| The Ansbach-Bayreuth Army in America |
There were nearly 300 sovereignties and over 1,400 estates of Imperial Knights in Germany in the
late 1600's to the early 1700's. Every one had its own financial, commercial and manufacturing
systems and its own regulations and laws, and they were all governed by their own duke or prince
who, with the privileged classes, his court and his army, ruled supreme. A map of the era would
show the Kingdom of Prussia on one end, Austrian lands on the other, and hundreds of duchies,
free cities, landgraves, principalities, electorates and bishoprics between and around.
late 1600's to the early 1700's. Every one had its own financial, commercial and manufacturing
systems and its own regulations and laws, and they were all governed by their own duke or prince
who, with the privileged classes, his court and his army, ruled supreme. A map of the era would
show the Kingdom of Prussia on one end, Austrian lands on the other, and hundreds of duchies,
free cities, landgraves, principalities, electorates and bishoprics between and around.
It was difficult to avoid service in the principalities and duchies that sent mercenaries. In Anspach's
territories, no subject could leave the country or marry without permission. Spendthrifts, drunks,
political trouble makers and rebels along with peasant farm boys were forced into the ranks if not
more than sixty years old and "of fair health and stature." About 18,000 "Hessian" troops arrived in
North America in 1776, including the small, and at times unwilling, army of Anspach-Bayreuth.
territories, no subject could leave the country or marry without permission. Spendthrifts, drunks,
political trouble makers and rebels along with peasant farm boys were forced into the ranks if not
more than sixty years old and "of fair health and stature." About 18,000 "Hessian" troops arrived in
North America in 1776, including the small, and at times unwilling, army of Anspach-Bayreuth.
The infantry regiments were just one battalion strong, composed of four musketeer companies and
one grenadier. The infantry regiments were named after their commanding officers. Colonel von Voit
initially commanded the infantry regiment from Bayreuth and later took command of the Ansbach
infantry regiment. Major von Seybothen, company commander in the Bayreuth infantry regiment,
became its new commanding officer. The Grenadiers wore the tall brass mitre hats dating back to the
17th century when grenadier companies actually used grenades. The pointy cap was developed for
these grenadiers so that they could throw their grenades and sling their muskets at the same time
without knocking off the standard floppy hats. Musketeers wore tricorn hats, and Fusilier regiments
wore a smaller brass cap. The Jägercorps had four companies, one of which sailed with the first
Anspach- Bayreuth contingent.
one grenadier. The infantry regiments were named after their commanding officers. Colonel von Voit
initially commanded the infantry regiment from Bayreuth and later took command of the Ansbach
infantry regiment. Major von Seybothen, company commander in the Bayreuth infantry regiment,
became its new commanding officer. The Grenadiers wore the tall brass mitre hats dating back to the
17th century when grenadier companies actually used grenades. The pointy cap was developed for
these grenadiers so that they could throw their grenades and sling their muskets at the same time
without knocking off the standard floppy hats. Musketeers wore tricorn hats, and Fusilier regiments
wore a smaller brass cap. The Jägercorps had four companies, one of which sailed with the first
Anspach- Bayreuth contingent.
The Two regiments of Anspach and Bayreuth who had marched from Anspach were embarked at
a town named Ochsenfurth on the Main about a hundred miles above Hanau. Many of the soldiers
were mere farm boys from the countryside, and being unused to the crowded quarters felt cold and
sick. Many felt the first pangs of homesickness and quite a few expressed the feeling that they would
rather be fighting on the side of the Americans for liberty! At daybreak, some of the soldiers of the
Anspach regiment disembarked and refused to leave land. They were sent food and wood to keep
warm, and when sympathetic villagers from Ochsenfurth brought them liquor they grew even more
rebellious. Some gunfire was exchanged and a few soldiers were wounded while others escaped. 40
men of the Ansbach-Bayreuth regiment, actually defected in this small mutiny, and only a few could
be later caught and punished.
a town named Ochsenfurth on the Main about a hundred miles above Hanau. Many of the soldiers
were mere farm boys from the countryside, and being unused to the crowded quarters felt cold and
sick. Many felt the first pangs of homesickness and quite a few expressed the feeling that they would
rather be fighting on the side of the Americans for liberty! At daybreak, some of the soldiers of the
Anspach regiment disembarked and refused to leave land. They were sent food and wood to keep
warm, and when sympathetic villagers from Ochsenfurth brought them liquor they grew even more
rebellious. Some gunfire was exchanged and a few soldiers were wounded while others escaped. 40
men of the Ansbach-Bayreuth regiment, actually defected in this small mutiny, and only a few could
be later caught and punished.
| Among the mercenary soldiers stationed in Canada was the German poet J. G. Seume, who had been kidnapped by recruiting officers and forced into foreign military service against his will. Seume’s autobiography, "Mein Leben," records his experiences in America closing with 1784, and many of his best poems dating from this period. He described his experiences on shipboard with the Hessians: "The men were packed like herring. A tall man could not stand upright between decks, nor sit up straight in his berth. To every such berth six men were allotted, but as there was room for only four, the last two had to squeeze in as best they might. This was not cool in warm weather. Thus the men lay in "spoon fashion," and when they were tired on one side, the man on the right would call "about face," and the whole file would turn over at once; then, when they were tired again, the man on the left would give the same order, and they would turn back on to the first side. The food was on a par with the lodging. Pork and pease were the chief of their diet. The pork seemed to be four or five years old. It was streaked with black towards the outside, and was yellow farther in, with a little white in the middle. The salt beef was in much the same condition. The ship biscuit was often full of maggots. This biscuit was so hard that they sometimes broke it up with a cannon-ball, and the story ran that it had been taken from the French in the Seven Years' War, and lain in Portsmouth ever since. Sometimes they had groats and barley, or, by way of a treat, a pudding made of flour mixed half with salt water and half with fresh water, and with old, old mutton fat. The water was all spoiled. It was thick with filaments as long as your finger, and they had to filter it through a cloth before they could drink it. They held their noses strong while they drank, and yet it was so scarce that they fought to get it. Rum, and sometimes a little beer, completed their fare. Thus crowded together, with close air, bad food, and foul water, many of them insufficiently clothed, these boys and old men, students, shopkeepers, and peasants tossed for months on the Atlantic." |
The Frankonian contingent was present at the Siege of Yorktown in October of 1781. Many of the
infantry were captured when a detachment of 400 men from Lafayette's Light Infantry Division
under the command of Colonel Alexander Hamilton took Redoubt No.10 by night assault on October
14. The remainder of the Franconian troops went into captivity when Cornwallis surrendered the
Yorktown garrison five days later, on October 19, 1781. The Frankonian troops were exchanged and
released from captivity in May 1783 to be shipped home. George Washington himself made it a point
to inform people to treat the Hessians kindly because they were "brought to fight against their will".
infantry were captured when a detachment of 400 men from Lafayette's Light Infantry Division
under the command of Colonel Alexander Hamilton took Redoubt No.10 by night assault on October
14. The remainder of the Franconian troops went into captivity when Cornwallis surrendered the
Yorktown garrison five days later, on October 19, 1781. The Frankonian troops were exchanged and
released from captivity in May 1783 to be shipped home. George Washington himself made it a point
to inform people to treat the Hessians kindly because they were "brought to fight against their will".
| Their Just Deserts |
What was the fate of a Hessian deserter when he was caught? Severe mistreatment. 75% of the
prisoners aboard British prison ships: patriots, Hessian deserters and even some of their women and
children, died agonizing deaths from starvation, disease, flogging and other punishment. The ships
which once ferried horses and supplies were converted to these prisons, their portholes nailed closed
and covered with iron bars, leaving only small peepholes for air. Each six men received the ration
equivalent to one man. The water they were given was contaminated and provided to them in large,
filthy "troughs" and the men soon raged with thirst. Their clothing was inadequate, there was no
bedding and they were either frozen in cold weather or parched and feverish in the heat. The ships
were infested with insects and rats, and dysentery, small-pox, yellow fever spread wildly, taking a
horrible toll. The abuse was so bad it is said that on one occasion the prisoners set fire to their own
prison ship, preferring a quicker death to the torture and starvation inflicted upon them by the British.
prisoners aboard British prison ships: patriots, Hessian deserters and even some of their women and
children, died agonizing deaths from starvation, disease, flogging and other punishment. The ships
which once ferried horses and supplies were converted to these prisons, their portholes nailed closed
and covered with iron bars, leaving only small peepholes for air. Each six men received the ration
equivalent to one man. The water they were given was contaminated and provided to them in large,
filthy "troughs" and the men soon raged with thirst. Their clothing was inadequate, there was no
bedding and they were either frozen in cold weather or parched and feverish in the heat. The ships
were infested with insects and rats, and dysentery, small-pox, yellow fever spread wildly, taking a
horrible toll. The abuse was so bad it is said that on one occasion the prisoners set fire to their own
prison ship, preferring a quicker death to the torture and starvation inflicted upon them by the British.
For years, the prisoners' bones would surface from their shallow dumps
around the Wallabout and regularly wash up along the shores of Brooklyn
and Long Island. They were collected by various New Yorkers in hopes
someday to honor the sacrifice made by the unfortunate prisoners. The first
monument was erected in the early 1800s by the Tammany Society of New
York and located near the Brooklyn Navy Yard waterfront. In 1873, the
old monument was in disrepair, and a large stone crypt was constructed in
the heart of what is now Fort Greene Park and the bones were re-interred
in the crypt with a small monument erected on the hill above it.
around the Wallabout and regularly wash up along the shores of Brooklyn
and Long Island. They were collected by various New Yorkers in hopes
someday to honor the sacrifice made by the unfortunate prisoners. The first
monument was erected in the early 1800s by the Tammany Society of New
York and located near the Brooklyn Navy Yard waterfront. In 1873, the
old monument was in disrepair, and a large stone crypt was constructed in
the heart of what is now Fort Greene Park and the bones were re-interred
in the crypt with a small monument erected on the hill above it.
British Prison Ship The
Jersey & the old Monument.
Jersey & the old Monument.
But the architectural firm of McKim, Meade and White was commissioned to design a grander 148
foot tower which stands today. It was unveiled in 1908 with President Taft present at a grand
ribbon-cutting ceremony. It's popularity soon diminished with the pro-British sentiment during World
War One, and by World War Two its importance took an even greater backwards leap. The
monument, which once housed a staircase and elevator to an observation deck which featured a
beacon of light which could be seen for miles, was pretty much ignored.
foot tower which stands today. It was unveiled in 1908 with President Taft present at a grand
ribbon-cutting ceremony. It's popularity soon diminished with the pro-British sentiment during World
War One, and by World War Two its importance took an even greater backwards leap. The
monument, which once housed a staircase and elevator to an observation deck which featured a
beacon of light which could be seen for miles, was pretty much ignored.
One of the best known burial grounds of Hessian soldiers from the American Revolution is in
Runnemede, New Jersey, where some 40 to 50 Hessians who died of wounds received at Fort
Mercer are buried. Another grave, nearer to the fort held an equal or greater number, but when
World War One anti-German hysteria seized a few locals they unearthed the remains in the graves
and dumped them into the Delaware River.
Runnemede, New Jersey, where some 40 to 50 Hessians who died of wounds received at Fort
Mercer are buried. Another grave, nearer to the fort held an equal or greater number, but when
World War One anti-German hysteria seized a few locals they unearthed the remains in the graves
and dumped them into the Delaware River.
| A Watering Hole that grew into an oddly named Town |
How King of Prussia, Pennsylvania got its name is a mystery. Historical marker signs point to a tavern as its namesake,
the old King Of Prussia Inn in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. When the inn was first built in 1719, Pennsylvania was
still a British colony, and the inn began life as a simple farmhouse, later growing into a prosperous tavern and the heart of
the hamlet. As early as 1770, the tavern was apparently referred to as “the Sign of Charles Frederick Augustus, King of
Prussia.” Some claim it was actually named for King Friedrich the Creat for his support of Washington during the
American Revolutionary War, but nobody seems to have a valid explanation why the Rees family, who owned a poor
tavern in the middle of a Quaker village called Reesville named a tavern for a German king.
the old King Of Prussia Inn in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. When the inn was first built in 1719, Pennsylvania was
still a British colony, and the inn began life as a simple farmhouse, later growing into a prosperous tavern and the heart of
the hamlet. As early as 1770, the tavern was apparently referred to as “the Sign of Charles Frederick Augustus, King of
Prussia.” Some claim it was actually named for King Friedrich the Creat for his support of Washington during the
American Revolutionary War, but nobody seems to have a valid explanation why the Rees family, who owned a poor
tavern in the middle of a Quaker village called Reesville named a tavern for a German king.
By the end of the war in 1783, 17,313 of the total "Hessians" returned to their homelands. Of
those who did not, about 7,700 died, 1,200 of whom were killed in action and 6,354 from illness
or accidents. About 5,000 total Hessians settled in North America, both in the United States and
Canada, with 1,170 from the army of Anspach-Bayreuth who did not return to their fatherland.
Many Anspach-Bayreuth soldiers fell in battle or died from diseases they contracted in the war, but
a large number of Frankoniana simply preferred to settle in the New World, many settling around
Reading and Lancaster, Pa. and Frederick, MD. Germans had constituted about one-third of all the
land forces fighting for the king in North America.
those who did not, about 7,700 died, 1,200 of whom were killed in action and 6,354 from illness
or accidents. About 5,000 total Hessians settled in North America, both in the United States and
Canada, with 1,170 from the army of Anspach-Bayreuth who did not return to their fatherland.
Many Anspach-Bayreuth soldiers fell in battle or died from diseases they contracted in the war, but
a large number of Frankoniana simply preferred to settle in the New World, many settling around
Reading and Lancaster, Pa. and Frederick, MD. Germans had constituted about one-third of all the
land forces fighting for the king in North America.
They received 1/2 of a man's ration and the children received 1/4 ration. Generally,
if they were wives and their husband died, they had to either remarry within an
allotted time or return home. When the 236 men of the 1782 Ansbach- Bayreuth
replacement recruits came to the colony they had 9 women with them, all of whom
eventually returned to Germany and took their children home with them. These
were not camp followers engaged in promiscuity, but "honorable women of sound
moral character".
if they were wives and their husband died, they had to either remarry within an
allotted time or return home. When the 236 men of the 1782 Ansbach- Bayreuth
replacement recruits came to the colony they had 9 women with them, all of whom
eventually returned to Germany and took their children home with them. These
were not camp followers engaged in promiscuity, but "honorable women of sound
moral character".
A typical Jäger serving with the German Forces in North American was by trade
a foresters or gamekeeper and a crack shot with a Jäger rifle which had better
accuracy and range than a regular infantry musket. Jägers were trained to act
individually or in small groups and they could be trusted not to desert. When the
Anspach- Bayreuth infantry regiments mutinied at Ochsenfurth, the Feld-Jäger
company under a Capitain von Cramon was employed to bring the infantry back
into line. By 1781, there were 821 Jägers from Hesse-Cassel and 245 from
Anspach in the British Army in New York alone. Jägers in Charleston, left
a foresters or gamekeeper and a crack shot with a Jäger rifle which had better
accuracy and range than a regular infantry musket. Jägers were trained to act
individually or in small groups and they could be trusted not to desert. When the
Anspach- Bayreuth infantry regiments mutinied at Ochsenfurth, the Feld-Jäger
company under a Capitain von Cramon was employed to bring the infantry back
into line. By 1781, there were 821 Jägers from Hesse-Cassel and 245 from
Anspach in the British Army in New York alone. Jägers in Charleston, left
In the 16th century, Henry VIII of England officially hired German Landesknechts for his campaigns
in France and Scotland. From the Middle Ages to the English Civil War, mercenaries were hired and
incorporated into the English Army. The English hired Hessian soldiers during the War of the League
of Augsburg, the War of the Spanish Succession, the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven
Years' War. Again, in 1745 during the Scots Rebellion, 7,000 Hessians were hired to help garrison
England and Scotland. With American rebellion, England once again turned to the German princes,
dukes and margraves who were hungry for a few extra bucks and anxious to sell or rent their soldiers
in France and Scotland. From the Middle Ages to the English Civil War, mercenaries were hired and
incorporated into the English Army. The English hired Hessian soldiers during the War of the League
of Augsburg, the War of the Spanish Succession, the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven
Years' War. Again, in 1745 during the Scots Rebellion, 7,000 Hessians were hired to help garrison
England and Scotland. With American rebellion, England once again turned to the German princes,
dukes and margraves who were hungry for a few extra bucks and anxious to sell or rent their soldiers
The army of Anspach-Bayreuth had been hired by treaty
signed on February 1,1777 to assist the British Army.
On March 7,1777 all troop units in Ansbach had been
gathered and were solemnly addressed by Margrave Carl
Alexander. The soldiers got a big send-off from the local
people, as one of the soldiers later stated "under cordial
sighs with much crying, regret and pain, then with
congratulations on our imminent adventure."
signed on February 1,1777 to assist the British Army.
On March 7,1777 all troop units in Ansbach had been
gathered and were solemnly addressed by Margrave Carl
Alexander. The soldiers got a big send-off from the local
people, as one of the soldiers later stated "under cordial
sighs with much crying, regret and pain, then with
congratulations on our imminent adventure."
German troops leaving for Amerika
Two days later, the soldiers reached Dordrecht at the Dutch coast, where they
switched to nine English three masted mast ships, four for the two infantry
regiments and one for the Jäger company, bound for North America. They were
made to take the oath of service to the British King beforehand. Lord Suffolk,
after the examination of the Frankish troops, said: "Such magnificent chaps,
young and well built, a small but wonderful corps. I was afraid they would not
swear the oath of loyalty, but the presence of the Margrave had prevented
further unrest."
switched to nine English three masted mast ships, four for the two infantry
regiments and one for the Jäger company, bound for North America. They were
made to take the oath of service to the British King beforehand. Lord Suffolk,
after the examination of the Frankish troops, said: "Such magnificent chaps,
young and well built, a small but wonderful corps. I was afraid they would not
swear the oath of loyalty, but the presence of the Margrave had prevented
further unrest."
"Their sickly countenances and ghastly looks were truly horrible," Robert Sheffield who
escaped one of these ships later wrote. "Some swearing and blaspheming; some crying,
praying, and wringing their hands, and stalking about like ghosts; others delirious,
raving, and storming; some groaning and dying - all panting for breath; some dead and
corrupting - air so foul at times that a lamp could not be kept burning, by reason of
which the boys were not missed till they had been dead ten days."
escaped one of these ships later wrote. "Some swearing and blaspheming; some crying,
praying, and wringing their hands, and stalking about like ghosts; others delirious,
raving, and storming; some groaning and dying - all panting for breath; some dead and
corrupting - air so foul at times that a lamp could not be kept burning, by reason of
which the boys were not missed till they had been dead ten days."
More Americans died on British prison ships in New York Harbor than in all the battles of the War,
and there were at least 16 of these floating prisons anchored in the waters around New York City,
the most notorious being the Jersey which held more than a thousand men. Captured officers were
put in a former gun room on the ship, sailors were kept in two compartments below the main deck
and Hessian deserters, French and Spanish prisoners got stuck in the hellish hold. They died with
such regularity that when the British jailers opened the hatches in the morning, they yelled down:
"Rebels, turn out your dead!" The estimated 8,000 dead bodies were pulled ashore in clumps and
later dumped into shallow pits only 1 or 2 feet deep together.
and there were at least 16 of these floating prisons anchored in the waters around New York City,
the most notorious being the Jersey which held more than a thousand men. Captured officers were
put in a former gun room on the ship, sailors were kept in two compartments below the main deck
and Hessian deserters, French and Spanish prisoners got stuck in the hellish hold. They died with
such regularity that when the British jailers opened the hatches in the morning, they yelled down:
"Rebels, turn out your dead!" The estimated 8,000 dead bodies were pulled ashore in clumps and
later dumped into shallow pits only 1 or 2 feet deep together.
At the war's end in 1782, the bitter and defeated British took it out on a crew of one such ship and,
when the prisoners began cheering and celebrating victory, the guards came below and mercilessly
hacked at, stabbed, cut, and wounded every one of the weakened prisoners within their reach, then
ran up and closed down the hatches so the prisoners would bake in the heat without any water.
These floating British death camps killed around 13,000 prisoners, triple the number of Americans
who died in all the battles of the entire revolution.
when the prisoners began cheering and celebrating victory, the guards came below and mercilessly
hacked at, stabbed, cut, and wounded every one of the weakened prisoners within their reach, then
ran up and closed down the hatches so the prisoners would bake in the heat without any water.
These floating British death camps killed around 13,000 prisoners, triple the number of Americans
who died in all the battles of the entire revolution.
The Hessian regiments sent to America remained in their own units with their own unit commanders,
and often remained in their own brigades. King George III of England hired units from the German
states of Braunschweig, Hesse Hanau, Waldeck, Anhalt- Zerbst and Hesse-Cassel to assist with
bringing the colonist's rebellion to order. They are commonly all called Hessians.
and often remained in their own brigades. King George III of England hired units from the German
states of Braunschweig, Hesse Hanau, Waldeck, Anhalt- Zerbst and Hesse-Cassel to assist with
bringing the colonist's rebellion to order. They are commonly all called Hessians.
The Margrave's uncle, Friedrich the Great, was adamantly opposed to sending German soldiers
abroad in this manner. Friedrich expressed his disgust at the practise in a letter to Voltaire regarding
the Landgrave of Hesse: "Had the Landgrave come out of my school, he would not have sold his
subjects to the English as one sells cattle to be dragged to the shambles. This is unbecoming in the
character of a prince who sets himself up as a teacher of rulers. Such conduct is caused by nothing
but selfishness. I pity the poor Hessians who end their lives unhappily and uselessly in America."
Friedrich was also quite sympathetic to the ideals of the American Revolution.
abroad in this manner. Friedrich expressed his disgust at the practise in a letter to Voltaire regarding
the Landgrave of Hesse: "Had the Landgrave come out of my school, he would not have sold his
subjects to the English as one sells cattle to be dragged to the shambles. This is unbecoming in the
character of a prince who sets himself up as a teacher of rulers. Such conduct is caused by nothing
but selfishness. I pity the poor Hessians who end their lives unhappily and uselessly in America."
Friedrich was also quite sympathetic to the ideals of the American Revolution.
The Margrave at Anspach was informed by messenger and, worried since he had already been paid
for the soldiers, he rode quickly through the night to Ochsenfurth. By now things had calmed down
and the soldiers were re-embarked and taken down the Main, accompanied for a time by the
Margrave who supposedly sat there with a cocked pistol. Each regiment received a present of 100
ducats from the Margrave, and extra rations during the journey. Carl Alexander said good-bye to his
subjects on March 26, 1777 and returned to Ansbach.
for the soldiers, he rode quickly through the night to Ochsenfurth. By now things had calmed down
and the soldiers were re-embarked and taken down the Main, accompanied for a time by the
Margrave who supposedly sat there with a cocked pistol. Each regiment received a present of 100
ducats from the Margrave, and extra rations during the journey. Carl Alexander said good-bye to his
subjects on March 26, 1777 and returned to Ansbach.
A total of 1,285 officers and men left Ansbach on March 7 and arrived in New York on June 3rd.
Later, in 1778, reinforcements were sent to America which raised the number of Ansbach-Bayreuth
troops in British service to somewhere between 1,644 and 2,353 officers and men. Like the Hessian
regiments sent to America, they remained in their own units with their own unit commanders and
often in their own brigades.
Later, in 1778, reinforcements were sent to America which raised the number of Ansbach-Bayreuth
troops in British service to somewhere between 1,644 and 2,353 officers and men. Like the Hessian
regiments sent to America, they remained in their own units with their own unit commanders and
often in their own brigades.
Yet another explanation for the name seems to cast a more secretive origin. In 1777, when General Howe and 15,000
British troops captured Philadelphia after defeating George Washington's army at the Battle of Brandywine, the
Continental Army camped at Valley Forge, which was very close to the Inn. Masonic lodge meetings, presided over by
Washington, are said to have taken place at the Inn. Today, the Inn is described as "the site where Lafayette became a
member of General Washington’s Military Masonic Lodge and where Major Alexander Hamilton arranged for
the exchange of prisoners with the British High Command on March 10, 1778." Probably the most remarkable thing
about King of Prussia is that the name survived the anti-German hysteria of World War One.
British troops captured Philadelphia after defeating George Washington's army at the Battle of Brandywine, the
Continental Army camped at Valley Forge, which was very close to the Inn. Masonic lodge meetings, presided over by
Washington, are said to have taken place at the Inn. Today, the Inn is described as "the site where Lafayette became a
member of General Washington’s Military Masonic Lodge and where Major Alexander Hamilton arranged for
the exchange of prisoners with the British High Command on March 10, 1778." Probably the most remarkable thing
about King of Prussia is that the name survived the anti-German hysteria of World War One.
However, its manager at the time of the Revolution, James Berry, was an officer in the militia. Another explanation for the
name is that when Von Steuben's German contingent of men arrived at miserable Valley Forge, they wanted a warm place
to go to and have a good beer, and Berry's Tavern, with its sign coincidently hung up in German, beer and 6 fireplaces
was only a half mile away.
name is that when Von Steuben's German contingent of men arrived at miserable Valley Forge, they wanted a warm place
to go to and have a good beer, and Berry's Tavern, with its sign coincidently hung up in German, beer and 6 fireplaces
was only a half mile away.
After Napoleon disbanded the Kurfürstentum Hannover (Electorate of Hanover) in 1803 and dissolved its
army, many former Hanoverian officers and soldiers fled from the French occupation to serve King George
III of Britain, who was also Elector of Hanover. Once in Britain, Major Colin Halkett and Colonel Johann
Friedrich von der Decken were instructed to raise corps of light infantry named 'The King's German
Regiment', and on December 19, 1803, Halkett and von der Decken formed the King's German Legion, a
force that expanded to around 14,000. About 28,000 men served in the Legion which was part of the British
Army from 1805 until 1816.The King's German Legion fought in battles in Hanover, Pomerania,
Copenhagen, Walcheren, the Peninsula under General Sir John Moore and the Peninsula again under the
Duke of Wellington. Its members were present at the Battle of Waterloo when the 2nd Light Battalion along
with members of the 1st Light Battalion and the 5th Line Battalion defended 'La Haye Sainte' until they ran
out of ammunition. In fact, there were more German speaking troops in Wellington's Army than English.
army, many former Hanoverian officers and soldiers fled from the French occupation to serve King George
III of Britain, who was also Elector of Hanover. Once in Britain, Major Colin Halkett and Colonel Johann
Friedrich von der Decken were instructed to raise corps of light infantry named 'The King's German
Regiment', and on December 19, 1803, Halkett and von der Decken formed the King's German Legion, a
force that expanded to around 14,000. About 28,000 men served in the Legion which was part of the British
Army from 1805 until 1816.The King's German Legion fought in battles in Hanover, Pomerania,
Copenhagen, Walcheren, the Peninsula under General Sir John Moore and the Peninsula again under the
Duke of Wellington. Its members were present at the Battle of Waterloo when the 2nd Light Battalion along
with members of the 1st Light Battalion and the 5th Line Battalion defended 'La Haye Sainte' until they ran
out of ammunition. In fact, there were more German speaking troops in Wellington's Army than English.
| Later: The English King's German Legion |
The sale of his troops into foreign service, and the hardship endured by the soldiers as well as their
families back home, caused a deep rift between the Margrave of Ansbach and his people and helped
spur demise of the margraveship.
families back home, caused a deep rift between the Margrave of Ansbach and his people and helped
spur demise of the margraveship.
In the Waterloo Campaign, German soldiers suffered almost 75% of all fatalities, whereas British soldiers suffered around
15%. An excellent fighting unit with a legendary cavalry reputed to be one of the best in the British army, some officers
and men were integrated into the new Hanoverian army when, after the victory at Waterloo, the Legion was dissolved in
1816 as the Electorate of Hanover was re-founded as Kingdom of Hanover. Some claim that had it not been for the
Legion and the Prussians, who went into battle ferociously screaming, "For Queen Luise!" that Waterloo would have been
a lost battle.
15%. An excellent fighting unit with a legendary cavalry reputed to be one of the best in the British army, some officers
and men were integrated into the new Hanoverian army when, after the victory at Waterloo, the Legion was dissolved in
1816 as the Electorate of Hanover was re-founded as Kingdom of Hanover. Some claim that had it not been for the
Legion and the Prussians, who went into battle ferociously screaming, "For Queen Luise!" that Waterloo would have been
a lost battle.
Financially strapped Margrave Christian Friedrich Karl Alexander of
Ansbach (Anspach)-Bayreuth jumped at the offer and committed 1160
troops. At the time of the American revolution, the territories of
Ansbach and Bayreuth contained about four hundred thousand people
under the government of Margrave, who received £100,000 sterling for
renting out his army.
Ansbach (Anspach)-Bayreuth jumped at the offer and committed 1160
troops. At the time of the American revolution, the territories of
Ansbach and Bayreuth contained about four hundred thousand people
under the government of Margrave, who received £100,000 sterling for
renting out his army.
The regiments were generally allowed six female camp followers, none of whom were unattached
women, and all of whom had a duty, either paid or unpaid, such as cooking, cleaning, laundry or
hospital work.
women, and all of whom had a duty, either paid or unpaid, such as cooking, cleaning, laundry or
hospital work.
There is a Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument designed by Stanford White in
New York City which was built shortly before World War One and
dedicated to the 11,000 prisoners who died aboard the British prison ships
that once anchored nearby in the Wallabout during the Revolutionary War.
New York City which was built shortly before World War One and
dedicated to the 11,000 prisoners who died aboard the British prison ships
that once anchored nearby in the Wallabout during the Revolutionary War.