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

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 >

Once again, I'm indebted to you. Thanks for the info and thanks to Don Fehlings, too. I'm learning a lot as I wade through the hundreds of entries in the Archives. But, the more I learn, the more questions I seem to have. Right now, I'm trying to trace my Christian Schaeffer, who was a soldier in the Hanau Erbprinz Regiment, Company 2, and from what John Merz says was his capture at Saratoga. I've learned that the enlisted men were marched from there to Winterhill and a year later to Charlottesville. I wonder if there is a roster somewhere of those prisoners at these camps?? Somehow, Christian ended his days as a POW at the camp in Reading, PA and it was from there that he indentured himself. Now---how/when was he transferred there? And that indenture--there must be a record to whom somewhere?? See what I mean--all those question marks ! Maybe someone on the list has some answers. And, thanks again, for all the answers you've supplied. Jeri ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob Brooks" <rcbrooks@pivot.net> To: <AMREV-HESSIANS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, July 17, 2005 11:31 AM Subject: @WL 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)