[page 53]


37.

37.

who was standing guard in front of the camp — and who knew him well, as he was already a soldier in his company when this one was still only a captain, and who had deserted at that moment — asked him where he wanted to go and what his business was here: the adjutant general asked if he recognized him, after all, he was the colonel of the Connecticut regiment, he should know the uniform well; the soldier said of course he knew the uniform and even better he who was wearing it, and immediately asked him if he had authorization to enter the camp, as it was forbidden for an English adjutant general to enter our camp. As soon as he had heard these words he asked the soldier from where he knew him, the soldier responded that he should instead ask himself how he had ordered 100 blows, Prügel in German, for him, as he had faithfully served in his company for 5 years, namely the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Guard[120].

Lager Schildwacht gestanden der ihn sehr wohl kannete weil er schon als Soldat : da derselbige noch Capitaine ware bey seiner Compagnie gestanden hatte und damals schon von ihm dessertiert ware ; er sprach zu ihm wo er hin wolte und was er hier zu thun hätte : Dieser Generals- Adjudant sprach ob er ihn nicht kennen thäte er wäre ja der Obrist von dem conecticutischen Regiment er solte doch wohl die Uniform kennen : Dieser Soldat sprache ich kenne diese Uniform gar wohl und den-jenigen der sie an hat noch viel besser und fragte ihn gleich ob er Erlaubnüß hätte in das Lager zu gehen den es ware nicht erlaubt einem englischen Generale Adjudant in unser Lager zu gehen : So-bald er diese Rede hörete fragte er den Soldat woher er ihnen kennen thätte der Soldat sprach darauf er solte nach fragen indem er ihm ein manches 100 Streibs hätte geben lassen oder auf teutsch Brügel den er hätte 5 Jahr treu und ehrlich bey seiner Comp[agni]e gedienet nemlich unter dem 3ten Batallion der könig-lichen Leib-Gard.

Upon hearing this, from his bag he withdrew his purse and spread out 19 English gold coins before the soldier and said he should take them and let him be off. The soldier’s response was no, he did not want his money but he should arrest him, as he now was under his control, he could arrest him or grant him freedom. The adjutant responded that he just had to let him go,

Sobald er dieses hörte zoge er seine Gold-Bürste aus der Tasche und reigete dem Soldaten 19 engelische Gold- Stücke dar und sagte er soll dieses nehmen er wolte wiedrum zurückgehen : nein sagte der Soldat er wolte sein Geld nicht sondern er müßte alhier aredirt werden dann er wäre jetzt in seinen Händen Er kente ihn aredieren oder lauffen lassen dieser Adjudant sagte er solte ihn nur gehen

[réclame]

lassen

https://gallica.bnf.fr/iiif/ark:/12148/btv1b10110846m/f27/pct:50,0,100,100/,700/0/native.jpg

Strasbourg, Médiathèque André Malraux, ms f 15, p. 53.

[agrandir]


 Notes

120. Hitting with rifle ramrods constituted a common method of punishment in European armies of the eighteenth century. During the same era, this was replaced by hitting with the flat of a sword.