"Brigade Rall, Knyphausen and Lossberg" Topic

In looking at the Battle for long Island, I see this brigade was commanded by Major General Werner von Mirbach. But later at Trenton, it is commanded by Rall. I am trying to find out why Rall took over from Mirbach, but have not been able to find anything. What happened to Mirbach? Can anyone help?

Thanks you,

Terry

Shortly after the Battle of Long Island Mirbach suffered a stroke.

Generalmajor Werner von Mirbach fell ill in New York in 1777 and was sent back to Hessen-Cassel. I couldn't, however, find out why he did not command the Hessian troops at Trenton. Probably he was with his regiment (he was its colonel since 1770) somewhere else, and Rall commanded the brigade at Trenton.

Thank you gentlemen! Very interesting.

Terry

Atwood's "The Hessians" says on page 82, "The three major generals, Mirbach, Stirn, and Schmidt, were all hors de combat; a stroke had put Mirbach out of service for the whole campaign." And on page 90, "It was never Heister's intention, any more than Donop's, that Rall, a fairly junior colonel, should command a brigade. It came about by force of circumstance: Rall's brigadier Mirbach had been ill since arriving in America, Colonel Carl von Bose who succeeded him also fell sick, Colonel Heringen of Lossberg's, senior to Rall, died of dysentery at Brooklyn, and Colonel Borcke of Knyphausen's was convalescing from a wound at New York."

"Rall could use some seasoning. But it's winter quarters. What could possibly go wrong?"

I just assumed that when the troops went into winter quarters in outlying garrisons lower level officers were left in command while the senior officers went back to stay in New York. Did not realize so many senior Hessian commanders were hors de combat.

+1 to Winston.

Jim