Major Andre's Journal E-Book

John Andre

• Herausgeber: Reading Essentials
• Kategorie: Sachliteratur, Reportagen, Biografien
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

John André (1750 – 1780) was a British Army officer hanged as a spy by the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War for assisting Benedict Arnold's attempted surrender of the fort at West Point, New York to the British.

Leseprobe

Major André's Journal 

by John Andre

First published in 1904

This edition published by Reading Essentials

Victoria, BC Canada with branch offices in the Czech Republic and Germany

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Journal of Major Andre

by John André

Note:John André was a British officer during the American Revolution, serving as an aide to many high ranking British generals including the Commander-in-Chief of British forces in America. However, he is best known for his role in Benedict Arnold's treason, when he was captured after meeting with Arnold in order to take West Point and General Washington. Although, Arnold escaped, André was tried by an American court-martial and hanged on October 2, 1780, as a spy. Much later André's body was returned to England and interred at Westminster Abbey. In 1902, his journal from 1777-1778 was discovered. The following is a complete transcription of that journal, which was originally published in 1904.

June 11, 1777The Commander in Chief came from Amboy to Brunswick, joining on the road the escort of the provision train, consisting of the 7th, 26th and part of the 71st Regiments.

12thSeveral regiments from Amboy and Bonham Town joined the Army at Brunswick, and encamped on the heights above the town and bridges. The Army to take the field was brigaded- vide orders.

13thThe Army ordered to march in one column. The First Division under the command of Lieutenant General Earl Cornwallis, the second under Lieutenant General DeHeister. For the order of march and the General Officers and Brigades assigned to each Division, see the Orders of this day.

Distribution of Corps into Brigades the 12th of June, 1777

1st Brigade Lt. Col. Trelawney 1st, 23rd, 40th Battalion Guards

2nd Brigade Brig. Gen. Agnew 4th, 15th, 44th

3rd Brigade Lt. Col. Markham 10th, 27th, 46th

4th Brigade Lt. Colonel Mawhood 17th, 35th, 64th

The 1st and 3rd Brigade commanded by Major-General Vaughan; the 2nd and 4th Brigade commanded by Major-General Grey.

From the Orders it appeared that the First Division was to form in column of march on the Princeton Road at 11 o'clock in the evening, but with respect to the Second Division, altho' it was expressed they were to strike tents, no place of rendezvous was appointed, nor were they directed to form in column, tho' the order of march was given. General DeHeister had understood he was included in the Order given to the First Division to assemble on the Princeton Road, and purposed bringing up his column in the rear of Lord Cornwallis's. General Grey, on the other hand, abiding by the letter of the Order, thought we were to remain on our ground till further Orders should be received. The Adjutant General (*this must have been Andre himself) gave the latter explanation to it. The Second Division struck tents in the evening and lay on their arms.

14thAt daylight Lord Cornwallis's Division having begun to move, a message was sent intimating it had been expected the the Second Division would have been already formed in the rear of the First. At 6 o'clock the Second Division would have been already formed in the rear of the First. At 6 o'clock the Second Division, being formed in order of march on the Princeton Road, began to move. Lord Cornwallis, having exchanged a few shots with a flying party of the Rebels at ye Millstone (Hillsborough or Somerset Court House), repaired the Bridge which they had begun breaking down, and crossing the river hutted on the heights of the Western bank. The Second Division hutted at Middlebush, six miles from Brunswick and two from the Millstone.

15thWe changed the disposition of the Troops at Middlebrush. Distribution of the part of the Army not moving with the main body:

Rhode Island Major General Prescott Hessian: Stirn, Ditfurth, Huyne, Bunow British: 22nd, 43rd, 54th (New York)

York Island Lt. General Knyphausen Hessians at Kings Bridge: 45th, 63rd, Hereditary Pr., Trumbach, Pr. Charles Hessians at Independence: Stein, Block, Weissenbach

Amboy Colonel Eybe 55th British Battalion of Anspach Waldeckers

Brunswick Brigadier General Matthew 7th, 26th, 35th, 38th

Guards, Remains of Raille's Hessian Brigade

The Piquets were ordered to be relieved in future at daybreak- to have a double piquet at that hour.

Great symptoms of a disposition to plunder being perceived in the Troops, the Commander-in-chief sent a message to General DeHeister, desiring him to warn the Hessians not to persist in such outrages, as they would be most severely punished. Most of the Brigades received the same instructions from the Officers commanding them.

16thTwo Sergeants of the Light Dragoons and one trooper were either killed or taken prisoner this morning. They were on a patrole. This morning at daybreak we began throwing up three redoubts near Headquarters and the provision train. Twelve hundred with a proportionable number of officers were employed on this duty. The Troops desisted working at the redouts at 11 o'clock at night. It was reported that the Rebel Army had quitted the heights above Bound Brook.

17thThe women who had followed the Army were sent back to Brunswick. A Sergeant from the Welsh Fusiliers deserted, it was said, in consequence of his wife being sent away. The troops retained their same position; the Enemy seemed to vary theirs. The few tents we saw scattered on the hills appeared every day in different spots. The Rebel Light Horse were frequently seen hovering about Lord Cornwallis's Camp and the avenues to both camps were infested by ambuscades which fired on our patroles and out sentries.

18thOrders were given for the Second Division to march. Two Hessians were killed this evening and four others wounded on an advances post from Lord Cornwallis's Camp.

19thThe whole marched in one column at 6 o'clock this morning, the second Division in front and by the right. The Army arrived at Brunswick before noon, and encamped on the heights round it on either side the Raritan; General Leslie's Brigade extending to Bonham Town.

20thIn the morning the piquet of the Grenadiers was fired upon by about 200 of the Rebels, who came upon them from the wood. Upon a party of Grenadiers marching to support their piquet, the Enemy retired; no one was hurt. General Grey being Major General of the day, the affair of the plundering a house at the landing came under his notice; he confined a Corporal and three soldiers of the 5th regiment. The 17th Dragoons, 35th, 38th, and 52nd, Foot marched to Amboy; the 7th and 26th Regiments took up their ground. The flat boats, carriages and pontoons were sent to Amboy. A great deal of firing was heard towards 8 o'clock in the evening in the direction of the Rebel Camp, both of cannon and small arms. The piquets were ordered to load in consequence of General Grey's reporting that this was always neglected.

21stGeneral Howe referred the affair of the soldiers of the 5th regiment, confined for plundering a house, to a regimental Court Martial. It is worth notice that the Hessian Officer who exclaimed against this depradation confessed the Hessians had been concerned, yet confined none, but complained of the British to General DeHeister. A Hessian Subaltern's Guard was next door to the house plundered. Major General Vaughan proceeded to Amboy, escorted by Koehler's Battalion. About 200 of the Enemy made their appearance at Bonham Town, but did not advance upon the Troops there.

22ndSeveral men deserted last night, four from the 44th, three from the 27th, one from the 23rd and some others from other Corps. At 2 o'clock in the morning the whole Army struck tents, but the Second Division (which was encamped two miles from Brunswick on the road to Amboy, and therefore waited for the Troops encamped near Brunswick) did not begin to move till 7. At about 5 the Rebels appeared at the Jager post, and a few shots were fired. The Army had scarce begun to march when a body of the Enemy shewed themselves on the heights behind Brunswick and where the Hessian Grenadiers had been encamped. They fired several cannon across the river. The other body, which had marched from Bound Brook on the North East of the Raritan and had shewn themselves at the Jager post, proceeded from there towards Piscataqua and fell in with the column of march at the place where the Quibbletown Road meets and turns into the Amboy Road. They attacked the Light Infantry but were immediately driven back; they however, shifted their position from one thicket to another and hung upon the flanks and rear for some distance. They killed or wounded about twenty of our people and a woman, a Grenadier's wife.

In the front Brigadier General Leslie advanced with his Brigade and took post at Short Hills, a mile or two beyond Bonham Town towards Amboy. In consequence of the firing in the rear, the Second Division halted for a little time at Bonham Town, and the baggage was sent forward. The Second Division was again halted near Amboy for nigh two hours by an ill comprehended or ill-delivered Order. The 4th, 15th, 27th, 44th and 64th Regiments and Stirn's Brigade or Hessians crossed from Amboy to Staten Island and encamped at Prince's Bay. General Grey crossed and took up his quarters at Billop's.