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Collection

Choiseul correspondence, 1777-1781

15 items

This collection contains 15 letters, in French, mostly to Choiseul to the Marquis de Monteil, during his time in Turin, Sardinia. These document a strong interest in the American Revolution, particularly in naval matters.

The Choiseul correspondence consists of 13 letters from Choiseul to the Marquis de Monteil, one from Choiseul to "monsieur le comte,” and one letter from [Nicolas François Tricot] de Lalande. All letters are addressed from Turin, Sardinia. More than half of these letters were written between September 1777 and October 1778, with the remainder dated from late 1780 to early 1781. All letters are in French. Typed transcripts are available for 9 letters between Choiseul and the Marquis de Monteil.

Choiseul's letters document a strong interest in the American Revolution, particularly in naval matters. Beginning as early as 1778, Choiseul was pessimistic about British chances for retaining the American colonies, and his pessimism increased after French Admiral Charles-Henri d'Estaing's fleet was sent to aid the Americans' fight against the British at sea. He was opposed to plans circulating among members of the French military command to continue the war with the English. The letters also contain discussions of Choiseul's and Monteil's diplomatic efforts in Sardinia, Genoa, and Piedmont, as well as commentary on the Bavarian Succession.

Collection

Freiherr von Jungkenn papers, 1775-1784

1.75 linear feet

The von Jungkenn papers comprise one of the major resources in North America for study of the "Hessian" auxiliaries to British forces during the American Revolution. The involvement of German auxiliaries in many of the most significant campaigns of the war make the von Jungkenn collection of great importance for understanding both military and social aspects of the Revolution.

The von Jungkenn papers comprise one of the major resources in North America for study of the "Hessian" auxiliaries to British forces during the American Revolution. The correspondence, diaries, and military returns of German officers hired by the British during the American Revolution provide a thorough documentation of the military activities involving German forces, and insight into the martial culture that bound them to the British authority. As professional soldiers, serving for pay, rather than patriotism, von Jungkenn and his fellow German officers were often more candid in their assessments of the war and less inclined to the self-serving or wishful myopia that hindered some of their British colleagues. The involvement of German auxiliaries in many of the most significant campaigns of the war make the von Jungkenn collection of great importance for understanding both military and social aspects of the Revolution.

Nearly all of the correspondence received by von Jungkenn is written either in German or French, reflecting the linguistic difficulties posed in fielding a multi-national, multi-lingual force. The letters in German are written exclusively in the old script. The correspondence of Adj. Gen. Maj. Bauermeister comprises the most extensive single correspondence in the collection -- almost one third of the von Jungkenn Papers -- and has been fully translated and published by Bernhard Uhlendorf.

Collection

Loftus Cliffe papers, 1769-1784

33 items

The Loftus Cliffe papers include seventeen items dating from Cliffe's service in the British Army during the American Revolution, 1776-1778. The letters detail his participation in campaigns in the mid-Atlantic theater, and include excellent descriptions of the Battles of Long Island, Trenton, Brandywine, and Germantown.

The Loftus Cliffe papers consist of letters and receipts dating from Cliffe's service during the American Revolution, 1776-1778. The letters detail his participation in campaigns in the mid-Atlantic theater, and include excellent descriptions of the Battles of Long Island, Trenton, Brandywine, and Germantown. As a junior officer assigned to a regiment under the direct command of William Howe Cliffe's letters form an important resource for study of the British military during the Revolution, but the importance of the collection goes beyond just this. Cliffe's strident masculinity, his love of the military, and his fondness for local color and for discussing the lifestyle of both Americans and British make these letters unusually entertaining, and his antagonism toward Major Joseph Ferguson of the 46th Regiment adds another interesting dimension. The post-Revolutionary portion of the Cliffe Papers consists of letters written from Britain, with the exception of a single letter written from India in January, 1784.