LETTER OF A BRUNSWICK
OFFICER
in the army of General
Bourgoyne, to a friend in Brunswick,
Fort St. Anne, March 1777
translated by Geert van Uythoven
9 March: “The Laurent River, which is usually
completely frozen every year, has formed not a single ice bridge during the
month of February. From Trois Riviéres to Quebec before 16 February there
wasn’t a single bridge. Only because the river has crushed such a bridge upstream
of Trois Riviéres, the ice-floes stowing near our parish St. Anne and Les
Crondines lying close by, we became two bridges on the 17th, which were
passable already the 19th. It is a strange sight for someone crossing a river
of ¾ German miles wide, seeing the open and wild streaming water passing at a
distance of nearly three paces; when one over Rudera crosses other broken
bridges, which over here luckily has closed the gaps; when the ice appears to
move beneath ones feet and makes cracking noises, or when one has to hasten across
cracks wide as a hand. One does not like to cross on occasions when it is high
tide, or with strong eastern winds. When the ice has a thickness of four good Zolls,
the Canadians already dare to cross with their Carriolen (small
sledges).”
(…)
26 March: “(…) We are sitting, as to speak,
in a prison for four months now, and all communication with the neighbouring
provinces and lands have been cut off. We are waiting painfully for European
ships to arrive, to receive precise and certain information from Europe about
what has happened last autumn in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, or in
the neighbouring areas. Is that not sad? The winter has been to mild to freeze
all rivers in the wilderness of New Scotland, and therefore no human being has
been able to use this passage, which even during the best of times can be
undertaken by an individual exposed to numerous dangers. The Laurent River,
which seems to make ice only to break it up again to play a game with huge
masses of ice, which is heaped as high as mountains, soon to be smashed again
like a house of carts, is not navigable around this time of year. As a result
the pass is blocked as well.
The rebels, which still occupy Carillon
(which fort is called ‘Ticonderago’ by the savages, or ‘cul de sac’ in
French, while it is situated in the cull the sac of Lac Champlain), prevent all
messages to reach us, which we could have become from our friends over Albany
and across the Hudson River from the English North-American states. The only
road that remains leads across the wilderness and barren country, seldom set
food on by humans. Still, by using this way, we have received some news, which
however all belong to the category of rumours.
An intimate friend of mine, Captain Wüllve
[sic!] of the 8th English or King’s Regiment (which for five years now has been
garrisoned in Niagara dispersed on an area of a few hundred lieu’s), provides
me however from time to time with news, which he receives from comrades from
Niagara. Sometimes he even supplies the infertile newspaper of Quebec with this
news. But although these odd messages contained many particularities, we are
still waiting for any confirmation in vain.
Until now, General Carleton has received
not the least certain and detailed report about the army of General Howe. One
thing is sure, that last autumn on Long Island, and later near Kingsbridge,
important affairs have taken place in which the rebels suffered great
disadvantages. One believes further to be sure that part of Howe’s army really
has entered Pennsylvania, and that especially the Quakers have left congress.
Hamok [Hancock?] and Franklin, two important persons in congress, have gotten
out, and one believes they have left for Europe. General Lee, one of the first
generals of the enemy, has been captured in his quarters by a detachment of
English light troops.
Our closest enemy are those at Carillon,
2,000 men strong, but they themselves have to fight shortage and misery. The
first expedition that we will undertake will go by Lac Champlain to Carillon,
and probably we will then march to Albany and have the opportunity to have a
look in New York, were we have many sympathisers, friends, and even countrymen.
Mr. Johannes Mackenna, Irish from birth but raised in Louvain in the
Netherlands and half German, has abandoned his parish in New York and fled to
us because of the unrest there. He preaches the gospel to our catholic soldiers
in the wilderness of Canada, has provided me with a good description of New
York, and assured me that the greater part of the rightful and esteemed
citizens are good royalists, which just have to keep a low profile under the
circumstances.
The destruction of the enemy fleet on Lac
Champlain has been a devastating blow to the rebels, and we have a great
problem less to overcome. It has been planned to execute our operations by boat
for the greater part, and for that purpose each regiment received 25 boats to
row themselves to their destination. As soon as the river is open we will start
to exercise with our men, to teach them to stay in line in division or company.
The artillery has also been placed on boats, which can be combined quickly to
form batteries.
The way battle is waged over here is very
special, and differs totally from our systems. We campaign only two men high,
and one man has to act on a distance of 18 Zoll from the other, to be
able to march in line inside woods and bushes. Cavalry is totally useless, and
therefore our dragoons have to depend on their legs. Our colours encumber us
much, and none of the English regiments has brought theirs with them. Every
English regiment has a separate grenadier-, and a light company, which are
formed into combined battalions which are of great use. The Corps Canadian
Volunteers is not to despise. The savages cannot be trusted because of their
innate bestiality. They are very brave, but also very unbridled, and therefore
have to be accompanied by English or Canadian officers. Above all they wish to
fight independently, not under the command of English generals or officers, as
true allies and friends of the king. One certain Iroquois, called Joseph, has
been in England for some time. He knows to make a correct judgement of the
interests of the English and savages, and he tries to build himself a name as
chief of an army of savages. One is trying to prevent this in every possible
way, then God should be merciful to the colonists that will be their
neighbours.
The savages are queer birds [sic!], which
fall from one extreme into the other easily. I have been in Loretto, an old
settlement of Huron’s, which over eighty years ago were converted to Christianity.
They have qualified themselves for regular cultivation and cattle-breeding.
However, with surprise one notices that they cling to their old habits with perseverance.
Their church is curious, and without any chairs or pews; on the other hand it
is filled with handmade wooden saints, which, although they were Hebrew, Roman,
Greek, or from another European nationality, are now depicted as savages in
savage clothes and painted in many beautiful ways. I will not easily forget the
good Petrus, with his keys and beautifully painted face. I could tell you grotesque
stories about their monarch Athanas who resides here, and who is honoured by
the savages for hundreds of miles around. As well as about the prince, their
upper-steward, and his three daughter princesses. However, for now the
hour-glass has been completely run through. (…)”
The expedition which has been mentioned,
departed by water on the 16th. The author of the above letters has kept a diary
of it, of which we will print the part which describes his first meeting with
the savages:
“On 21 June General Bourgoyne,
Major-General von Riedesel, and both Brigadiers Specht and von Gall departed
for the camp of Brigadier Fraser at Rivière Bonguet, five hours distance from
our camp. Here we saw a congress of savages of three tongues, which offered
their services to General Bourgoyne. For the audience, a huge summer-house was
build. Such a ceremony is very extraordinary, and I will describe it in detail
some time when I have more time to spare. The deputies sat all in a circle on
the naked ground, and smoked in their Calumots such a terrible tobacco, that
one could suffocate. Their faces are painted with black and red, according to anyone’s
fantasies and ideas. The mutilation of their ears in many different ways is
very special. May have cut lose the complete edge of their ears, which hangs
down like some decoration. The decoration of their hair is even more striking,
and rarely one sees one of which not all hair has been pulled out except of a
small part at the back of their heads, the bald places which have been created
this way been painted with various figures. In their nose they wear rings with
small bells, or they pierce them with big red feathers or even blades of grass,
etc. I especially liked one certain individual; he had painted one half of his
face black, the other half red, and on the black half he had painted a red, on
the other red half a black moustache.
General Bourgoyne accepted the offer of the
savages of Sault St. Luis or Kaynuawaga, of Jamaska and of the Abenaki’s, and
assured them of his friendships and reward. At the same time he pointed out to
them, that all savage nations of the American continent had been summoned to
serve against the rebels. In addition, they were urged strongly to spare old
men, women and children, and not to scalp prisoners nor wounded. After that,
they were regaled with some fat oxes and several casks of rum.”
Source: Militair-Wochenblatt, 18. Jahrgang (Berlin 1833), No.
865, pp. 4862-4860.
© Geert van Uythoven