[page 72]

52.

52.

After having passed through these 2 provinces, no more Germans are to be found, save a few households from time to time, likewise one no longer sees any kinds of grains other than corn and sometimes a bit of wheat etc.

Sobald man diese 2 Profintzen passieret hat findet man keine Deutschen mehr als hin und wieder einige Haußgesäß auch findet man nicht viel andren Früchte mehr als Welschkorn und dan und wann noch etwas Wäitzen etc.

On the 6th, we set off again for 14 miles to Wilmington; the same day we passed through the lovely little town of Brandenwein[150], located along the Delaware River, in a pleasant region, near a flat mountain. But we continued on to Wilmington, a lovely little town embellished with very nice buildings. We made our camp right alongside the Delaware River.

Den 6ten brachen wir wiedrum auf 14 Meillen biß Wilmingston selbigen Tag traffen wir unter-wegs ein schön Städtgen an mit Namens Branden-wein am Fluße Telawar in einer angenehmen Gegend an einem gantz flachen Gebürge. Wir gingen aber noch biß Wilmingston ein schönes Städtgen welches mit sehr schönen Gebäuten gezieret ist. Wir schlugen unser Lager gantz nahe am Fluße Tellawar.

On the 7th, we set off again for 12 miles to Head-of-Elk, a small town on the banks of a beautiful river with intense traffic called Elk. There all the grenadiers and Chasseurs of the army boarded ship to go to Jamestown then to Williamsburg, a lovely little town[151]. They were resting there until the army’s arrival[152]. The English viceroy[153] had his seat of power or his residence there. Also located there is a remarkable school. The King of England had had a school[154] erected there in 1736, which was quite damaged by this war and which the French later transformed into a hospital.

Den 7ten brachen wir alda wiedrum auf 12 Meillen biß Headof-Elck ein kleines Städtgen an einem schönen schiffreichen Fluße mit Namens Elck. Alda schiffeten die Granadier und Jäger von der gantzen Armée ein vor nach Jammesthaun und hernach weiter biß Wiliams-burg ein schönes Städtgen. Alda hatten sie Rastag biß die Armée auch alda ankame. Alda hatte der engellische Vitze- König seinen Sitz oder Residens. Auch ist alda ein schönes merckwürdiges Colegium. Alda hatte der König von Engelland anno 1736 ein Studium aufgerichtet jetzt aber durch diesen Krieg wiedrum gantz verliedrieget worden und hernach die Franzosen es sich zum Spithal be-dieneten.

On the 8th, we had a day’s rest near Head-of-Elk.

Den 8ten hatten wir Rastag bey Headof-Elck.

[réclame]

den

https://gallica.bnf.fr/iiif/ark:/12148/btv1b10110846m/f37/pct:0,0,50,100/,700/0/native.jpg

Strasbourg, Médiathèque André Malraux, ms f 15, p. 72.

[agrandir]

 Notes

150. Note the contrast here between the long digression introduced by the author on the subject of the Battle of Princeton, when he tells of the troops passing through this place, and the complete silence on the subject of another past battle, the Battle of Brandywine (September 11, 1777, in which Washington was defeated by Howe) while Flohr mentions the army’s passing through “the lovely little town of Brandenwein”. Flohr probably did not go through the former battlefield that is not directly situated in the town’s surrounding areas, and therefore could not have seen the visible traces of these combats, like the visible damage caused to the University of Princeton building (Closen, p. 124).
151. The small peninsula of Head-of-Elk is located at the northern extremity of the Chesapeake Bay. Only a small part of the allied army could be transported to the Williamsburg peninsula due to a critical lack of boats. Note that in the passage only the grenadiers and Chasseurs of the army, precious forces for siege operations, boarded ship and that Flohr continued towards Yorktown on land, to ultimately board ship near Annapolis farther south.
152. Since they are very punishing for the troops, marches are always punctuated with whole days of break, so that men or animals can rest.
153. Flohr’s contemporaries instead used the term “Governor”. He was appointed by the King of England during the colonial period but did not have the same power as, for example, a Spanish viceroy.
154. This “school” is the College of William and Mary, founded by order of King William III of England in 1693, and not in 1736. It is curious that Flohr mentions Williamsburg and its university before even telling of the army crossing through this town.