Chapter X.
THE BRUNSWICKERS IN CANADA, 1776.
The Brunswick contingent of the German troops
hired by England to suppress the revolt in her North
American colonies was commanded by Baron Friedrich
Adolph von Riedesel. He was of a noble
Hessian family, and was born in 1738. At the age of
fifteen he was sent to Marburg to study law, though he
hardly knew how to write and had learned but a few
scraps of Latin. A battalion of Hessian infantry was
quartered at Marburg at the time, and Riedesel liked
better to look at the soldiers than to listen to the
professors of the school. The major, who had made the
boy's acquaintance, saw the chance of a recruit. He
advised Riedesel to enter his company in the hope of
advancement, and told him, moreover, that he was well
acquainted with his father, and would write to him to
ask his consent to the scheme. Shortly afterwards
the major told Riedesel that he had heard from the
latter's father, who had consented to his enlistment.
The boy was delighted at the news, and was presently
mustered into the service. When he wrote to thank
his father, however, he received a disappointing
answer. The Baron von Riedesel had never heard of the
major, and had never granted permission to his son to
leave the profession chosen for him. Now that the
young man had entered the service, his honor obliged
