Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of maps
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Note on German ranks and currency
- Introduction
- 1 The German soldier trade
- 2 The Hessians go to America
- 3 The victories of 1776
- 4 The Battle of Trenton
- 5 The campaigns of 1777–81
- 6 Anglo-Hessian relations
- 7 The Hessian view of the American Revolution
- 8 Hessian plundering
- 9 Hessian desertion
- 10 Recruiting in Germany
- 11 The impact of the war on Hessen
- 12 Conclusion
- Appendices
- Bibliography
- Index
7 - The Hessian view of the American Revolution
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 August 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of maps
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Note on German ranks and currency
- Introduction
- 1 The German soldier trade
- 2 The Hessians go to America
- 3 The victories of 1776
- 4 The Battle of Trenton
- 5 The campaigns of 1777–81
- 6 Anglo-Hessian relations
- 7 The Hessian view of the American Revolution
- 8 Hessian plundering
- 9 Hessian desertion
- 10 Recruiting in Germany
- 11 The impact of the war on Hessen
- 12 Conclusion
- Appendices
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
This land is now a stage for the cruellest scenes. Here there is one neighbour against the other, children against their father. Whoever thinks or speaks differently from the Congress in those provinces in which it is obeyed soon becomes looked on as an enemy, is given over to the hangman, or must take flight, either into our lines or back into the wilderness. But for the tyranny of the Congress party, no people in the world could have lived better than these.
As early as the engagement at Flatbush, where Americans fell an easy prey to Hessian bayonets, there were signs that the rebels were not a typical enemy. Bardeleben reported that when the prisoners were gathered at the rear of the Hessian lines General Heister went amongst them and gave them wine to drink the King's health. One captured officer, a schoolmaster, not refusing the wine, declined to drink to George III. This defiance was unacceptable to the victors, come to America to restore the people to their proper obedience. The man was taken out from the others and threatened with shooting, to no avail. He answered with all possible calmness, that since he had been a schoolmaster he had taken it as his duty, and employed all his efforts, to educate his pupils in the belief that they should never declare themselves for the King of England. Therefore, he would gladly offer up his life before he would change his opinion.
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- Information
- The Hessians , pp. 158 - 170Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1980