The big response about ordering pins shows that the discussion about ordering them again is entirely appropriate so far as the list members are concerned. Let's end the debate, okay? I'd like to have five pins if they are reordered. My Hessian ancestor was Johann Martin Ronshausen who lived in Weissenborn and was "appointed" to the von Ditfuerth Regiment as a Private. His name and other information appear in the unit rolls. See: HETRINA Band 2 Item 8695. Question: What information can be gained by following up on the HETRINA entry - would it be payroll records and the like or might there be more personal information? As I already know where Martin lived and who his parents, spouse and children were, perhaps I ought not to spend time looking for more about his military record? Thanks. N. L. Ronshausen

N. L. Ronshausen wrote: >>> My Hessian ancestor was Johann Martin Ronshausen who lived in >>> Weissenborn and was "appointed" to the von Ditfuerth Regiment as a >>> Private. His name and other information appear in the unit rolls. See: >>> HETRINA Band 2 Item 8695. >>> Question: What information can be gained by following up on the >>> HETRINA entry - would it be payroll records and the like or might there >>> be more personal information? As I already know where Martin lived and >>> who his parents, spouse and children were, perhaps I ought not to spend >>> time looking for more about his military record? HETRINA II, line 8695, is a single entry for "Martin Ronshausen" b. ca. 1745-46, of Kirchhosbach, who is named in the 1783 Maß- und Rangierlisten vom Regiment von Ditfurth [Marburg, Best. 12, Nr.778 (HETRINA citation SR788) are the old numbers dated from the 1970s, however, they have cross-references]. The HETRINA date is coded "0.1783" indicating that this "regimental roster" is undated other than the year. The unit code "DIT4" indicates he was listed in in the company commanded in America by Major, then Lieutenant-Colonel, then Colonel, Ferdinand Heinrich von Schuler. The "01" event code you have cited as "appointed" merely means that he is on that list. The date of birth (1745-46) stated is merely a calculation based on his age as stated in the referenced record. I have never viewed this document and of those I have seen, each is slightly different. I would expect that his height would also be listed but what other information may be in that record, I can not say. CAUTION: I opine that this single record does not prove this man served in America because that is the only record of him found in Regiment von Ditfurth is this one and I do not know whether the roster was made up in America or in Germany. Regiment von Ditfurth sailed from New York on 13 Aug 1783 and they were home in Germany on 14 Oct 1783. On the other hand, it does not disprove that he served in America. As records go, the 1775 Maß- und Rangierlisten vom Regiment von Ditfurth is extant but that regiment was at that time only manned to an estimated 35% - 50% its wartime manning level. There are no extant reports of recruiting & manning after the treaty was signed in 1776 and although Marburg holds a complete set of Monatliche Listen [monthly reports] covering April 1776 to July 1783, he is not named therein. The monthly reports only reported on the exceptions: deaths, desertions, promotions, demotions, transfers in, transfers out, &c. This means that if a man was "recruited" in early 1776 and came across and landed on Staten Island on 15 August 1776 and stayed out of trouble until returning to Germany in 1783, then he should not appear in any of the interim monthly reports. I hope you found this more informative than confusing. Bob Brooks