Title:
An Eyewitness Account
of the American Revolution and New
England Life:
The Journal of J.F. Wasmus, German
Company Surgeon, 1776-1783, Vol. 106
Mary C. Lynn (Editor) Helga Doblin
(Translator)
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Book Description
This book presents the English translation
of the journal of J.F. Wasmus, a German
doctor who fought for the British
in the American Revolution. Wasmus
served in a German regiment under
General Burgoyne and witnessed many
key battles. Later, after being taken
prisoner, he was ordered to live with
a farmer's family in Brimfield, Massachusetts,
and encouraged to work in his profession.
His journal offers first-hand accounts
of military affairs such as the Battle
of Bennington, as well as detailed
observations of the climate, geography,
and societal customs of New England
and New York.
Comment
"This account of a German surgeon's
years in North America provides fascinating
insights into military and civilian
life during the American Revolution.
Wasmus spent most of the war as a
prisoner in Massachusetts. His rich
descriptions of life, society, landscapes,
and fauna makes for excellent reading.
The diary, however, does not deal
exclusively with New England; Wasmus's
vivid recording of French Canadian
life and the perils of a sea voyage
are brief but excellent. If there
is a weakness in the diary (for which
neither the translator nor the editor
is to be faulted), it results from
the fact most of the entries for the
years 1779-1781 consist of translations
from local newspapers. Although these
are of some use, Wasmus's keen observations
are of far greater value. The editor
has done a fine job in providing notes
to place the diary in historical context
and deals well with subjects as diverse
as medicine and herpetology. Undergraduate
libraries and above."
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