Personal correspondence by members of the German corps is one of my favorite primary sources related to the German soldiers in the American Revolutionary War. These letters offers descriptions and insights that enrich and humanize the experience of war and warfare. They are descriptive, personal, reflective, candid, or humorous. Often, one letter is all of these things. This includes a few of the letters penned by the Musterschreiber (clerk, record keeper) Johann Christoph Dehn of the Braunschweig regiment Specht. I featured two of his shorter letters here.

Dehn belonged to the second division of Braunschweigers, which included around 2,048 men and 96 women. On March 15, 1776, the contingent departed from the city of Wolfenbüttel for the port of Stade. In the end of May, they sailed from Stade for Portsmouth, England, and the following month, they departed for Canada. Dehn arrived in Quebec on September 17, 1776.

The document featured in this post consists of excerpts from a two-page letter Dehn wrote to his brother Ehrhard during the crossing. Dated August 7, 1776, it includes a description of the voyage in the form of diary entries from July 19 to the end of the month. Dehn seems to be excited to be part of this adventure; he is assuring his brother that he is in good spirits. In fact, he maintains a positive outlook despite a shortage of certain provisions, the poor quality of drinking water, frequently inclement weather, and growing discontentment among the men. He takes pride in his ability to encourage patience and keep tempers calm, and he explains that the men frequently express their respect and affection for him with various friendly gestures. He claims that they view him as a kind of oracle. He clearly sees himself as a role model and leader. Finally, Dehn describes the sailors’ method of laundering their clothes. Their practice of soaking the shirts in urine for several days seemed to have been very effective. He thought that their laundry ended up cleaner than the clothes that the women were washing with saltwater and soap.

A few clarifying notes:

According to a diary kept by another member of the Braunschweig corps, possibly Lieutenant Anton Adolph Heinrich Du Roi, Dehn was a passenger on the Vriesland (see Helga Doblin, trans., The Specht Journal: A Military Journal of the Burgoyne Campaign, ed. Mary C. Lynn (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1995), p. xxix). However, Dehn notes that he was traveling on the Lively when he was composing the letter.

Dehn mentions that on July 21, each man received ½ Nössel of rum. Depending on regional variations, a Nössel measured around .5 Liter, or 17 fl. oz. (roughly the equivalent to an American pint). Thus, each man got half a pint of rum.

The Dutch transport De Goode Sake carried soldiers belonging to the Specht regiment.

The German term Wäsche can mean laundry or clothes, usually made of linen, that require regular washing, as opposed to items such as trousers, coats, and uniforms.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Dearest, best brother! On Board the Lively, Wednesday, August 7, 1776

… I cannot thank this good God enough, that he lets me enjoy calmness about all the difficulty that necessarily accompanies the distance from you all. And this life, that you perhaps view as very sad, brings with it so much pleasure that I am often charmed by it. It is varied, and therefore its value all the greater. It is tedious, and therefore the good, enjoyable hours all the more pleasant. It is dangerous, and therefore all the more worthy of the honor that awaits us when we return to the fatherland. This much I can honestly say, my brother, that boredom and frustration have not yet tormented me on this voyage. This is because I have different diversions, of which the keeping of my diary and reading good books, writing letters, and a well-run conversation with a few friends, are the most pleasant. Without considering various games and other pastimes, I am not tormented by boredom. …

July 21 – Today, each man received ½ Nössel of rum [1 Nössel equaled roughly .5 liters or 17 fl.oz.]. Our beer has been consumed. We are therefore beginning to drink water. It tastes bad and looks very brown. It contains countless insects and impurities, and it was collected at least eight weeks ago from the Elbe River. Nevertheless, I am drinking it without disgust. For the past thirteen days, I have not had any tea, coffee or liquor. I still have some tea and coffee, but cooking is so challenging and involves so many difficulties, that I rather not drink any. Things are looking very bad with our voyage. Our soldiers are beginning to be a bit discontented. I am talking my mouth off with them because they view me as some kind of oracle. I am consoling them from one day to the next and, assisted with this and that, such as tobacco, some sugar, tea, coffee, bread, etc., the instructive way in which I teach them to prefer the better to the good, makes me very popular with them. I can see this in everything. I reach for the pipe, and immediately someone is offering me a light. When I want to drink, someone is drawing [beer] for me or a thirsty man hands me a pint to satisfy my appetite before his own. The love of these men is true bliss for me. Every day, I study their character for three hours, and this is my favorite pastime. I will stop writing for now. The ship De goode Sake is coming near to us and I want to speak with a good friend of mine. …

July 24 – Windy, cold weather. Our women are washing; I need to tell you something about this: the seawater does not accept any soap at all. As a result, our laundry looks bad. The sailors’ laundry is cleaner. They are all wearing cotton shirts with blue stripes. This is how they wash them: they keep their shirts in tubs on deck for several days, and they ask us to piss on them. After they have sat there for two days, they take a sharp wool comb, lay the shirts on the deck, and work them through vigorously. They are then washed with seawater (without any soap), and it turns out very well. They hang these shirts on the bowsprit to dry. This looks funny when the wind is blowing through them. …

TRANSCRIPTION

Theuerster, Bester bruder! Am Boord der Lively, Mittwochs d. 7ten August 1776

… Ich kann ihm diesen guten Gott nicht genugsam danken, daß er mich einer Beruhigung wegen aller der Härte, so eine Entfernung von Euch nothwendig mit sich führen muß, genießen läßt. und dies Leben, das du vielleicht als höchst traurig ansiehst, führet so viel angenehmes mit sich, daß ich öfters darüber charmiret warden. es ist abwechselnd, und daher sein Werth um so grösser. es ist mühsam, und daher die guten vergnügten Stunden desto angenehmer. es ist gefährlich, und daher der Ehre umso würdiger die bey unserer Zurückkunft in unserm Vaterlande auf uns wartet. So viel mein Bruder kann ich in dies aufrichtig sagen, daß Langeweile und Verdruß auf dieser Reise mich noch nicht gequält haben, denn ich habe verschiedene Divertissement, worunter die Führung meines Diarii und Lesen guter Bücher, Briefeschreiben, ein gutgeführter Discours mit ein paar Freunden die angenehmsten für mich sind. Verschiedene Spiele u anderer Zeitvertreibe nicht zu gedenken, quält mich keine Langeweile. …

July 21 – Heute erhielten wir Rum à Mann ½ Nössel. Unser Bier ist verzehrt. Wir fangen also an Wasser zu trinken. es schmeckt widrig. es sieht ganz braun aus, führt unzählige Insekten und Unreinlichkeitem mit sich und ist wenigesten vor 8 Wochen in der Elbe gefüllt. dennoch trink ichs ohne Widerwillen. Seit 13 Tagen habe ich keinen Thee, Caffe oder Branntwein getrunken. Ich habe noch Thee und Caffee, aber das Kochen ist so mühsam und mit so vielen Schwierigkeiten verknüpft, das ich lieber keinen trinke. Mit unserer Fahrt sieht es sehr mislich aus. Unsere Soldaten fangen an etwas misvergnügt zu warden. Ich rede mir des Maul bald entzwey bey sie, den sie sehen mich für eine Art Orakel an. von einem Tag zum andern vertröst, mit diesem und jenem unterstützt, als Tabac, etwas Zucker, Thee, Caffe, Brod &, macht mich ausser der belehrenden Weise mit welcher ich ihnen das bessern dem guten vorziehen lehre, sehr beliebt bey ihnen. ich sehe dies aus allen, ich kriege die Pfeiffe, schon bietet mir einer Feuer; ich will trinken, man zapft vor mich, oder der Durstigste reicht mir das Maaß und befriediget noch meinen als seinen Appetit. Die Liebe dieser Leute ist eine wahre Glückseligkeit für mich, ich studier tägl. ihren Character 3 Stunden lang, und dies ist eine meine Lieblingsbeschäftigungen. ich höre für heute auf. Das Schiff De goode Sake kommt nahe bey uns, ich will mit einem guten Freunde reden. …

July 24 – Windiges kaltes Wetter. Unsere Frauen wuschen, darüber muß ich etwas sagen: das Seewasser nimmt gar keine Seife an, unsere Wäsche sieht daher schlecht aus. Reiner ist der Matrosen Wäsche, die alle blau gestreifte baumwollende Hemder tragen, sie waschen folgendermassen. Ihre Hemder lassen sie einige Tage in einem Tubben auf dem Verdecke stehen und bitten uns, daß wir darauf pissen, hat dies 2 Tage gestanden, so nehmen sie eine Scharfe Cartetsche, legen die Hemden aufs Verdeck und arbeiten sie tüchtig durch, nachher mit Seewasser (ohne alle Seife) gewaschen, wird sehr gut. Diese Hemden hängen sie zum Trocknen am Boogspriet auf, wenn nun der Wind in selbige bläßt, so sieht es comisch aus. …

Citation: The letter is included in “Briefe des Musterschreibers bei den braunschweigischen Truppen J. C. J. Dehn aus Nordamerika an seine Verwandten in Braunschweig und Schliestedt, 1776-178,” H VI 6: 26, Stadtarchiv Braunschweig.

Featured Image: Detail from Gabriel Bray, Seamen relaxing on the Pallas (1775), National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London.