Hessian

The term Hessian refers to the inhabitants of the German state of Hesse. In American English, it most commonly refers to 18th century German regiments in service to the British Empire.

American Revolutionary War

During the American Revolutionary War, Landgrave Frederick II of Hesse-Kassel (a principality in northern Hesse) and other German leaders hired out thousands of conscripted subjects as auxiliaries to Great Britain to fight against the American revolutionaries. About 30,000 of these mercenaries were hired, and they came to be called Hessians because 16,992 of the total 30,067 men came from Hesse-Kassel. Some were direct subjects of King George III, as he ruled them as the Elector of Hanover. Other soldiers were sent by Count William of Hesse-Hanau; Duke Charles I of Brunswick-Lüneburg; Prince Frederick of Waldeck; Karl Alexander; Charles Alexander of Ansbach; and Prince Frederick Augustus of Anhalt-Zerbst.

One of the most famous incidents involving these mercenaries was the Battle of Trenton, where about 900 Hessians were captured out of a force of 1,400. General George Washington's army crossed the Delaware River on Christmas Night of 1776 to carry out a highly successful surprise attack.

The troops were not mercenaries in the modern sense of professionals who fought for money. As in most armies of the 18th century, the men were mainly conscripts, debtors, or the victims of impressment; some were also petty criminals. Pay was low - some soldiers apparently received nothing but their daily food. The officer corps were usually career officers who had served in earlier European wars. The revenues realized from their service went back to the German royalty. Nevertheless, most Hessian units were respected for their iron discipline and excellent military skills.

Hessians composed approximately one-third of the British forces in the Revolution. They included jaegers, hussars, three artillery companies, and four battalions of grenadiers. Most of the infantry were chasseurs (sharpshooters), musketeers, and fusiliers. They were armed mainly with smoothbore muskets. Artillery used 3-pound guns. Initially, the average regiment was made up of 500-600 men. Later in the war, the regiments had only 300-400 men.

About 18,000 Hessian troops arrived in Colonial America in 1776, with more coming in later. They first landed at Staten Island on August 15 1776 and their first engagement was in the Battle of Long Island. The Hessians fought in almost every battle, although after 1777 they were mainly used as garrison troops. An assortment of Hessians fought in the battles and campaigns in the southern states during 1778-1780 (including Guilford Courthouse), and two regiments fought at the Siege of Yorktown in 1781.

In addition to firepower, American rebels used propaganda against Hessians. They enticed Hessians to desert to join the large German-American population. In April 1778, one letter promised 50 acres (0.2 km²) of land to every deserter. Benjamin Franklin wrote an article which claimed a Hessian commander wanted more of his soldiers dead so that he could be better compensated.

After the war ended in 1783, 17,313 Hessians returned to their homelands. Of the 12,526 who did not, about 7,700 had died - around 1,200 were killed in action and 6,354 died from illness or accidents. Approximately 5,000 Hessians settled in North America, both in the United States and Canada, some because their commanders refused to take them back to Germany because they were criminals or physically unfit. Most of them married and settled amongst the population of the newly-formed United States. Many of them became farmers or craftsmen. The number of their direct descendants living in the U.S. and Canada today is still debated.

In 1786, the British Government paid the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel a total of £471,000 in compensation for the loss of Hessian troops.

In 1999, Christopher Walken played a Headless Hessian Horseman in Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow."

Hessians in Ireland, 1798

Hessian mercenaries were rushed to Ireland in 1798 to assist in the suppression of the rebellion inspired by a revolutionary organization, the United Irishmen. They were heavily involved in the battles of Vinegar Hill and Foulksmills but are more notorious in Ireland for their atrocities and brutality toward the population of Wexford in 1798.

Term of derision

During the American Civil War, the Union Army had a much higher percentage of foreign-born soldiers in its ranks, including many Germans or German-Americans, than did the Confederate Army. This led to accusations by some Confederate propagandists and journalists that the Union Army was filled with "Hessians."

External links

* Online version of Edward J. Lowell: The Hessians and the other German auxiliaries of Great Britain in the Revolutionary War (1884)
* Johannes Schwalm Historical Association Website