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Hessian (soldiers)

Hessians
Hessian jager.jpg
Two Hessian soldiers of the Leibregiment.
Country Hesse-Kassel
Part of Most served with but were not incorporated into the British Army
Nickname(s) "Hessian mercenaries"
Engagements

American Revolutionary War

Commanders
Notable
commanders
Wilhelm von Knyphausen
Johann Rall 

American Revolutionary War

Hessians /ˈhɛʃən/ is the term given to the 18th century German auxiliaries contracted for military service by the British government, which found it easier to borrow money to pay for their service than to recruit its own soldiers. They took their name from the German state of Hesse-Kassel. The British hired Hessian troops for combat duty in several eighteenth century conflicts, but they are most widely associated with combat operations in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783).

About 30,000 German soldiers fought for the British during the American Revolutionary War, making up a quarter of the troops the British sent to America. They entered the British service as entire units, fighting under their own German flags, commanded by their usual officers, and wearing their existing uniforms. The largest contingent came from the state of Hesse, which supplied about 40% of the German troops who fought for the British. The large number of troops from Hesse-Kassel led to the use of the term Hessians to refer to all German troops fighting on the British side, a form of synecdoche. The others were rented from other small German states.

Patriots presented the soldiers as foreign mercenaries with no stake in America. Many of the men were press-ganged into Hessian service. Deserters were summarily executed or beaten by an entire company. Hessian prisoners of war were put to work on local farms.


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Wikipedia

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