Overview
The Hessians in the American Revolution refers to the role played by Hessian and other German auxiliaries hired by the British government to fight against the American colonists. The Hessians were named after the region of Hesse in Germany, from where most of them came. During the war, around 35,000 Hessians served in the British army, making up a significant portion of the British forces.
The Hessians were generally well-trained and well-equipped soldiers, and they were often used in pivotal battles during the war, including the Battle of Long Island, the Battle of White Plains, and the Battle of Trenton. However, the Hessians were also notorious for their brutality towards American prisoners of war and civilians, which further fueled the colonists’ resentment towards the British. Despite their contributions to the British war effort, the Hessian participation ultimately proved to be a liability for the British, as it further alienated the colonists and undermined British public support for the war.
Hessians were only one of the six principalities which sent troops to America. The six principalities are noted on the map on the left. Over thirty-five thousand German soldiers served in America, with most returning after the war. Some of the Germans decided to desert and stay in America, especially in the German ethnic areas.
Diaries and Memoirs
Bauer, Karl, Bruce E. Burgoyne, and Marie E. Burgoyne. Journal of a Hessian Grenadier Battalion. Westminster, Md: Heritage Books, 2005.
Burgoyne, Bruce E., Marie E. Burgoyne, Georg Christoph Coester, Johann Gottlieb Siegismund Braunsdorf, and Gregorius Michael Stroelein, eds. Hessian Chaplains: Their Diaries and Duties. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 2003.
Döhla, Johann Conrad, and Bruce E. Burgoyne. A Hessian Diary of the American Revolution. 1. paperback printing. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1990.
Ewald, Johann von. Diary of the American War: A Hessian Journal. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1979.
Feilitzsch, Heinrich Carl Philipp von, Christian Friedrich Bartholomai, and Bruce E. Burgoyne. Diaries of Two Ansbach Jaegers. Bowie, Md: Heritage Books, 1997.
Pausch, Georg. Journal of Captain Pausch – Chief of the Hanau Artillery during the Burgoyne Campaign. Edited by William L. Stone. Albany: Joel Munsell, 1886.
Secondary Sources
Baer, Friederike. Hessians: German Soldiers in the American Revolutionary War. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2022.Crytzer, Brady. Hessians: Mercenaries, Rebels, and the War for British North America. Yardley: Westholme, 2015.
Crytzer, Brady. Hessians: Mercenaries, Rebels, and the War for British North America. Yardley: Westholme, 2015.Krebs, Daniel. A Generous and Merciful Enemy: Life for German Prisoners of War during the American Revolution. Campaigns and Commanders, v. 38. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2013.
“The Hessian Jägerkorps in New York and Pennsylvania, 1776-1777.” Journal of the American Revolution, May 14, 2015. https://allthingsliberty.com/2015/05/the-hessian-jagerkorps-in-new-york-and-pennsylvania-1776-1777/.
Lowell, Edward L. The Hessians and the Other German Auxiliaries of Great Britain in the Revolutionary War. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1884.
Web Sites
Johannes Schwalm Historical Association maintains a comprehensive website for information on Hessians and their participation during the American War for Independence. For an overview of this website, see a Journal of the American Revolution Article describing its use.
Hessian Soldiers’ Role in the British Defense of Canada
Researching the American Revolution 