Military Immigration from German Lands 1776-1783
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MILITARY IMMIGRATION FROM GERMAN LANDS 1776-1783 s the last German emigrants were on by Colonel William Faucitt, the British officer their way to Philadelphia and in charge of inspecting foreign units.1 When A Baltimore in 1775, the transport of German princes later concluded treaties to another type of Germans was under discus- make entire regiments available, such sion in London. Once the British govern- private military business were no longer ment had resolved to use force against the needed. Besides some former officers, American rebels, it became clear to military looking desperately for income from such as well as political leaders that the British business, at times turned out to be less than army was too small to subdue the rebellious trustworthy. Ex-major Heinrich Emmanuel colonists. Various schemes were considered. Lutterloh, whose earlier plans to find settlers In view of the considerable number of for East Florida and Nova Scotia had not German settlers in several of the colonies, materialized, reportedly had permission proposals were made to hire Russian troops. from Count Johann Ludwig of Wittgenstein Major General Henry Clinton endorsed this to recruit men for British service but he project: "We must be reinforced, not with suddenly vanished, leaving debts behind Germans (I fear they will desert)," but with amounting to 7,292 gulden.2 Russians whom he called "my friends" and Despite some apprehensions, the since they had "no language but their own: British had begun early in 1775 to look for they cannot desert." However, according to auxiliary troops from German principalities. the report of the British envoy in Berlin, Indeed, offers had come from the count of attempts to obtain 20,000 men from Hanau in August and from the duke of Empress Catherine failed, in part because Braunschweig-Luneburg in September 1775 Frederick II of Prussia intervened. before any official British move was made, As soon as the British interest in for- prompting Edmund Burke of the opposition eign soldiers became known, former offi- in parliament to remark that German princes cers who had been idle since the Seven had already "snuffed the cadaverous taint of Years' War offered their service to recruit lucrative war." Colonel Faucitt in Hannover individuals for British service. In the sum- was given the task of negotiating the treaty mer of 1775 the Hannoverian colonel with Braunschweig and then proceeding to Albrecht von Scheither obtained a business Kassel to find out if the Hessian government contract for signing up 2,000 men at £10 a could be persuaded to furnish troops for head. He hired fellow ex-officers as generous subsidies and a levy per man. recruiters but due to simultaneous solicita- Although the landgrave of Hessen-Kassel tions for other armies and the massive had not sought such a contract, the British recruiting from 1776 on by German princes conditions were enticing enough for the to fill the ranks of units needed for their Hessian negotiator, Martin Ernst von treaties with Britain, Scheither never Schlieffen, to offer 10-12,000 men, twice as reached his goal. By late September 1776 he many as Faucitt had been asked to secure. had gathered 1,738 men, who were accepted The treaty was concluded in February but Military Immigration______________ back-dated to January 15, 1776, to extend their own country and become settlers in the subsidy and cause the landgrave to America was so great, so very great, that the speed up the mobilization of about 12,500 German princes found it absolutely neces- soldiers. Three other German states, sary to make it death by their laws to carry Waldeck (750 men), Braunschweig (4,000) any more of them out, and the Palatine ships and Hessen-Hanau (900), signed similar that used so frequently to convey them have treaties. By early February the British were of late years ceased to arrive at the ports of assured of more than 18,000 officers and our colonies." His speech culminated in men. remarks expressing fears that were shared by many other Englishmen familiar with the Toward the end of the year an agree- scene: ment was reached with Margrave Alexander I think it an excellent opportunity for of Ansbach-Bayreuth for a force of 1,160 our hired troops to desert, because men. Finally in September 1777 the duke of they will most likely be offered Anhalt-Zerbst also concluded a subsidy lands, and protection. These warlike treaty for a contingent of the same size. In transports we are to fit out may then be considered as good as the Palatine 1777 the number of soldiers in several ships for peopling America with treaties was revised upwards and as late as Germans.4 1781/82, 2,988 replacements were fur- A few days earlier, the Saxon envoy in nished by Ansbach-Bayreuth, Anhalt-Zerbst The Hague, J. P. I. Dubois, in a report to and Hessen-Kassel to make up for losses in Dresden voiced the same opinion about the 3 the forces. subsidy treaties "as a new emigration for the The subsidy treaties were no secret benefit of the colonies since you can assume undertakings. The English and German ver- ahead of time that these troops will be 5 sions of the ones involving Hessen-Kassel, lost." Hessen-Hanau and Braunschweig-Lune- In early January 1776 the Philadelphia burg were openly published in Frankfurt Staatsbote printed a letter which Henrich and Leipzig in 1776. As they were debated Miller, its editor and an ardent supporter of in Parliament in London, James Luttrell, a the revolutionary cause, had received from member of the opposition who had himself Germany. The writer consoled his country- spent many years in America, rose on men in America about German soldiers to February 25, 1776, to remind his colleagues be sent over in the crown's service by of the presence of many Germans in the asserting that once in America they would colonies: "I apprehend that ministry now throw away their arms and take up the th apply to Parliament for seventeen thousand ploughs. It was not until the May 7 issue Germans to send to America. Good God, for that Miller informed his readers of the news what end? To enslave a hundred and fifty of the actual hiring of these troops to which he added the question: "Oh George! Are thousand of their own countrymen, many of 6 whom fled from tyrants to seek our protec- these your messengers of peace?" As soon as tion." Luttrell then gave a vivid description copies of the first subsidiary treaties had of the major German settlements and added reached Philadelphia in May, Congress began to debate whether to offer special to his account of the American Germans enticements to Germans willing to desert. "that the encouragement for them to quit —34— _______________________Wust On June 1st the first soldiers from forces from the St. Lawrence and the initial Hanau and Braunschweig landed at Quebec success of the British and Hessian armies in where they witnessed the withdrawal of the New York area would have been dis- American troops who had besieged the city. couraging even if some soldiers might have Meanwhile crack units of the Hessian army wanted to get away once they were on had left Kassel on May 11th for Karlshafen American soil. The number of desertions where they were loaded on boats for the recorded by the Hessian command remained 8 journey down the Weser to Bremerlehe. low: 66 in 1776 and 109 in 1777. After inspection by Col. Faucitt, they were In order to fulfill their treaty obliga- taken to Gravesend and transferred unto tions, the principalities involved had to chartered vessels which sailed in convoys recruit many young men who were not their across the Atlantic. On August 17th they subjects. Hessen-Kassel was given permis- arrived at Sandy Hook on Staten Island. sion by several neighboring states and imperial Within a few days the Hessians were cities to enlist within their jurisdictions. th involved in successful combat on Long Recruiting methods in the 18 century were Island, and a month later New York was in widely known for their complete disregard British hands, leaving the recently arrived for the person. There are contemporary German soldiers with rather negative sources describing tricks and bribery. Many impressions of the American rebels.7 were seduced with strong drinks to bring them into the recruiting station. One of the Immediate attempts were nonetheless victims, Johann Gottfried Seume, a nine- made to attract Hessians over to the teen-year-old university student, found himself American side. As soon as the debarkation surrounded by a "human medley," fellows of the Hessians was known, Congress had from such distant places as Jena, Vienna, passed a resolution to accept foreigners Hannover, Gotha, Wurzburg and from the royal armies and to grant them fifty Meiningen.9 After his return to Germany acres of land each if they wanted to become Seume became a well-known poet and the citizens of the new nation. German versions story of his service in America received of the offer, signed by John Hancock, were much attention. There were some men who dashed off to George Washington for distri- had volunteered to escape something in bution. Copies were soon found scattered on their lives. Others did so in order to give roads or as wrappers with tobacco inside— a themselves to the adventure of seeing the special lure suggested by Benjamin Franklin. New World. After the arrival of the new The Hessian commander in his report to units, the Hessian headquarters in America Kassel cited this as typical treachery and as sent an assessment of the additional, largely an example of the "upside-down" thinking non-Hessian recruits back to Kassel: "Many of the rebels.