Diary: Dealing with the Drunkards in the British/Hessian Troops
Below are excerpts from Captain Johann von Ewald's Diary that show how often he had to deal with drunks. Here's the link to the Diary online.
“The entire corps under Colonel Donop took up quarters in the town, and I received mine at the exit to Philadelphia. Because of its position, this town is a very excellent trading place and inhabited by many wealthy people. Since the majority had fled and the dwellings had been abandoned, almost the whole town was plundered; and because large stocks of wine were found there, the entire garrison was drunk by evening. Luckily for me, my quarters were in the section most poorly stocked, by which chance the jagers remained fairly sober. Meanwhile, the grenadiers were bringing in so much wine that the majority of the jagers became merry toward midnight, and I had great trouble to keep them together. ... ,”
“I once saw such a provisions flotilla arrive. All the sailors had been made completely drunk to stimulate them to fight in case of an attack.”
“ The besieged continued their fire the whole night. On our side, we had finally brought six 24-pounders to the left redoubt, making the noise which probably had attracted the heavy fire from the city. For all the sailors were drunk and dragged the guns amid a constant shouting of... “Hurrah!”, no matter how often they were asked not to cheer. But since everything was carried out with the greatest orderliness, the cheering merely demonstrated the boisterous and stouthearted character of the English sailor.”
“I assembled my men at once, of whom two thirds were drunk because large stores of wine and beer had been found in the houses. They were now so noisy that one could hear us two hours away. Meanwhile, I ran into Colonel Simcoe about halfway back, whereupon we withdrew to Richmond, where General Arnold and his men were cantoned in sweet repose. We were quartered here in order to rest up.”