Hessian Soldier of the RevWar period
The RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington ping list.
Posted on 02/23/2010 11:24:57 AM PST by Palter
MASSACHUSETTS FACED a crisis in 1778. In the midst of the Revolutionary War, some 4,000 British and Hessian prisoners were living in miserable conditions in camps around Boston. Rumors surged that a British force would try to free them by force. The cry went up: get these prisoners out of Massachusetts.
Enter Thomas Jefferson and his Virginia neighbors. Thinking like a current-day congressman, Jefferson regarded the prisoners as an economic opportunity for the remote valley near his home at Monticello. The prison camp would pump money into his hometown of Charlottesville, along with much-needed craftsmen and laborers. It would be a bonanza. And there was an added benefit: some of the British and Hessian officers were excellent violinists, just the kind that Jefferson hoped would join him in the parlor at Monticello.
Thus began one of the more remarkable journeys of the Revolutionary War, and one of the greatest miscalculations of Jefferson’s career.
Massachusetts was only too happy to pass its problem to Virginia. The British and Hessians left behind most of their belongings and marched through blizzards, passing what one called the “quite grand’’ houses of Cambridge, the “antique Roman’’ buildings of Harvard College, the “thriving little city’’ of Worcester, and the “tolerably kind, but damned inquisitive’’ people of Springfield.
After two months, they reached Charlottesville and found the promised barracks were only shells, open to snow and wind. Some Virginians worried that Charlottesville was too remote to provide supplies to the prisoners and feared that many would easily escape. The governor of Virginia, Patrick Henry, was urged to send the prisoners elsewhere.
But Jefferson would not be deterred.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Were these captured soldiers the remnants of Gentleman Johnny’s force at Saratoga? IIRC, elements of the 1st NH regiment had escort duty. Thought some prisoners came from Rhode Island too.
“Massachusetts was only too happy to pass its problem to Virginia. The British and Hessians left behind most of their belongings and marched through blizzards, passing what one called the “quite grand’’ houses of Cambridge, the “antique Roman’’ buildings of Harvard College, the “thriving little city’’ of Worcester, and the “tolerably kind, but damned inquisitive’’ people of Springfield.”
Not the route I would take if I was WALKING...driving my T-Bird, maybe. Something weird about this piece.
One of these camps was located about 15 miles northeast of Lexington, Virginia on the east side of what is now I-81. There is a budget motel (Day’s Inn, if I recall) there known as “Hessian House”. The check-in lobby is the original stone building which served as the command headquarters to that camp. The workmanship and history is far more impressive than the motel.
I do not believe so...here’s the story from US-History web site:
The following provisions were made under the Saratoga Articles of Convention:
* All forces fighting with the British were to be treated as British, sparing the German mercenaries in particular from harsher treatment.
* The surrendering troops were to be allowed to depart with “honors of war,” allowing the units to retain their colors, but not their arms.
* In exchange for a promise not to return to action in the American war, the surrendering troops were to be transported to England and freedom.
At the appointed hour, the British troops turned over their arms to American soldiers who stacked them neatly in a field. The defeated army numbered more than 6,000 men, plus several hundred camp-following women. They marched before the assembled victors to the tent of General Gates. Burgoyne handed over his sword in the prescribed gesture of surrender; Gates held it briefly, then returned it in recognition of his respect for his opponent.
The British forces were marched to Albany and later to Boston. The Americans, to their discredit, did not abide strictly by the terms of the Convention; they kept their charges in detainment camps for months before repatriating them.
“But Jefferson would not be deterred.”
Story of his life, hayna?
Hessian Soldier of the RevWar period
The RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington ping list.
Jefferson felt the Hessian officers would enrich his life.
I had been told that many captured Hessians were housed with t Pennsylvania Dutch, who were also German immigrants. As a result, some of the Hessians switched sides, and thousands stayed here after the war.
That was a great solution. Put them with patriots that speeak their language, have beautiful farms and plenty of food,a social structure with many other german immigrants. Of course they wanted to stay!
What scholars of the RevWar say of the Hessians: one-third were killed, one-third stayed here and one-third went home. And to think of them as ‘mercenaries’ is not quite fair: they were conscripted by their prince and sent off to war. These were not, for the most part, paid soldiers of fortune.
I’m descended from one of those Hessian soldiers, my earliest ancestor in America. By the family account, he was considered a mercenary. But he did indeed choose to stay in America (New Jersey). It would be interesting to do more research on him, since I only have bare-bones accounts, I’m not clear on his last name.
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Thanks Palter. |
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Never heard this before...
You seem to contradict yourself:
“I do not believe so...here’s the story from US-History web site:
“The British forces were marched ....later to Boston. The Americans,... kept their charges in detainment camps for months before repatriating them.”
I don’t understand your meaning....
“I don’t understand your meaning....”
From the description of the march, they went about 100 miles due west...which puzzled me. There may have been a reason, but I don’t understand it.
Actually, much of the mid-Atlantic was German (NOT “PA Dutch”) in the mountains. In fact German was considered as an “official” language for the new country, it was so prevalent.
Interesting story from my love of graveyards. I found every graveyard I could in my little section of CT when I lived there years ago. Wonderful ancient things that included lots of RevWar stories.
I found a simple square brownstone marker at 1 that drew attention just because it was capped (literally) by a copper/bronze piece on top, as if to protect it. Amazed to see it was a marker for a former German soldier placed, c.1805-11, by the family who “adopted” him and housed him.
Is there something wrong with that? I do not know the area.
As far as logic of the route, don’t take it for granted that those comments were placed in order, either.
Also; Even if I were trying to flank them, I would have turned left at Leominster.
“As far as logic of the route, don’t take it for granted that those comments were placed in order, either.”
But they are. Exactly.
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