[page 176]

120.

We left a major detachment group there. As there were many ill people in the army, they had to be left at the hospital along with a few officers[256].

Wir liessen alda ein starckes Detachement zurück. Weilen die Armée sehr viele Krancken hatte mußten alle diejenige alda im Spithal zurückbleiben nebst etlichen Officirs.

On August 25^th, we left and travelled 13 miles to Rösselseissenwerck, a large establishment. This forge was nonetheless in a state of ruin, abandoned, and was no longer inhabited. The gentleman who owned the forge was a Tory, that is to say an upstanding Englishman[257], and as there was a rebellion he abandoned everything. Now this forge no longer had an owner, which is why it was in ruins. We made our camp nearby.

Den 25ten Augst brachen wir wiedrum auf 13 Meillen biß Rösselseissenwerck, ein schönes Gebäute. Diese Eissen-Schmieth aber ware schon verfallen und verlassieret und nicht mehr bewohnt. Dieser Gendelmän welchem das Eissen-Werck gehörete ware ein Toris nemlich ein guter Engelländer und weilen die Rebelion angegangen, ist er davon ge-lassen. Jetzt aber hatte dieses Werck würcklich keinen Herrn gehabt dessenhalben es auch gantz verfallen ware. Wir schlugen das Lager gantz nahe dabey.

On the 26^th, we set off again and travelled 14 miles to Buschthawern, an inn located in a beautiful region, where we made our camp.

Den 26. brachen wir alda wiedrum auf 14 Meilen biß Buschthawern, ein Wirthshaus in einer schönen Gegend alda schlugen wir das Lager.

On the 27^th, we set off again to travel 12 miles to Suß-Johanna, a beautiful region. The same day we crossed the Susquehanna River. This river is 2 English miles in breadth; we made our camp about a quarter hour away on the other bank and had a day’s rest in Suß-Johanna. The same day and the following we transferred all our equipment and our pieces of artillery to the other bank of the river[258]. On a tiny little hill on this side of the river, a beautiful inn can be found where all our baggage was transferred from

Den 27ten brachen wir wiedrum auf 12 Meilen biß Suß-Johanna eine schöne Gegend. Selbigen Tag passierten wir den Fluß mit Namens Susquhanock oder sonsten auch Suß-Johana genandt. Dieser Fluß ist 2 engellische Meilen breit ; wir schlugen unser Lager ohngefähr eine Vierthel-Stunde jenseit dem Fluße und hatten Rastag alda zu Suß-Johanna. Selbigen und den andern Tag wurde unsre Equipage und Geschütz auch über das Wasser geschafft. Auch stehet ein schönes Würthshaus dieserseit dem Fluße auf einem gantz kleinen Hügel allwo die Bagages hinüber wurde

[réclame]

geschafft

https://gallica.bnf.fr/iiif/ark:/12148/btv1b10110846m/f89/pct:0,0,50,100/,700/0/native.jpg

Strasbourg, Médiathèque André Malraux, ms f 15, p. 176.

[agrandir]

Notes

256. Large cities were key areas in the space of war. Whether or not they were fortified, they provided space for war munitions and food supplies, as well as for military hospitals.

257. In the German original, the use of the word “tory” is the first use of the English language — with the exception of the preface. The designation “Tory”, refers to the Loyalists, the Americans who were loyal to the British Crown and opposed to independence and the war. Before this, Flohr refers to “upstanding Englishman” or “upstanding Americans” to connote the different allegiances or political opinions. The vocabulary used says a lot about the author’s comprehension of the reasons for the conflict in which he is participating.

258. The crossing of great rivers is always a long and delicate process, with bridges forming real bottlenecks. It is not uncommon to cross them several times, or, as is the case here, to have artillery and equipment moved separately.