Johan-Carl Rost
He was born in
Nürnberg Preussen Germany on January 12, 1728.
and was enfeoffed Killingen in Edsleskog. He served as
"First
Drummer" at the Västgöta-Dal Regiment.
It was not only in the march that the drum proved useful to the military. Since its sound traveled far and could be heard despite other noises, the drum became "the very tongue and voice of the Commander ..." as he issued orders to his troops whether on the march, in camp or in garrison. Within the army of each country a series of beats evolved which conveyed instructions to the soldiers from their officers. A drummer had to be able to perform each of these calls with precision. An error, particularly on the field of battle, could result in utter confusion, panic or even defeat. Since some calls had more than one meaning, depending on when it was beaten, each soldier had to be able to recognize not only the call itself, but what it meant at a particular time. Drummers were expected to learn the calls employed by rival armies so that they might keep their officers informed of the enemy's movements.
When a troop was in garrison in a fortress or town, it was not only the soldiers who were affected by the drum calls. Civilians residing in the area soon found their lives regulated to a degree by the same calls. They, like the soldiers, would be awakened by the sound of reveille. They would know when the town gates were being opened or closed to traffic, when special announcements were to be made, or when they were expected to carry a lantern on the streets or face arrest. Even calls which applied only to the military served, because they were part of a prescribed routine, to notify their civilian neighbors of the time of day.
The importance of the drum as a means of
communication gave a certain prominence to those who played it. Drummers usually
received a higher rate of pay than their fellow soldiers, were often lodged
separately in less crowded quarters, and were able to avoid some of the more
tiresome duties of soldiers. The most visible sign of his special status was the
drummer's colorful uniform.
It was important for a commander to be able to spot his drummer easily. For this reason the drummer wore a uniform, often elaborately trimmed, which would easily distinguish him from the body of the troops. While undoubtedly a source of pride to its wearer, this uniform could prove a disadvantage in battle. What better way to throw the opposing force into chaos than to prevent it from receiving its orders. When the "voice" of the commander, unarmed and easily visible, was silenced, the advantage belonged to the enemy.
Johan Carl Rost went to Sweden as a prisoner of war in 1759???? (He was the first known Rost in Sweden)
This prisoner-of-war idea is something that is posted on some Swedish genealogy sites. I believe he was NOT a prisoner of war. a) Sweden had very few own troops at the time. It was standard practice to hire mercenaries (Germany was a large source for such mercenaries, e.g. George Washington's Hessians) for any campaign and this was no exception. b) If he were a prisoner of war, there was no reason for him to be taken back to Sweden since that would cost unnecessary money. Instead, the practice of the times were to exchange prisoners of war so each one got their "own" back. Any discrepancies could always be taken out in money or goods. c) Since the Swedish army lost the war, they retreated back to Sweden. Any Swedish soldier still surviving went back to to his homestead. Any other were still recruited into the army and thus considered a soldier to be used in another campaign and then by Royal decree awarded a cottage and a piece of land (hence Killingen - the King had plenty of land to give away for things like this). If Johann Carl Rost had been a prisoner of war, he certainly would have not been awarded Killingen! Also, his father was dead. We don't know anything about his mother. He may not have felt he had anything to go back to. In those times, the oldest son (in this case, he was an only child - Rost, the father, dies when the son was 3-4) typically learned a trade in life from the father and prospered (or foundered) in the shadow of the parents. Since his father had died so early, the family could not have too great of an income to live off of. Since the fact that the son is forced to take hire as a lowly mercenary shows that his education was probably near non-existent. If his father had been alive, there would have been plenty of money and expectations of the eldest son to go to the better schools at the time to, hopefully, step into his father's shoes when the time came. Thank you Kent Birge for this informationHe married Maria Andersdotter She was born in 1744.
Their Home in Killingen, Edsleskog It was built in 1739.
They lived here from 1774 and in 1796 the son
Petter Carlson Rost also a drummer takes over the place and the rest of the family moved to Sundgingen, Laxarby.
Maria died here at the age of 58 on April 12, 1802 from a fever and she was buried on April 23,1802
In 1804 Johan Carl Rost moved back with his son Petter in Killingen, Edsleskog. Three years later he moves to his daughters Marta's in Koppungen, Laxarby. He stayed with her until 1809 when he once again returns to Petter. In 1813 he moves to his daughter Cajsa in Radetorp, Edsleskog. He died there from a fever on December 12th,1816 at the age of 89. He was buried on December 26,1816..
Their
8 Children:
2 Cajsa
Carlsdotter Rost:
Born 1768 (My
GGG Grandmother)
2 Carl Carlsson
Rost: Born
1770
2 Petter
Carlsson Rost:
Born 1773
2 Olof Carlsson Rost: Born 1776
2 Otto Carlsson Rost: Born1778
2 Andreas
Carlsson Rost:
Born 1781
2 Marta
Carlsdotter Rost:
Born 1783
2 Jacob Carlsson Rost: Born 1785
