Hessians

Between 1776 and 1783, Britain hired an estimated 30,000 German soldiers to fight in its war against the Americans. Collectively known as Hessians, they actually came from six German territories within the Holy Roman Empire. Over the course of the war, members of the German corps, including women and children, spent extended periods of time in locations as dispersed and varied as Canada in the North to West Florida and Cuba in the South. They shared in every significant British military triumph and defeat. Thousands died of disease, were killed in battle, were captured by the enemy, or deserted.
Collectively, they recorded their experiences and observations of the war they fought in, the land they traversed, and the people they encountered in a large body of letters, diaries, and similar private and official records. Friederike Baer presents a study of Britain's war against the American rebels from the perspective of the German soldiers, a people uniquely positioned both in the midst of the war and at its margins. The book offers a ground-breaking reimagining of this watershed event in world history.

Friederike Baer is Associate Professor of History and Division Head for Arts and Humanities at Pennsylvania State University, Abington College. Her research focuses on the experiences of German-speaking people in North America from the Revolutionary period to the late nineteenth century. Her publications include the monograph The Trial of Frederick Eberle: Language, Patriotism and Citizenship in Philadelphia's German Community, 1790-1830, winner of the St. Paul's, Biglerville Prize for the best book in Lutheran church history.

Acknowledgments Introduction Part 1: Chapter 1: “A Matter Pregnant with Great, Serious, National Consequences:” Britain's Decision to Hire German Auxiliaries Chapter 2: “In General a Good Body, & Very Fit for Service:” Recruiting the Auxiliaries Chapter 3: “Moving Across a Vast Body of Water in Nutshells:” The Voyage to America Part 2: Chapter 4: “The Garden of all of North America:” New York and New Jersey, 1776 Chapter 5: “An Unfortunate Affair:” Trenton, 1776 Chapter 6: “The Men are Weary from Toil:” Canada, 1776 and 1777 Chapter 7: “A War Against all Humanity:” Fort Stanwix, Saratoga, Quebec, 1777 to 1783 Chapter 8: “They were Vexed to Find that we Looked like Human Beings:” Captivity, 1776 to 1781 Chapter 9: “Good Night, Peace:” Philadelphia, 1777 Chapter 10: “Conquered Little but Lost Much:” Philadelphia, Rhode Island, New York, 1778 to 1780 Part 3: Chapter 11: “How German Bones are Scattered around in this War”: The Spanish Borderlands, 1778 to 1782 Chapter 12: “We Joyously went on the Expedition:” Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, 1778 to 1782 Chapter 13: “We were once again Onlookers and Idlers:” Captivity after Yorktown, 1781 to 1783 Chapter 14: “I Will Always Call them Rebels:” Evacuation, 1783 Abbreviations Notes Bibliography Index