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who had never used their tools to work, but whoever saw them do it would have believed they had done that their whole life long. The next day, our hands were covered with blisters, to the extent that we were unable to present arms.

Gescher in die Hand bekommen vor zu arbeiten wer sie aber alda gesehen hatte, hätte geglaubt sie hätten ihr Leben lang allezeit gearbeitet. Den anderen Morgen aber hatte jeder von uns die Hände dermassen so voll Bladern daß wir nicht mehr imstande waren das Gewehr zu pressentieren.

That night, more than one individual left to do his work, but did not come back, since he must have lost his life in the trenches. That night, we had 3 killed and 8 wounded men. It was October 1, 1781.

Selbige Nacht ginge mancher auf die Arbeit aber nicht mehr davon sondern mußte sein Leben in den Tranchés lassen. Wir bekamen diese Nacht über an Todten : 3 Man und Plessierten 8 Mann ; dieses geschahe den 1ten 8br 1781.

At daybreak, all the sappers were called back; as soon as the daylight shone fully, the English saw that trenches had been dug everywhere in the field in front of them! This caused General Cornwally to exclaim, that that night all the devils of hell must have helped the French dig; it could not be explained otherwise.

Sobald der Tag beginnete anzubrechen wurden alle Arbeiter wiedrum zurückgezogen ; sobald es aber Tag ware sahen die Engelländer daß das gantz Feld vor ihnen verschantzet war ! So sagte der engellische General Kornvallis er könte nicht anderst glauben als alle Teuffel aus der Hell denen Frantzosen hätten helfen schantzen diese Nacht.

Sappers for the 2nd night: 800 men under Monsieur St. Simon’s command[167]. That night we had 1 dead and 5 wounded men. Now that a few tunnels and redoubts had been completed, the sappers were positioned there day and night to work. During the construction, the thunder and lightning of cannons could be seen and heard without end, and all night long there was not half a quarter of an hour of silence.

Arbeiter vor die 2te Nacht 800 Mann comandirt durch Mr St Simon. Wir bekamen diese Nacht an Todten 1 Mann Plessierten 5 Mann. Weilen nun jetzt schon etliche Lauffgräben und Schantzen verferdigt waren wurden die Arbeiter Tag und Nacht angestellet in denen Schantzen zu arbeiten. Wärend dieser Zeit und Arbeit hoerte man nichts anderst, als Doneren und Blitzen der Canonen daß es die gantze Nacht keine halbe Vierthelstund Stille

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https://gallica.bnf.fr/iiif/ark:/12148/btv1b10110846m/f42/pct:0,0,50,100/,700/0/native.jpg

Strasbourg, Médiathèque André Malraux, ms f 15, p. 82.

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 Notes

167. Major General Claude-Anne de Rouvroy, Marquis de Saint-Simon-Montbleru led the three regiments from St. Domingo on board the fleet commanded by Count de Grasse. Born in 1740 in La Faye near Ruffec in Charente, Saint-Simon was educated at the Military Academy of Strasbourg, then assigned to the Royal-Auvergne regiment. He became colonel of the Poitou regiment in 1771, then of Touraine. He followed this regiment to St. Domingo in 1779. On September 2nd he disembarked at the head of the three Touraine, Agenais, and Gâtinais regiments where he helped Lafayette and Anthony Wayne until the arrival of Rochambeau and Washington on September 14th. During the Siege of Yorktown he commanded the left wing of the French army. Saint-Simon was wounded during the siege, and earned the respect of his peers by staying at his post all day in spite of his wound. During the Revolution, Saint-Simon defended the privileges of the aristocracy, immigrated to Spain in 1790 where he held several high-ranking positions. He thus defended Madrid against the French armies in 1808. He died in Madrid in 1819.