AMREV-HESSIANS-L Archives From: "John Merz" <hessian@cgocable.net> Subject: [REV-HESSIANS] Re: Regiment von Rall - Briske - Briskey - Broeske - Broescke. Date: Sun, 7 May 2000 21:39:43 -0400 Dear Keith Young, As previously noted on this mail list, there were indeed two POW's listed on the Trenton Prisoner list, one by the name of BROESCKE, Henrich of the Rall Regt. 5.Comp., and one BROESKE (c missing), George, Rall Regt., 1. Comp., both were taken to Lancaster, PA. There are no Briske or Briskey names listed anywhere. For anyone who has not heard of the Trenton POW list, it is a list of appr. 900 names, taken from a copy located at the Library of Congress, and published by the Johannes Schwalm Historical Association in their Journal Vol. 3/1 (1985) on pages 1 to 21, and the credit for compiling goes to Richard C.Barth, Ph.D., William Dornemann, Ph.D, and Mark A. Schwalm. Now let's check the Hetrina Vol.III (that's the one with the Rall Regt. entries, all names are listed alphabetically and numbered in that order): 1818-1843 covers Broescke, Georg, of the Rall Regt., 1. Regt., he was born 1752/53 in Hanau/Hessen, and is listed as a Free Corporal on Muster Roll Dec.1776, but in Feb 1777 and June 1777 was promoted to Ensign (Faehnrich) in the 4.Comp. (Line #1821 and Line 1823), then he appears almost every month on the Muster Roll as POW until July 1778 when he is reported as (05) ransomed (from POW status) or returned to unit after desertion. Then #1838 lists him as a Second Lieutenant with the 3.Comp., #1842 as S.L.with the 4.Comp. in Jan.1783. Finally, in March 1783 is is listed as (07) having died through sickness or accident. But this is not all - One can see that there are some entries missing, like the promotion from Ensign to Second Lieutenant, and here are some more entries under the name Broeske, Georg (without the 'c') #1849 FK Ral1 (11-POW) 2/1777 #1850 SL Ral (O4) promoted Nov.1779 #1851 SL Ral (04) promoted March 1780 #1852 SL Ral (07) died March 1783. This other Henrich Broescke, has only 4 lines #1844 to 1847, he is born in Wolfhagen D3549 in 1751/52, first listed as a Private, Rall Regt., 5.Comp., (11-POW) 2/1777, then transferred (13) in July 1779, #1846 says he is promoted to Quartermaster-Sergeant in Aug.1779, and his last entry #1847 shows his promotion to Sergeant in July 1780. That's the last entry, no further information. Now anybody reading this may be wondering, what about #1848? Well, a one line entry: Broescke, Salomon, born 1751/52 at Heimbressen D3521, private, Rall Regt., 3.Comp., (01) appointed, especially in the unit rolls 0/1775 (this means, he could have been in the reserves, but was never called up) I never intented to go that deep into this case, just got carried away a bit, but it may serve as a demonstration of how to look at the Hetrina entries. They are a tremendous help, we should be forever grateful to the Archivschule Marburg in Hessen, whose students took on this task of compiling all those files from the Hessen-Kassel, Hessen-Hanau, and Waldeck troops, under the guidance of Inge Auerbach and Otto Froehlich. In closing, we still have no clue as to the true identity of the Hessian soldier who settled under the name of Briske or Briskey, Your best bet is to find a document which he signed with his original German name, a Will or signing over a deed, etc. From: Richard K. Young <RKeith_Young@compuserve.com> Sent: Friday, April 28, 2000 9:00 AM > Mr. Merz, > I was given your name by Sandel DeMastus. We are both related to a > Nicholas Briskey that mysteriously appeared in South Carolina after > the Revolutionary War. No trace of how he got to America has been located. > > My hypothesis is that the mysterious Nicholas Briskey could very well be a > Hessian soldier of Grenadier Regiment von Rall, one Georg Broescke. > Several details of Broescke's career as a soldier in America have eluded > me. Can you tell me if he is listed as a Continental prisoner of war after > the battle of Trenton, Dec. 26, 1776? Secondly, is there any record of his > having deserted his regiment? The German regimental records list him > as "dying of disease, accident or other causes" in March 1783. A significant > number of the family legends about Nicholas fit Georg very well. I am > hopeful that someday it may be possible to learn if Georg Broescke really > did die or whether his death was only "on paper" and whether he really > is Nicholas Briskey. > Your assistance is appreciated! > Thanks, > Keith Young http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/AMREV-HESSIANS/2000-05/0957749983 1885 Obituaries BRISKEY.--On the 18th of November, in Elk Lick township, Somerset county, Pa., Susanna Briskey (widow), aged 76 years, 11 months and 5 days. Her life was one of faithfulness, and she passed away in the blessed hope of a better life beyond. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~mennobit/1885/dec1885.html Brisky, William Nicholas Birth : 1765 France Gender: Male Family: Marriage: MAY 1789 Spouse: Merck, Susan Elizabeth Birth : 1757 South Carolina Gender: Female Parents: Father: Merk, John Balthasar Mother: Merk, Elizabeth Margeret Children: Brisky, Margaret "Peggy" Brisky, Kate Brisky, Polly Birth : 1791 Gender: Female Brisky, John Brisky, Elizabeth Birth : 1801 Gender: Female Brisky, Nicholas http://www.negia.net/~billh/HTML/dat9.html Best regards, Janice Farnsworth