This message came to me courtesy of the Rootsweb PML service. I would like to mention that this diary by the son of a Hessian soldier Conrad ENGELBRECHT, a private of the Bayreuth Regt., has been a source mentioned by Mrs. Nancy Rice Kiddoo in her article "Of Revolutionary Memory"; German mercenaries who immigrated to Westerb Maryland, published in "Der Reggeboge", Journal of the Pennsylvania German Society, Vol. 23/1989/2. This Journal contains short biographies of 182 German auxiliary soldiers, wrongfully called mercenaries, who settled in Frederick Co., Maryland. John Merz, list administrator. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Charles A. ("Al") Blackburn" <al@blackburn.org> Sent: Monday, July 26, 2004 1:18 PM > ============================== > Source: SPRINKLE-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: Old Sprenkle Tragedies > > > Good Morning Listmates, > > Earlier this month, Nancy and Margaret each posted two messages under the > subject heading "Old Sprenkle Tragedies." All four of those messages > discussed the murder of Mary Ann Sprenkle Gower on the night of July 4, > 1834. > > I first became aware of Mary Ann's murder in the early 1980s while reading > "The Diary of Jacob Englebrecht." Jacob's comments on that crime were > confined to three rather brief entries. But before presenting Jacob's > comments on the murder, I will present a few remarks of my own about Jacob > and his diary. > > Jacob Englebrecht (the son of a Hessian) was born in Frederick, Maryland in > 1797. He apparently remained a resident of that town until his death in > 1878. > During most of his life Jacob plied the tailor's trade, but eventually > became a grocer. And after the Civil War he served a term as mayor of > Frederick. However, his most significant contribution arises from the fact > that he was a faithful and prolific diarist throughout the last sixty years > of his life. > > The version of the diary with which I worked was a three-volume > transcription compiled by William R. Quynn, and publishsed by the Historical > Society of Frecerick County, Inc., in 1976. I believe that an earlier > publication consisted simply of reproductions of Jacob's hand written > entries, many of which were made on odd scraps of paper. And a very useful > index has been added to a later edition. > <SNIP>