Hello, A word of caution on the use of Chasseur. It could mean different things depending on who was doing the talking. For example, the Brunswick "Light" infantry battalion von Barner (which was raised specially for the war) had four companies of men styled Chasseurs and one of men styled Jaegers. They even had different uniforms and equipment, the Jaegers wearing green coats and carrying rifles, and the Chasseurs wearing blue coats and carrying smooth bore muskets. The Hessian units in New York in 1778 and 1779, drafted off men from the Hessian infantry battalions to form a couple companies of again 'light' infantry who were also styled Chasseurs. These men were sent out with the Jaegers on foraging missions around New York City. They kept the uniforms and equipment of their parent regiments, and were sent back to them in the winter. In the above cases, a chasseur is not a jaeger. However, I have seen where Hessian Jaegers are referred to as Chasseurs, which confuses everybody. In the case of the Hanauers, I've seen the Hanau Jager Corps (which spent most of the war in Canada) describes as Chasseurs too. An orginizational note: The Hesse-Cassel Jager companies were never part of any of Hesse-Cassel Infantry Regiments. Unlike the British, the Hessians did not have 'light infantry' companies in their regiments, only one flank company of grenadiers and five of musketiers (or fusiliers if it was a fusilier regiment). Anspesade, is a mangled spelling of "Anspessade". It is a French military term, also spelled lancepessade, lanspessade, and is one of those fun words left over from the middle ages, and is actually from the Italian "lanze spezzata" or a "broken lance", meaning essentially a free mercenary soldier. It is also where the term "free lance" comes from, but I digress. In the 18th century, it means a rank of soldier equivalent to a 'lance corporal' (its also where that term comes from) or a senior private soldier. One sometimes sees the German word "Gefreiter" used instead. The soldier so described is less than a corporal, but more than a private. I have also seen the word 'knecht' used to describe the officer's servants, but Im not sure anyone so described is actually a soldier or not. -Robert Sulentic > -----Original Message----- > From: Bob Brooks [mailto:rcbrooks@pivot.net] > Sent: Sunday, July 17, 2005 2:31 PM > To: AMREV-HESSIANS-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [HESSIAN] Soldier ranks > > Jeri -- > > A "batman" is the British term for and officer's valet or > servant. In German, he was called a "Bedienter." > > A "Chasseur" was the French term for the rank & file of a > British "Light Infantry" company, one of the two "flank" > companies in a British Regiment of Foot (i.e., infantry) In > German, he was called a "Jäger." The other "flank" company > was a company of Grenadiers. During the War of Americance > Independence, the British detached the flank companies and > atteched them to composite battalions of Light Infantry or > Grenadiers, as applicable. In the case of the Germans, the > Jägers had already been detached from the infantry regiments. > For the American campaign, the regiments from Hesse-Cassel > and Brunswick had their Grenadiers detached and they deployed > with Composite battalions of Grenadiers. > > I do not recognize the term "Anspesades." > > Bob Brooks > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Schindler" <2shins@charter.net> > To: <AMREV-HESSIANS-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, July 17, 2005 2:12 PM > Subject: [HESSIAN] Soldier ranks > > > > I'm woefully ignorant in things military. And the French > language doesn't > > help. Can someone enlighten me? > > In reading rosters of Hanauers I find Colonel or Captain > > Somebody-or-other "and his batman." > > What is a batman? Or for that matter, "Anspesades." Are > "Chasseurs" > > infantry? > > > > Jeri > > > > > ==== AMREV-HESSIANS Mailing List ==== > You can search the archives for a specific message or browse > them, going from one message to another. > To search: http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/?list=AMREV-HESSIANS > To browse: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/AMREV-HESSIANS-L > **************** > To unsubscribe: send an email to AMREV-HESSIANS-L-request@rootsweb.com > and write one single word unsubscribe in subject line and > text field. > No other words or explanations or it won't work. > > ============================== > Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your > family and the > areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. > Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx > >