This is the first time we come across a general for my Hessian Generalkommando and, strangely enough, he was not even Hessian. Major-General Burkhard Wilhelm von Fuerstenberg was given this regiment in 1753 and he had been in Palatinate service previously (his probable nationality). In 1751 he was offered sevice in the Hessian army and promotion. His stay though did not last long and in 1758 he re-entered Palatinate service. I imagine that he knew he was going to be put in a somewhat embarrassing position as the Palatine Army was in service with the French and therefore on the other side. On his return home he was given a regiment and you can find details on the Kronoskaf website. He died in 1766.
There was no uniform for generals in this period and they would just have worn the uniform of the regiment they were colonel of, with possibly, the addition of feathered tricornes. As Fuerstenberg will command this first infantry brigade of three battalions I will have to find a suitable mounted officer figure for him.
I'm having to give some thought to whom this Hessian army will eventually fight and this is my initial idea:
A mini-Hessian war in the 1750s – a war between Hesse-Kassel and Hesse-Darmstadt over some territory or family squabble. H-D's army is tiny (and blue-coated) so it will need help from either a) the Palatinate (blue-coated) or b) Hanover (red-coated) or c) Saxony (white-coated) or d) France (light-grey coated). The objective being to be both historically feasible and colourful – in other words the blue-coated Hessians of HK need an opponent in a coat of another colour! Depending on when I pitch this mini-war our lead friend Fürstenberg is going to have a similar dilemma.
