The Lord of Ansbach was so gracious to send me 6,000 miles to fight for the Glory His Majesty the King of Great Britain and Elector of Hanover. I was ordered to march my Regiment from the very heart of Germany to the coast within two weeks. I had to bring it to full strength by recruiting some of the darkest elements under God’s sun. Even in my own company you will find a runaway son of the Muses from Jena, a bankrupt tradesman from Vienna, a fringe maker from Hanover, a discharged secretary of the post-office of Gotha, a monk from Würzburg, an upper steward from Meiningen, a Prussian sergeant of hussars, a cashiered major from our garrison itself, and others of like stamp. The men were this green that we had to stop every third day to drill furiously. We were taken to England and from Portsmouth further across the Ocean to the New World. The conditions were worst than any camp in field that I have seen in all my days in service. We were flocked together like sheep, and even I had to share my cabin with no less than sixteen officers.
So we came to this coast, ordered to re-establish order in His Majesty’s the King colonies. Our enemies are farmers with no ideas of rank and file, drill and order, colour and uniform, line and square. This task will be done before Christmas. Tomorrow we’ll make a start by taking this BUNKER HILL. I don’t think that anyone will dare to stand in our way, so I have ordered to take the heights with arms shouldered, colours flying and drums sounded.
<center>Ralf Konnertz
2. Ansbachisches Regiment zu Fuß
Hessische Brigade
Kgl. Britische Armee in Nordamerika</center>
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