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From: John Helmut Merz <>
Subject: Re: [REV-HESSIANS] Re: Johann Wrede/Ancestry.com
Date: Mon, 27 Dec 1999 11:44:59 -0800


Dear Louise, during my many years of research I have discovered that
we have a tremendous problem with secondary sources of information,
which become third and fourth sources in no time, and now those
Ancestry.com source perhaps the fifth source, and everytime somebody
quotes a source (and this includes me) we may quote some wrong
information. The moral of the story - go for the original source!

The dear departed Clifford Neal Smith, whose monographs are a third
source of Hessian information already, after all, he did not do the
original research, but took it in the case of the Braunschweigers from
the German researcher Hans Helmut Rimpau, does have the distinction to
have brought Hessian research on the American market, a first general
tool to be used by American family researchers, and for that he should
be praised. His work however, is far from perfect, for instance these
Muster Rolls of Brunswick, Hanau, and Anhalt-Zerbst recruits stationed
temporarily at Fort Brooklyn in 1781, had nothing to do with the
Hesse-Kassel troops, and should have been reported separate to avoid
confusion.

It is pretty tough now after all these years to find accurate info. and
my suggestion is whenever possible to check original sources. Too much
has been misspelled, wrong dates given, locations mispronounced, many
names missing altogether. For instance a comparison between Rimpau
(Clifford Neal Smith) and the General Riedesel's Order Book shows such
a multitude of wrong information, and the trouble is that one does not
know off hand which one is correct, which one is false, or if not both
are wrong. I am presently in the process of comparing name by name, and
truly, I am amazed of how many discrepencies exist between those two
documents. Therefore at this point in time I can only say - go for the
originals at the appropriate archives. (And they may have it wrong).

I am still looking for a volunteer to scrutinize Riedesel's Order Book,
even though Professor Dr.Gerhard Friesen of the Wilfrid Laurier Univ.,
Waterloo, Ont. has transcribed it, courtesy of the New York Library,
but frankly, I know he made some mistakes, particularly with dates, and
therefore even his work has to be taken with a grain of salt.

Incidently, Louise, I am still hovering over your e-mail about this
soldier Heinrich Preuss (also from the Brooklyn Muster Roll), and one
day, will come forward with an answer.

Best wishes, to Louise, and all readers,
John

wrote:
> Dear John,
> You wrote: >>Checking Clifford Neal Smith Monograph
> Number 1 - Brunswick Deserters, he has the same name
> and information, but no Johann Wrede, or Frede.>>
>
> There is a Johann Wrede (No. 41) listed on page 127 in Smith's
> Monograph 3, Part 3:"Muster Rolls and Prisoner-of-War Lists in
> American Archival Collections Pertaining to the German Mercenary
> Troops Who Served with the British Forces During the American
> Revolution". Right below the category Captain Mers' Company
> there is a category "Recruits sent over from Brunswick in the year
> 1780 and arrived here 22 Apr 1781 but not yet nominated to their
> respective companies. This list is from Number 19 to Number 41.
>
> Louise F. Hodge

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