Linsing Grenadier Battalion
| Grenadierbataillon von Linsingen | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1776-1784 |
| Country | Hesse-Cassel |
| Allegiance | The British Crown |
| Branch | Crown Forces German allied contingent |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Grenadiers |
| Size | Four companies |
| Part of | Hessian Grenadier Brigade |
| Engagements | Long Island, Mount Holly, Bound Brook, Short Hills, Brandywine Creek, White Plains, Germantown, Fort Mercer, Monmouth Court House, Savannah, Charleston |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Lieutenant-colonel Otto Christian von Linsingen |
Linsing Grenadier Battalion (Grenadier Battalion von Linsingen) was a German battalion in the grenadier brigade of the Hesse Cassel Corps, which served as auxiliaries to the British Army during the American Revolutionary War.
Formation and disbandment
The Linsingen Grenadier Battalion was formed in January 1776 in Wolfhagen and Immenhausen from the grenadier companies of the 2nd and 3rd Guards Regiments, the Life Regiment and the von Mirbach Regiment. It embarked in Bremer Lehe with the Block (later Lengerke) and Minnigerode Grenadier Battalions at the beginning of April 1776. In November 1783, the grenadier battalions began their journey home and returned to German soil in April 1784. In Kassel, Linsingen's grenadier battalion was finally disbanded or divided among the original regiments.[1] [2]
Operations in North America
Upon arrival in North America in August 1776, the Linsingen Grenadier Battalion and the Lengerke and the Minnigerode battalions were combined into a grenadier brigade under the command of Colonel von Donop. Around the turn of the year 1777, the Grenadier Brigade was reinforced by the Köhler (later Graf and Platte) Grenadier Battalion. The grenadiers were deployed primarily in the New York and New Jersey areas, but they also participated in an expedition to Pennsylvania. The battalion fought at Flatbush during the Battle of Long Island and at Chatterton Hill during the Battle of White Plains in 1776 and participated in the costly battles of Brandywine, Germantown and Redbank in 1777 and at Monmouth in 1778. In 1779, the Grenadier Brigade was shipped to South Carolina, arriving there in early February 1780. The troops participated in the battles around Savannah and Charleston (e.g., the storming of Fort Moultrie. The brigade was finally transferred back to New York in May/June 1780. An attempt to relieve Cornwallis's army was aborted in 1781.[1] [3] [4]
Commanders
Commanders of the Hessian Grenadier Brigade [1]
- 1776 Colonel Count Carl Emil Ulrich von Donop
- 1779 Major-genera Heinrich Julius von Kospoth
Commander of the battalion [1]
- 1776 Lieutenant-colonel Otto Christian von Linsingen
Company commanders in North America [1]
- Flank company of 2nd Guards Battalion: 1776-1777 Captain von Eschwege, 1777-1783 Captain von Plessen
- Flank company of 3rd Guards Battalion: 1776-1777 Captain von Wurmb, 1777-1783 Captain von Webern
- Grenadier Company of Life Regiment Infantry: 1776-1778 Captain von Stamford, from 1778 Captain von Dincklage (later Major)
- Grenadier Company of Regiment von Mirbach/Jung von Lossberg: 1776-1783 Captain von Mallet; from 1 July 1783 transferred to Battalion von Lengerke as the 1st Company.
References
- ^ a b c d e "Grenadierbataillon von Linsingen." Hessische Truppen in Amerika. Hetrina. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
- ^ Londahl-Smidt, Donald M. (2021). German Troops in the American Revolution (1) Hessen-Cassel. Bloomsbury Publishing, p. 35.
- ^ Dithfurt, Maximilian von (1882). Das kurhessische Leibgarde Regiment. Kassel, pp. 39-44.
- ^ Lowell Edward J. (1884). The Hessians. New York, pp. 76-77.