John Charles Philip von Krafft Collection
A Register of the Collection in the Library of Congress
Prepared by T. Michael Womack Revised by Margaret
McAleer
![http://lcweb2.loc.gov/xmlcommon/lcseal.jpg](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090114215631im_/http://lcweb2.loc.gov/xmlcommon/lcseal.jpg)
Manuscript Division,
Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
2008
Contact information:
http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/mss/address.html
Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress Manuscript Division,
2008
Finding aid URL: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms008082
Title: John Charles Philip von
Krafft Collection
Span Dates: 1750-1926
Bulk Dates: (bulk 1776-1790) ID No.: MSS82983 Creator:
Krafft, Johann Carl
Philipp von, 1752-1804 Extent: 90 items;
1 container plus 1 oversize;
.4 linear feet
Language: Collection material in
German,
English, French, Latin,
Russian, and Dutch. Repository:
Manuscript Division, Library of
Congress,
Washington, D.C. Abstract: Hessian army officer
and surveyor. Correspondence, a journal, military records, travel notes, and
writings chiefly relating to Krafft's career as a mercenary soldier, including
his service for the British during the American Revolution.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this
collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person
or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed
alphabetically therein.
Personal Names Krafft,
Johann Carl Philipp von, 1752-1804.
Subjects Astronomy. Geometry. Language and
languages. Literature. Mathematics. Perpetual
calendars. Philosophy.
Locations Netherlands--Description and travel. Québec--Description and travel. Russia--Description and travel. United
States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783--Participation, German.
Occupations Army officers,
Hessian. Surveyors.
Provenance:The papers of John Charles Philip von Krafft, Hessian army officer and
surveyor, were given to the Library of Congress by Carroll B. Cox, Elizabeth
Jane Cox Reed, and the Cox family in 1994.
Processing History:The papers of John Charles Philip von Krafft were arranged and
described in 1996. The finding aid was revised in 2008.
Transfers:Maps have been transferred to the Geography and Map Division where
they are identified as part of the John Charles Philip von Krafft
Collection.
Copyright Status:The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of John Charles
Philip von Krafft is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title
17, U.S.C.).
Preferred Citation:Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the
following information: Container number, John Charles Philip von Krafft
Collection, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
The papers of John Charles Philip von Krafft (1752-1804) span the
years 1750-1926, with the bulk of the items concentrated in the period between
1776 and 1790. The collection focuses on Krafft's career as a military officer,
surveyor, and draughtsman in Prussia and the British American colonies during
the Revolutionary War. The papers include correspondence, a journal, military
records, travel notes, and writings. The bulk of the material is written in
German with English and French appearing as well. A small number of writings
are in Latin, Russian, and Dutch.
The papers contain correspondence between Krafft and various family
members, friends, and military figures dealing with subjects ranging from
affairs of the heart to promotion of his career. The most significant part of
the collection, however, is Krafft's journal which covers the years 1770-1791,
with the largest portion chronicling Krafft's years as a mercenary soldier from
1776 to 1784. Entries for seven of these years are preceded by a table of
service, which presents month-by-month Krafft's rank, regiment, company, and
names of commanding officers. There is also an abstract of the journal which
provides additional information regarding Krafft's military service for the
British during the American Revolutionary War. A photocopy of an English
translation of the journal, published by the New-York Historical Society, is
included in the papers.
Krafft's career as a soldier of fortune is further revealed by his
military records, including pay accounts, orders, broadsides concerning
billeting and public drunkenness, and commissions, two of which were signed by
Frederick the Great. Krafft's wanderings in Russia, the Netherlands, and Quebec
in pursuit of a satisfactory military commission between 1776 and 1777 are
recorded in his travel notes of this period. He evidently received an excellent
education and was fluent in German, French, and English, writing both prose and
verse in all three languages as well as poems in Latin. His intellectual
interests ranged from literature to astronomy and proverbs to riddles. As a
trained surveyor, his knowledge of geometry, mathematics, and astronomy
contributed to his creation of a perpetual calendar. His interest in philosophy
is revealed in his 1779 treatise in Socratic dialogue on the nature of reality.
An Oversize section is composed of military records as well as
material from Krafft's journal and a perpetual calendar.
The Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress contains
several maps drawn and annotated by Krafft.
This collection is arranged alphabetically by type of material.
Container |
Contents |
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BOX 1
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Correspondence,
1774-1787, n.d.
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BOX 1
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Genealogical material,
n.d.
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BOX 1
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Journal |
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BOX 1
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Abstract,
1776-1779
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BOX 1
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Original,
1770-1791
See also Oversize |
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(11
folders)
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BOX 1
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Photocopy of published English
translation,
1883
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BOX 1
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Related correspondence,
1884, 1926
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BOX 1
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Military records,
1773-1783, n.d.
See also Oversize |
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(3
folders)
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BOX 1
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Perpetual calendar,
1750, 1790, n.d.
See Oversize |
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BOX 1
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Travel notes |
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BOX 1
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Amsterdam, Netherlands,
n.d.
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BOX 1
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Quebec, Canada,
1777, n.d.
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BOX 1
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St. Petersburg, Russia,
1776, n.d.
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BOX 1
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Writings,
1775-1787, n.d.
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BOX OV 1
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Oversize |
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BOX OV 1
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Journal |
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BOX OV 1
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Original,
1773-1775 (Container 1)
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BOX OV 1
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Military records,
1776, n.d. (Container 1)
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BOX OV 1
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Perpetual calendar,
1750, 1790, n.d. (Container 1)
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