Hessian
Encyclopedia
The Hessians were 18-century German
regiments hired through their rulers by the British Empire
. Despite their name, they were not all from Hesse
. They were not mercenaries, although their German rulers profited from their use. Though used in several conflicts including in Ireland, they are most widely associated with combat operations in the American Revolutionary War
. They provided extensive manpower to support the American loyalist cause, but the fact that they were not British provided the pro-independence side with opportunities for propaganda and may have aided pro-independence recruitment.
, Landgrave
Frederick II
of Hesse-Kassel
(a principality in northern Hesse
or Hessia) and other German leaders hired out some of their regular army units to Great Britain
to fight against the Patriots in the American revolution
. About 30,000 of these men served in America. They were called Hessians, because the largest group (12,992 of the total 30,067 men) came from Hesse-Kassel. They came in entire units with their usual uniforms, flags, weapons and officers.
Units were sent by Count William of Hesse-Hanau; Duke Charles I
of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel; Prince Frederick of Waldeck; Margrave
Karl Alexander of Ansbach-Bayreuth; and Prince Frederick Augustus
of Anhalt-Zerbst
.
The Hessians did not act individually. The decisions to hire them out was made by their princes.
Hessians comprised approximately one-quarter of the forces fielded by the British in the American Revolution. They included jäger
, hussars, three artillery companies, and four battalions of grenadiers. Most of the infantry were chasseurs (sharpshooters), musketeer
s, and fusilier
s. They were armed with smoothbore muskets, while the Hessian artillery used three-pounder cannon. Initially the average regiment was made up of 500 to 600 men. Later in the war, the regiments had only 300 to 400 men.
About 18,000 Hessian troops first arrived in America in 1776, with more coming in later. They first landed at Staten Island on August 15, 1776. Their first engagement was in the Battle of Long Island
. The Hessians fought in almost every battle, although after 1777, the British used them mainly as garrison
troops. An assortment of Hessians fought in the battles and campaigns in the southern states during 1778–80 (including Guilford Courthouse), and two regiments fought at the Siege of Yorktown
in 1781.
The British use of Hessian troops rankled American sentiment, and pushed more loyalists to be in favor of the revolution. The British use of non-English speaking foreign troops to put down the rebellion was seen as insulting, as it treated British subjects no differently than non-British subjects. Pro-British Tories believed that the British nature of Americans should have subjected them to something other than mercenary foes.
, where almost all of a force of 1,400 Hessians were either captured or killed. Approximately 20 were estimated killed, 100 wounded, and 1,000 were captured as prisoners. General George Washington
's Continental Army
crossed the Delaware River on the early morning of December 26th 1776, to carry out a highly successful surprise attack. Family records of Johann Nicholas Bahner(t), one of the Hessians captured in the Battle of Trenton, indicate that some of the Hessian soldiers enrolled in the service of King George III of England under the false pretense that they were needed to defend the American Colonies against Indian incursions. It was not until after they arrived upon American shores that they discovered they were enlisted to fight against, rather than for, the colonists. It is rumored that these Hessians fought only under force of arms, later deserting their regiments or voluntarily allowing themselves to be taken prisoner. The Hessians captured in the Battle of Trenton were paraded through the streets of Philadelphia raising American morale, and greatly increasing the Continental Army's ranks. They were then marched through the snow to Lanchester where many of the men were allowed to work among the farmers, merchants, and other trades people. By early 1778, negotiations for the exchange of prisoners between Washington and the British had begun in earnest. On a one-for-one exchange if a Hessian soldier deserted, there would be one less American who would return home. Nicholas Bahner(t), Jacob Strobe, George Geisler, and Conrad Kramm are a few of the Hessian soldiers who deserted the British forces after being returned in exchange for American prisoners of war. These men were in a vulnerable place being both hunted by the British for being deserters, and hunted by many of the colonists as an enemy.
In addition to firepower, American rebels such as Andrew Norman Martin used propaganda against Hessians. They enticed Hessians to desert and join the large German-American population. In addition to offering land bounties to colonial recruits, the US Congress authorized the offer of 50 acres (202,343 m²) of land to individual Hessian soldiers to encourage them to desert. They offered 50 to 800 acres to British soldiers, depending on rank.
In August 1777 a satirical letter, "The Sale of the Hessians", was written and widely distributed. It claimed that a Hessian commander wanted more of his soldiers dead so that he could be better compensated. For many years the author of the letter was unknown. In 1874 John Bigelow
translated it to English (from French) and claimed that Benjamin Franklin
wrote it, including it in his biography, The Life of Benjamin Franklin, published that year. There appears to be no evidence to support this claim.
When British General John Burgoyne
surrendered to American General Horatio Gates
during the Saratoga campaign
, his surrender involved around 5,800 troops. The surrender was negotiated in the Convention of Saratoga, and Burgoyne's remnant army became known as the Convention Army
. Soldiers from Brunswick-Lüneburg under General Riedesel comprised a high percentage of the Convention Army. The Americans marched the prisoners to Charlottesville
, Virginia
, where they were imprisoned in the Albemarle Barracks
until 1781. From there they were sent to Reading
, Pennsylvania
until 1783.
or accidents, mostly the former. Approximately 5,000 Hessians settled in North America
, both in the United States
and Canada
. In some cases, their commanders refused to take them back to Germany because they were criminals or physically unfit. Most of the former Hessian solders married and settled amongst the population of the newly formed United States. Many became farmer
s or craftsmen
and were able to take advantage of opportunities in the new country. The number of their direct descendants living in the U.S. and Canada
today is a subject of debate. One persistent story is that George Custer may have been the grandson of a Hessian ancestor.
in 1795, at which Hessian mercenaries participated under Colonel Johann Keglevich
the brother of Major General Stephen Bernhard Keglevich, who did not take part in this battle with his Serbian mercenaries, which had also been near there, and which was funded by the British Empire through the sale of gemstones of Madame du Barry
, the British rushed Hessian mercenaries to Ireland in 1798 to assist in the suppression of rebellion inspired by the Society of United Irishmen, an organization that first worked for Parliament
ary reform. Influenced by the American and French revolutions, its members began by 1798 to seek independence for Ireland. Baron Hompesch's 2nd Battalion of riflemen embarked on 11 April 1798 from the Isle of Wight
bound for the port of Cork
. They were later joined by the Jäger (Hunter) 5th Battalion 60th regiment. They were in the action of the battles of Vinegar Hill
and Foulksmills
. In 1798 the Hessians were notorious in Ireland for their atrocities and brutality toward the population of Wexford
.
Ansbach-Bayreuth
Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
Hesse-Kassel
Hesse-Hanau
Waldeck
Germans in the American Revolution
Ethnic Germans served on both sides of the American Revolutionary War. Many supported the Loyalist cause and served as allies of Great Britain, whose King George III was also the Elector of Hanover...
regiments hired through their rulers by the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. Despite their name, they were not all from Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
. They were not mercenaries, although their German rulers profited from their use. Though used in several conflicts including in Ireland, they are most widely associated with combat operations in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. They provided extensive manpower to support the American loyalist cause, but the fact that they were not British provided the pro-independence side with opportunities for propaganda and may have aided pro-independence recruitment.
History
During the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, Landgrave
Landgrave
Landgrave was a title used in the Holy Roman Empire and later on by its former territories. The title refers to a count who had feudal duty directly to the Holy Roman Emperor...
Frederick II
Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse
Frederick II was Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel from 1760 to 1785. He ruled as an enlightened despot, and raised money by renting soldiers to Great Britain to help fight the American Revolutionary War...
of Hesse-Kassel
Hesse-Kassel
The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel or Hesse-Cassel was a state in the Holy Roman Empire under Imperial immediacy that came into existence when the Landgraviate of Hesse was divided in 1567 upon the death of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. His eldest son William IV inherited the northern half and the...
(a principality in northern Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
or Hessia) and other German leaders hired out some of their regular army units to Great Britain
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
to fight against the Patriots in the American revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. About 30,000 of these men served in America. They were called Hessians, because the largest group (12,992 of the total 30,067 men) came from Hesse-Kassel. They came in entire units with their usual uniforms, flags, weapons and officers.
Units were sent by Count William of Hesse-Hanau; Duke Charles I
Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Charles , Duke of Brunswick-Lunenburg , was ruling as Prince of Wolfenbüttel from 1735 until his death.-Life:...
of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel; Prince Frederick of Waldeck; Margrave
Margrave
A margrave or margravine was a medieval hereditary nobleman with military responsibilities in a border province of a kingdom. Border provinces usually had more exposure to military incursions from the outside, compared to interior provinces, and thus a margrave usually had larger and more active...
Karl Alexander of Ansbach-Bayreuth; and Prince Frederick Augustus
Frederick Augustus, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
Frederick Augustus, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , was a German prince of the House of Ascania and the last ruler of the Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst....
of Anhalt-Zerbst
Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst
Anhalt-Zerbst was a principality located in Germany. It was established for the first time in 1252 following the partition of the principality of Anhalt. The capital of the state was located at Zerbst. Anhalt-Zerbst ceased to exist in 1396 when it was partitioned between Anhalt-Dessau and...
.
The Hessians did not act individually. The decisions to hire them out was made by their princes.
Hessians comprised approximately one-quarter of the forces fielded by the British in the American Revolution. They included jäger
Jäger (military)
Jäger is a term that was adopted in the Enlightenment era in German-speaking states and others influenced by German military practice to describe a kind of light infantry, and it has continued in that use since then....
, hussars, three artillery companies, and four battalions of grenadiers. Most of the infantry were chasseurs (sharpshooters), musketeer
Musketeer
A musketeer was an early modern type of infantry soldier equipped with a musket. Musketeers were an important part of early modern armies, particularly in Europe. They sometimes could fight on horseback, like a dragoon or a cavalryman...
s, and fusilier
Fusilier
Fusilier was originally the name of a soldier armed with a light flintlock musket called the fusil. The word was first used around 1680, and has later developed into a regimental designation.-History:...
s. They were armed with smoothbore muskets, while the Hessian artillery used three-pounder cannon. Initially the average regiment was made up of 500 to 600 men. Later in the war, the regiments had only 300 to 400 men.
About 18,000 Hessian troops first arrived in America in 1776, with more coming in later. They first landed at Staten Island on August 15, 1776. Their first engagement was in the Battle of Long Island
Battle of Long Island
The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn or the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, fought on August 27, 1776, was the first major battle in the American Revolutionary War following the United States Declaration of Independence, the largest battle of the entire conflict, and the...
. The Hessians fought in almost every battle, although after 1777, the British used them mainly as garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
troops. An assortment of Hessians fought in the battles and campaigns in the southern states during 1778–80 (including Guilford Courthouse), and two regiments fought at the Siege of Yorktown
Siege of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Yorktown, or Surrender of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis...
in 1781.
The British use of Hessian troops rankled American sentiment, and pushed more loyalists to be in favor of the revolution. The British use of non-English speaking foreign troops to put down the rebellion was seen as insulting, as it treated British subjects no differently than non-British subjects. Pro-British Tories believed that the British nature of Americans should have subjected them to something other than mercenary foes.
Hessian captives
One of the most famous incidents involving the Hessian soldiers was the Battle of TrentonBattle of Trenton
The Battle of Trenton took place on December 26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, after General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton, New Jersey. The hazardous crossing in adverse weather made it possible for Washington to lead the main body of the...
, where almost all of a force of 1,400 Hessians were either captured or killed. Approximately 20 were estimated killed, 100 wounded, and 1,000 were captured as prisoners. General George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
's Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
crossed the Delaware River on the early morning of December 26th 1776, to carry out a highly successful surprise attack. Family records of Johann Nicholas Bahner(t), one of the Hessians captured in the Battle of Trenton, indicate that some of the Hessian soldiers enrolled in the service of King George III of England under the false pretense that they were needed to defend the American Colonies against Indian incursions. It was not until after they arrived upon American shores that they discovered they were enlisted to fight against, rather than for, the colonists. It is rumored that these Hessians fought only under force of arms, later deserting their regiments or voluntarily allowing themselves to be taken prisoner. The Hessians captured in the Battle of Trenton were paraded through the streets of Philadelphia raising American morale, and greatly increasing the Continental Army's ranks. They were then marched through the snow to Lanchester where many of the men were allowed to work among the farmers, merchants, and other trades people. By early 1778, negotiations for the exchange of prisoners between Washington and the British had begun in earnest. On a one-for-one exchange if a Hessian soldier deserted, there would be one less American who would return home. Nicholas Bahner(t), Jacob Strobe, George Geisler, and Conrad Kramm are a few of the Hessian soldiers who deserted the British forces after being returned in exchange for American prisoners of war. These men were in a vulnerable place being both hunted by the British for being deserters, and hunted by many of the colonists as an enemy.
In addition to firepower, American rebels such as Andrew Norman Martin used propaganda against Hessians. They enticed Hessians to desert and join the large German-American population. In addition to offering land bounties to colonial recruits, the US Congress authorized the offer of 50 acres (202,343 m²) of land to individual Hessian soldiers to encourage them to desert. They offered 50 to 800 acres to British soldiers, depending on rank.
In August 1777 a satirical letter, "The Sale of the Hessians", was written and widely distributed. It claimed that a Hessian commander wanted more of his soldiers dead so that he could be better compensated. For many years the author of the letter was unknown. In 1874 John Bigelow
John Bigelow
John Bigelow was an American lawyer and statesman.-Life:Born in Malden-on-Hudson, New York, John Bigelow, Sr.graduated from Union College in 1835 where he was a member of the Sigma Phi Society and the Philomathean Society, and was admitted to the bar in 1838...
translated it to English (from French) and claimed that Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
wrote it, including it in his biography, The Life of Benjamin Franklin, published that year. There appears to be no evidence to support this claim.
When British General John Burgoyne
John Burgoyne
General John Burgoyne was a British army officer, politician and dramatist. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several battles, mostly notably during the Portugal Campaign of 1762....
surrendered to American General Horatio Gates
Horatio Gates
Horatio Lloyd Gates was a retired British soldier who served as an American general during the Revolutionary War. He took credit for the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga – Benedict Arnold, who led the attack, was finally forced from the field when he was shot in the leg – and...
during the Saratoga campaign
Saratoga campaign
The Saratoga Campaign was an attempt by Great Britain to gain military control of the strategically important Hudson River valley in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War...
, his surrender involved around 5,800 troops. The surrender was negotiated in the Convention of Saratoga, and Burgoyne's remnant army became known as the Convention Army
Convention Army
The Convention Army was an army of British and allied troops captured after the Battles of Saratoga in the American Revolutionary War.-Convention of Saratoga:...
. Soldiers from Brunswick-Lüneburg under General Riedesel comprised a high percentage of the Convention Army. The Americans marched the prisoners to Charlottesville
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, where they were imprisoned in the Albemarle Barracks
Albemarle Barracks
Albemarle Barracks was a prisoner-of-war camp for British prisoners during the American Revolutionary War.Following Gen. John Burgoyne's defeat at the Battle of Saratoga, in 1777, several thousand British and German troops, of what came to be known as the Convention Army, were marched to...
until 1781. From there they were sent to Reading
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
until 1783.
Conclusion of the war
After the war ended in 1783, some 17,313 Hessian soldiers returned to their German homelands. Of the 12,526 who did not return, about 7,700 had died. Some 1,200 were killed in action and 6,354 died from illnessIllness
Illness is a state of poor health. Illness is sometimes considered another word for disease. Others maintain that fine distinctions exist...
or accidents, mostly the former. Approximately 5,000 Hessians settled in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, both in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. In some cases, their commanders refused to take them back to Germany because they were criminals or physically unfit. Most of the former Hessian solders married and settled amongst the population of the newly formed United States. Many became farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
s or craftsmen
Master craftsman
A master craftsman or master tradesman was a member of a guild. In the European guild system, only masters were allowed to be members of the guild....
and were able to take advantage of opportunities in the new country. The number of their direct descendants living in the U.S. and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
today is a subject of debate. One persistent story is that George Custer may have been the grandson of a Hessian ancestor.
Ireland 1798
After the Battle of MainzBattle of Mainz
The Battle of Mainz was fought on 29 October 1795 during the French Revolutionary Wars, between France and Austria. The battle was fought near the city of Mainz now in western Germany and ended in an Austrian victory.-People involved:...
in 1795, at which Hessian mercenaries participated under Colonel Johann Keglevich
House of Keglević
The House of Keglević is a Croatian noble family originally from Dalmatia, their members were pointed out in public life, also as soldiers...
the brother of Major General Stephen Bernhard Keglevich, who did not take part in this battle with his Serbian mercenaries, which had also been near there, and which was funded by the British Empire through the sale of gemstones of Madame du Barry
Madame du Barry
Jeanne Bécu, comtesse du Barry was the last Maîtresse-en-titre of Louis XV of France and one of the victims of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution.-Early life:...
, the British rushed Hessian mercenaries to Ireland in 1798 to assist in the suppression of rebellion inspired by the Society of United Irishmen, an organization that first worked for Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
ary reform. Influenced by the American and French revolutions, its members began by 1798 to seek independence for Ireland. Baron Hompesch's 2nd Battalion of riflemen embarked on 11 April 1798 from the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
bound for the port of Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
. They were later joined by the Jäger (Hunter) 5th Battalion 60th regiment. They were in the action of the battles of Vinegar Hill
Battle of Vinegar Hill
The Battle of Vinegar Hill was an engagement during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 on 21 June 1798 when over 15,000 British soldiers launched an attack on Vinegar Hill outside Enniscorthy, County Wexford, the largest camp and headquarters of the Wexford United Irish rebels...
and Foulksmills
Battle of Foulksmills
The Battle of Foulksmills, known locally as the Battle of Horetown and also known as the Battle of Goff's Bridge, was a battle on 20 June 1798 between advancing British forces seeking to stamp out the rebellion in County Wexford during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and a rebel army assembled to...
. In 1798 the Hessians were notorious in Ireland for their atrocities and brutality toward the population of Wexford
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
.
Hessian units in the American Revolution
Anhalt-ZerbstPrincipality of Anhalt-Zerbst
Anhalt-Zerbst was a principality located in Germany. It was established for the first time in 1252 following the partition of the principality of Anhalt. The capital of the state was located at Zerbst. Anhalt-Zerbst ceased to exist in 1396 when it was partitioned between Anhalt-Dessau and...
- Rauschenplatt's Princess of Anhalt's Regiment
- Nuppenau's Jäger Company
- Anhalt-Zerbst Company of Artillery
Ansbach-Bayreuth
- 1st Regiment Ansbach-Bayreuth (later Regiment von Volt; 1st Ansbach Battalion)
- 2nd Regiment Ansbach-Bayreuth (later Regiment Seybothen; 2nd Bayreuth Battalion)
- Ansbach Jäger Company
- Ansbach Artillery Company
Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
- Dragoon Regiment Prinz Ludwig
- Grenadier Battalion Breymann
- Light Infantry Battalion von Barner
- Regiment Riedesel
- Regiment Specht
- Regiment Prinz Friedrich
- Regiment von Rhetz
- Geyso's Company of Brunswick Jägers
Hesse-Kassel
Hesse-Kassel
The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel or Hesse-Cassel was a state in the Holy Roman Empire under Imperial immediacy that came into existence when the Landgraviate of Hesse was divided in 1567 upon the death of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. His eldest son William IV inherited the northern half and the...
- Hesse-Kassel Jäger Corps
- Fusilier Regiment von Ditfurth
- Fusilier Regiment Erbprinz (later Musketeer Regiment Erbprinz (1780))
- Fusilier Regiment von Knyphausen
- Fusilier Regiment von Lossburg
- Grenadier Regiment von Rall (later von Woellwarth (1777); von Trümbach (1779); d'Angelelli (1781))
- 1st Battalion Grenadiers von Linsing
- 2nd Battalion Grenadiers von Block (later von Lengerke)
- 3rd Battalion Grenadiers von Minnigerode (later von Löwenstein)
- 4th Battalion Grenadiers von Köhler (later von Graf; von Platte)
- Garrison Regiment von Bünau
- Garrison Regiment von Huyn (later von Benning)
- Garrison Regiment von Stein (later von Seitz; von Porbeck)
- Garrison Regiment von Wissenbach (later von Knoblauch)
- Leib Infantry Regiment
- Musketeer Regiment von Donop
- Musketeer Regiment von Trümbach (later von Bose (1779))
- Musketeer Regiment von Mirbach (later Jung von Lossburg (1780))
- Musketeer Regiment Prinz CarlMusketeer Regiment Prinz CarlThe Musketeer Regiment Prinz Carl was a regiment of Hessian troops that served Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War.According to German military records, the regiment was raised in Bad Hersfeld, Hesse-Kassel , Germany. On January 21, 1776 the Regiment marched from Hersfeld, embarking...
- Musketeer Regiment von Wutgenau (later Landgraf (1777))
- Hesse-Kassel Artillery corps
Hesse-Hanau
- Pausch's Artillery Company
- von Creuzbourg's Jäger Corps
- Janecke's Frei Corps
- Hesse Hanau Erbprinz Regiment
Waldeck
Waldeck
-Places:* Waldeck Castle, a medieval fortress/castle in Germany* Waldeck, Hesse, a town in Hesse* Waldeck or Waldeck-Pyrmont, a principality in the German Empire and German Confederation, and a state in the Weimar Republic, named after the above castle and town* Waldeck, Bavaria, a village in the...
- 3rd Waldeck Regiment
In popular culture
- Washington IrvingWashington IrvingWashington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...
's collection The Sketch Book (1819) included the story "The Legend of Sleepy HollowThe Legend of Sleepy Hollow"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a short story by Washington Irving contained in his collection The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., written while he was living in Birmingham, England, and first published in 1820...
", which contained a figure now known as the "Headless HorsemanHeadless HorsemanThe headless horseman has been a motif of European folklore since at least the Middle ages.The Headless Horseman is a fictional character who appears in a short story called “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” which is in a collection of The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon written by Washington Irving...
". Irving described it as "the ghost of a Hessian trooper, whose head had been carried away by a cannonball, in some nameless battle during the Revolutionary War." - Christopher WalkenChristopher WalkenChristopher Walken is an American stage and screen actor. He has appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows, including Joe Dirt, Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, The Prophecy trilogy, The Dogs of War, Sleepy Hollow, Brainstorm, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, At Close Range, King of New...
played a version of Irving's Headless Horseman, a brutal and sadistic Hessian mercenary sent to America during the American Revolutionary War, in Tim BurtonTim BurtonTimothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
's 1999 film Sleepy HollowSleepy Hollow (film)Sleepy Hollow is a 1999 American period horror film directed by Tim Burton. It is a film adaptation loosely inspired by the 1820 short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving and stars Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Marc Pickering, Michael Gambon, Jeffrey Jones,...
. - D. W. GriffithD. W. GriffithDavid Llewelyn Wark Griffith was a premier pioneering American film director. He is best known as the director of the controversial and groundbreaking 1915 film The Birth of a Nation and the subsequent film Intolerance .Griffith's film The Birth of a Nation made pioneering use of advanced camera...
co-wrote and directed the short film, The Hessian RenegadesThe Hessian RenegadesThe Hessian Renegades is a 1909 silent drama film directed by D. W. Griffith.-Cast:* Owen Moore - American Soldier* Linda Arvidson - Farmer* Kate Bruce - Soldier's Family* William J. Butler - Farmer* Verner Clarges - Farmer* D.W. Griffith...
(1909), about the early stages of the American RevolutionAmerican RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. - The 1972 novel The HessianThe HessianThe Hessian is a 1972 novel by Howard Fast set in the time of the American Revolution. The book is about a doctor and how he helps shelter a Hessian in the family's barn while the rest of the town is trying to capture him in order to hang him.-External links:...
by Howard FastHoward FastHoward Melvin Fast was an American novelist and television writer. Fast also wrote under the pen names E. V. Cunningham and Walter Ericson.-Early life:Fast was born in New York City...
centers around a Hessian soldier who tries to escape.
Further reading
- Atwood, Rodney. The Hessians: Mercenaries from Hessen-Kassel in the American Revolution (Cambridge University Press, 1980), the standard scholarly history
- Ingrao, Charles. "'Barbarous Strangers': Hessian State and Society during the American Revolution," American Historical Review Vol. 87, No. 4 (Oct., 1982), pp. 954-976 in JSTOR
External links
- American Revolution.org - The Hessians
- Johannes Schwalm Historical Association website
- Historical Project: Letters by a Hessian Officer, Marburg University
- Diary and letters covering the role of Hessian troops in America
- Haldimand Collection - Numerous references to the role of Hessian troops in the American war of Independence