mexico...", for about one month, those places of incarceration being located in the coastal city of Veracruz, Mexico. Still later, in August 1780, they were transferred to Havana, Cuba and incarcerated there until the day in March 1782 that a German-speaking American Commodore would enter their cells and speak to them in their native tongue of serving on board his ship-of-war, the frigate South Carolina. Those twelve Waldeck soldiers, after almost two and one half years of Spanish captivity, must have seen their survival options as decreasing after the passage of so much time and took the opportunity to sign on board the patriot ship-of-war. On March 19, 21, 24, 25 and 31, 1782, singularly, in twos and threes and, on the final date stated, four of these total twelve Waldeck soldiers signed on board the frigate South Carolina and, for better or worse, cast their lot with the patriots.
Chronologically, this is the point that the narrative has reached in previous posts. The twelve members of the 3rd Waldeck Regiment examined in this post seem almost to disappear from the pages of history into the mists of time when they board the frigate South Carolina. Previously, nothing more was known to have been recorded concerning them and preserved down to this day and time. But, the writer of this blog has discovered that most of these ethnic German men did continue their story and simply chose to "hide in plain sight". These men had created new lives for themselves simply by joining the rebels they had pledged to fight when they first crossed the Atlantic Ocean. These rebels were connected to a new, emerging country in a new , emerging land - a land full of opportunities for it's people. It only makes sense that they would chose new names for themselves and make their new lives under these new names. Whether they themselves chose these new names or if they were transcribed in a new, altered form by some disinterested purser on board the frigate South Carolina ob by some uninformed clerk after the conclusion of the American Revolution, we may never know for sure. But, the majority of these former Waldeck soldiers, nine of twelve of them, appear to have made their lives here in America after the cessation of hostilities.
For clarity's sake, the information laboriously recorded and cited in this above post has been compiled in the following list which has been composed by the writer of this blog to illustrate the new names these men appeared under and the evidence that they made their lives here in America after the conclusion of the American Revolution. The first column contains their names as listed in Burgoyne's work, Waldeck Soldiers. The second column contains their names as transcribed in Revill's work, Copy of the Original Index Book or in Moss's work, South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution. The third column contains the return number their claims against the state of South Carolina were included as a part of and is also in Revill's work, Copy of the Original Index Book. The fourth column includes any stub indent numbers issued to these individual men indicating that they were paid for their claims against the state of South Carolina and are found in Moss's work, South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution. Two other Waldeck soldiers, Christoph Roemer and Freidrich Rodewald, have a slight bit more information recorded concerning them and will be treated after the following list. The list of the Waldeckers who made their lives here in America after the American Revolution is as follows:
Philipp Duesse Ralph Disse Return 88 Y350
Christian Figge Christian Feigge/Felgge Return 61 cited in the Columbia State, 1904-1905
Johannes Goebel John Goebell/Goebel Return 61 A.A.2920C; X458
Johannes Meuscke John Meuscke/Menscke Return 88 Y390
Johannes Risch John Risch Return 88 Y400
Johann Georg Schimmel George Schimmel/Shimmel Return 88 Y407
Henrich H.C. Zimmermann Henrick Timmermann, Return 88 Y415
Timmerman
It is interesting to the writer of this blog that all the Waldeckers whose claims against the state of South Carolina that were filed as part of Return 88 have corresponding stub indent numbers found in Book Y of the work, Stub Entries to Indents cited in the bibliography of this post above. For the two individual Waldeckers, Christian Figge and Johannes Goebel, who had their claims against the state of South Carolina filed as part of Return 61, only Johannes Goebel appears to have received a stub indent number which is found in Book X of the work, Stub Entries to Indents. The writer of this blog rather suspects that a careful examination of the contents on Book X of the above cited work would turn up a stub indent number issued to Christian Figge, Feigge or Felgge, all alternate spellings of his last name. In the opinion of the writer of this blog, the fact that all these men's claims against the state of South Carolina for services rendered to the state during the American Revolution were in fact parts of two distinct return numbers, 61 and 88, indicates that these men cited in the first and second columns are in fact all the same men and were personnel of the 3rd Waldeck Regiment who deserted from their prisoner-of-war status's in Havana, Cuba in order to serve on board the frigate South Carolina.
As far as Christoph Roemer and Johann Freidrich Rodewald are concerned, they both are recorded in Revill's work, Copy of the Original Index Book, page 385, as having received certificates for a set amount from the state of South Carolina, respectively, on September 13, 1783 and October 6, 1784. According to Revill's work, these were issued to "Christopher Romer" for 96p/10s/1d and to "Frederick Rodeswald" for 8p/18s/6d. A note of interest concerning these two Waldeckers is that they both had previous military experience in other Waldeck regiments prior to serving in the 3rd Waldeck Regiment.
This brings us to the situation of the three Waldeck soldiers who are not included in this above cited list - Karl Kleine, Jean Tuitel, and Johann Henrich Weber. It seems almost incongruous that so little information is known of these three Waldeckers, in particular, while so much pertinent information is recorded concerning their fellow Waldeckers. The first and third man cited above have their names transliterated into Spanish in Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, section entitled "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina", on pages 141 and 169, respectively. These two men are the only personnel of the 3rd Waldeck Regiment who are specifically cited as being members of the "Waldeck Regiment" in Lewis's work. The second man cited above, Jean Tuitel, is the only one of the overall twelve who appears to have a foreign first name - Jean, which seems to be French in origin. Also, his last name of "Tuitel" does not appear to be a German name but, possibly French also. Also, there is a small piece of evidence that Jean Tuitel did indeed settle in America after the American Revolution had ended. This is that his name appears in Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, section entitled "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina", page 168, in an Anglicized form as "Jonas Tuttle". This would have been a name he could have easily retained and used as he melted into the population of the newly independent country at large. Other than Christoph Roemer, Jean Tuitel is the only other Waldeck soldier cited in this post who was not a private but, was a corporal. It is also interesting to note that all three of the Waldeck soldiers cited in this paragraph deserted their prisoner-of-war status at Havana, Cuba on the same day - March 31, 1782. They also appear the be the last three Waldeckers recorded to have signed on board the frigate South Carolina before she departed from Havana, Cuba on April 22, 1782 for the invasion of the British-held Bahamas Islands.
The writer of this blog believes, that with some degree of accuracy, he can reconstruct the further journeys of these twelve former Waldeck soldiers after the frigate South Carolina departed Havana, Cuba for her participation in the invasion of the British-held Bahamas Islands. These men certainly participated in this invasion and were most probably still serving on board the frigate South Carolina when, according to Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, page 77, she departed the now Spanish-held Bahamas Islands on May 14, 1782 and turned her head towards America. They would have still been on board the frigate when she docked in Philadelphia, PA fifteen days later on May 29, 1782. It is probable at this point in time, these former Waldeck soldiers chose to leave the service of the frigate South Carolina for one reason or another. Again, according to Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, page 85-86:
"...with the exception of the frigate's officers, nearly everyone who had shipped on the frigate in Europe had left upon arrival in Philadelphia. The entire Legion of Luxembourg disappeared en masse, ... At the same time, the seamen also left... Only a handful of men below the petty officer rank stayed on board the South Carolina for her second voyage... Those leaving ship received some money but mainly certificates redeemable by the South Carolina treasury at a later date. These certificates would later have a history of their own. The Commodore needed his precious cash to attract a new crew.".
The second cruise of the frigate South Carolina would result in her capture on December 21, 1782 just off the Capes of the Delaware. None of these men's names, save with one possible exception, appear on any of the three prisoner-of-war lists compiled to record the captured crew members and marines of the frigate South Carolina as they were distributed among the three Royal Navy men-of-war for transportation into New York City harbor. Thus, most likely these former Waldeck soldiers chose to leave the service of the frigate as well as the service of the state of South Carolina, which they had never seen to that point in time. The dates of their departure's from the frigate South Carolina or where they went after their departures is purely conjectural. But, their names began to quietly reappear again before the legislative council of South Carolina with the filings of Returns 61 and 88 in May and November 1785 in regards to claims against the state of South Carolina for services rendered during the American Revolution. Indications are that these former soldiers of the 3rd Waldeck Regiment, like so many, many other German auxiliaries, collectively known as "Hessians", made their home here in America after the success of the Revolution they had been initially sent over to suppress.
By any standards, these men of the 3rd Waldeck Regiment had experienced extraordinary conditions after arriving in America to fight the enemies of King George II of Great Britain. They had initially landed in the vicinity of New York and fought hard and well there. Then, the entire regiment was transferred to British-held West Florida, with detachments of the regiment being positioned even further west into the far western military posts of West Florida - Manchac, Natchez and Baton Rouge. According to Krebs's work, A Generous and Merciful Enemy, page 219, "...the soldiers in West Florida and Spanish Louisiana felt cut off from the rest of the world.". They endured heat, humidity, mosquitoes, and torrential rains while numerous of their Waldeck comrades succumbed to disease and sickness. Eventually, those still alive were surrendered to invading Spanish forces under Don Bernrado de Galvez as the Spanish Crown endeavored to take back both Floridas, East and West, from Great Britain. They then languished in various Spanish prisons, both in New Orleans, Veracruz and, finally, Havana, Cuba. Then came the day that a German-speaking naval officer - of the very rebellious colonies they had traveled to the New World to fight against -came into their cells in Havana, Cuba and offered them a way out of their predicament. They took that way out and, by all appearances, it made all the difference to them. Once the frigate South Carolina arrived in Philadelphia, PA, almost all of these same war-weary soldiers chose to leave the service of the patriot ship-of-war. But, they left the ship and went into the population of this new country that had so much promise and still does. These "immigrants" made their lives here; raised families here; put down their deep, lasting roots here. They, too, contributed their labors, lives, fortunes and shares of endeavor to this new, growing country and left their mark here. We, all Americans down through the years, are the better for it....and always will be. That is the magic of America...and always will be!