Grenadier Brunswick Regiment, von Riedesel, 1777

This is toy soldier 16176 W. Britain "Grenadier Brunswick Regiment, von Riedesel, 1777".

Brunswick Regiment von Riedesel was formed from the 2nd Battalion of the Prince Friedrich Regiment before the troops left Brunswick-Wolfenbutel (present day Northwest Germany). It was one of the four musketeer regiments (Prince Friedrich, von Rhetz, von Specht, and von Riedesel) sent to Canada, along with a single dragoon regiment (Prince Ludwig Ernst), a combined battalion of grenadiers (von Breymann) and a light infantry battalion (von Barner). The grenadier company was the sixth company and was commanded by Major von Mengen forming part of von Breymann’s Grenadier Battalion. The regiment became part of British General John Burgoyne’s army and participated in the Saratoga campaigns of 1777. On 17 Oct. 1777 Burgoyne’s army of 3,018 British, 2,412 Germans, 465 auxiliaries, and 297 women surrendered and the men were marched to Massachusetts for internment.