Captain Johann Ewald's Hessians in the American Revolution
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Constructing the Past Volume 3 Issue 1 Article 4 2002 Campaigning in America: Captain Johann Ewald's Hessians in the American Revolution Gregory D. Bereiter Illinois Wesleyan University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/constructing Recommended Citation Bereiter, Gregory D. (2002) "Campaigning in America: Captain Johann Ewald's Hessians in the American Revolution," Constructing the Past: Vol. 3 : Iss. 1 , Article 4. Available at: https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/constructing/vol3/iss1/4 This Article is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Commons @ IWU with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this material in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This material has been accepted for inclusion by editorial board of the Undergraduate Economic Review and the Economics Department at Illinois Wesleyan University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ©Copyright is owned by the author of this document. Campaigning in America: Captain Johann Ewald's Hessians in the American Revolution Abstract This article discusses the diary of Captain Johann Ewald, who commanded Hessian (German) forces in the Revolutionary War. The diary shows that the Hessians were an important part of the British war effort, and also explains some of the criticisms Ewald made of the British officers and their strategies. This article is available in Constructing the Past: https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/constructing/vol3/iss1/4 6 Gregory Bereiter Constructing The Past 7 Campaigning in America: Captain Johann Ewald's Hessians inthe American Revolution The diary ofCaptain Johann Ewald, a company commander in the Hessian Field Jager Corps, is an important contribution to the understanding of the Gregory D. Bereiter nature of the War of the Revolution, as it enables us to arrive at a more accurate estimation of the significant Hessian contribution to the British war effort, particularly that ofCaptain Ewald and the Jager Corps, the Hessian elite light infantry. Consequently, the standing military histories ofthe American en the British government resolved to use force in order Revolution are in need ofa revision which will restore the importance ofthe to subdue its rebellious American colonies, it was all but Hessians as a far more significant part of the total British fighting force that Wcertain that the Ministry would tum to foreign auxiliaries, attempted to subdue the American colonies. The Ewald diary opens up the a convention which was by that time "accepted in international law as well as wider issues ofHessian participation and our interpretation ofthe same, as we practice.'" In the summer of1775, the King ofEngland, George III, had at most can clearly ascertain the importance and significance of Ewald and the Jager 8,500 effective land troops stationed in the American colonies and 18,000 in Corps to the British army. Moreover, the Ewald diary deepens our various garrisons ofGreat Britain, and it quickly became apparent that initial understanding of the nature of the military conflict as seen through the eyes plans for the sub!ugation of the American colonies "had been conceived on ofa capable Hessian officer who fought in every major battle from New York too small a scale.' An annyof55,000 was authorized for America. but recruiting to Yorktown, as well as dozens of the small engagements that characterized had become "a slow business.,,3 Thus, if Britain wished to put down the the war in America. rebellion by force, it could do so only by resorting once more to the practice The Ewald diary is additionally important because it allows us to better ofhiring foreign auxiliary troops. Without the Gennan auxiliaries, "the attempt understand the nature ofthe American Revolution as a military contest. Ewald's to subdue America would have [been] unthinkable.,,4 observations shed new light on key military issues and provide fresh evidence After overtures to hire 20,000 additional troops from Empress Catherine II of other historical issues of the American Revolutionary period. His diary ofRussia failed, England turned to the princes ofGennany, several ofwhom reveals not only the importance ofthe Hessian Jager Corps to the British army, were fonner military allies and had for many years been supplying troops to but also gives students of the American Revolution a first-hand look at the fight under foreign flags in return for financial remuneration. From the Duke partisan and irregular nature ofthe war. Ewald's military judgments concerning of Brunswick, the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, and the Prince of Waldeck, British conduct of the war reveal the highly politicized nature of the conflict Epgland hired at this time 17,775 men for service in America. Ofthe estimated and the overall problems with British strategy. His observations concerning 29,867 German troops that eventually fought for Great Britain on the American the American army reveal a determined body ofsoldiers who willingly endured continent, nearly two-thirds came from the two Hessian states, Hesse-Kassel continual hardship in order to cast off the yoke of the English government. and Hesse-Hanau. In the American colonies, however, all of these German Thus, by thoroughly examining the diary of Captain Ewald, we can not 6 troops were collectively and indiscriminately called by one name, Hessians. only correct the standing military histories of the Revolution to include the While military historians have documented the presence ofthe Hessians importance of the Hessian Jager Corps as a far more significant part of the in the American Revolution, their overall contribution to the British war effort British war effort, but we can in essence understand more distinctly the nature has been significantly underplayed and at times overlooked altogether. Indeed, ofthe conflict that ultimately resulted in the "utter loss ofthe thirteen splendid one could even assert that their treatment has been rather perfunctory. The provinces ofthe Crown ofEngland."8 Hessians have been treated as mere participants, "warm bodies" under careless and inexperienced leadership, a force of which was easily overrun by The Statistics Washington at Trenton on Christmas night, 1776; certainly there are "few The sheer size of the Hessian contingent that went to America in 1776 episodes so familiar to Americans" as Washington's crossing ofthe Delaware warrants serious examination and assists in making the case that they were not 7 en route to this famous engagement. However, relatively scant attention has a negligible factor in the British war effort. Indeed, nearly 30,000 well trained, .;;. been devoted to the overall contribution of the Hessian forces to the British well-disciplined soldiers, the total number of German troops that eventually ~ war effort and the significance oftheir role has been neither fully appreciated served with Great Britain, is hardly an inconsiderable number. nor completely understood. At the time the British government wa~ negotiating the treaties that would eventually bring the German auxiliaries into their service, the British army in 6 Gregory Bereiter Constructing The Past 7 Campaigning in America: Captain Johann Ewald's Hessians in the American Revolution Thediary ofCaptain Johann Ewald, a company commander in the Hessian Field Jager Corps, is an important contribution to the understanding of the Gregory D. Bereiter nature of the War of the Revolution, as it enables us to arrive at a more accurate estimation of the significant Hessian contribution to the British war effort, particularly that ofCaptain Ewald and the Jager Corps, the Hessian elite light infantry. Consequently, the standing military histories ofthe American en the British government resolved to use force in order Revolution are in need of a revision which will restore the importance ofthe to subdue its rebellious American colonies, it was all but Hessians as a far more significant part of the total British fighting force that W certain that the Ministry would'turn to foreign auxiliaries, attempted to subdue the American colonies. The Ewald diary opens up the a convention which was by that time "accepted in international law as well as wider issues ofHessian participation and our interpretation ofthe same, as we practice.,,1 In the summer of 1775, the King ofEngland, George III, had at most can clearly ascertain the importance and significance ofEwald and the Jiiger 8,500 effective land troops stationed in the American colonies and 18,000 in Corps to the British army. Moreover, the Ewald diary deepens our various garrisons ofGreat Britain, and it quickly became apparent that initial understanding of the nature of the military conflict as seen through the eyes plans for the sub!ugation of the American colonies "had been conceived on ofa capable Hessian officer who fought in every major battle from New York too small a scale.' An army of55,000 was authorized for America, but recruiting to Yorktown, as well as dozens of the small engagements that characterized had become "a slow business.,,3 Thus, if Britain wished to put down the the war in America. rebellion by force, it could do so only by resorting once more to the practice The Ewald diary is additionally important because it