Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-09-20
From the New York Times.
Letters from Hessian Officers.

But Dloss hln most for theeP
From the New York Times. 5.
Letters from Hessian Officers.
AMERICA IN THE REVOLUTION.
The accompanying letters are portions of col
lection made by Prof. Schloezer, of Germany, Of the
letters written home by the Hessian officers and
throws much light on some features of our strug-
gle, and what is always very interesting, gives a
foreigners view Of the habits and manners OF our
forefathers. Some Of the sketches, as will be seen
in these letters, are very picturesque and familiar
They have been translated by German friend,
and as unfortunately the originals are lost, we have
been obliged to have, in some cases, a slightly
foreign idiom, which will, however, only add to the
quantness and originality. We are not aware that
the collections exist in our libraries, though it
should be in every great historical library. IT is
to be found in Schloesser's Annalen, No. 60, and
Staats Anzeiger, No. ~. Gottngen Vandenhock,
1772o90.' q. b.
AMERICAN WOMEN -BEAuTY--CosrUME-M MANNERS
December 1s, l777.
The women in oil this part of the country, up
to Boston and New York, are slim and welpro-
portoned in stature, and without being stout, it
can't be said that they are lean. They have very
little feet and fine hands and arms--neck and
shoulders are beautifully white, and the complex
ion of the face is fresh and healthy without need
ing any rouge. scarcely remember to have seen
single one marked by the small pox--the reason
may be that the innoculation is in use here for
long time. They have white teeth, charmingly
red lips, and their eyes are bright and lively To
that is Joined a natural grace; their motions are
easy and without constraint--a merry and self
confident face, and, If may say so a certain pert
ness Of manners, which, natural gift, suits
them extremely well. They are very fond of being
well "shoed, and they like cleanliness above all
They dress very becomngly, and all that they wear
is well made. Their usual garments are Sehien-
ders and Confonches. They dress the hair every
day, binding It behind in a "Cbignon, and armng-
ing 1t in front over moderately high cushion"
They are mostly seen without any covering on the
head; at the most they put ON a little hood Here
and there you will meet a country nymph with
hair flying loose, or bound with n colored ribbon.
When leaving the house for a visit they will
wear-be the hut wherein they live ever SO poor
a silk mantilla over the shoulders, and put on
gloves. They are very expert in enveloping
themselves coquettishly in these mantillas;p one
of the white, well shaped arms win always betray
ITSELF They have on these occasions neat and
very engaging little bonnet on the head, under
which they understand how to look forth with their
brilliant mischievous eyes in quite bewitching
way. In tne EnRllSn colonies the y DeleS' nave
fallen In love with "piukn mantillas-either of silk
or WOOL Dressed in this flshion, those girls are
running, dancing, skipping about offering friend
ly greeting to one, and always reody for snap
pish answer when indscreetly addressed. Thus
we saw them erywhere-standing in scores on
the road which we passed over, laughing mi-
chievously at us, or offering US sometimes, with
mock courtesy, an apple. At first we believed
them to be city girls, or at least the daughters of
fkn st,ha ~
they were the daughters of the poorest farmers,
whose clothes did not leave the least doubt about
their situation.
But in honor TO my own country women, and
without intending to diminish the merits Of the
"beles" In this country, must confess that that
tender, sweet and languishng feeling, which gives
SO great charm TO the former, is but very seldom
met with among the ladies here, and that for that
very reason, | believe, they do not afford that
exalted happiness 70 their lovers, which is 50
often experienced In our families. II is true, one
will often see here women perfectly beautiful, but
nevertheless that superior grace Of female tender
derness, which. But lol where am running
to with my criticismS 1t will never do TO con-
tinue longer this chapter on girls; but have they
not, on the Esd Of October, caused US the SEN
sible loss of some OF our best men, who, IT not
seduced by the charms OF these nymphs would
never have parted with their feow-soldiers?
SURRENDER or THE HEssIASs--DREss OF AxERI-
CAN soLDIERs--BEARma-GEsER GArEs--RE-
cEPTroS.
CAMBRIDGE, Nov. Is l777.
(After the battle Of Saratogn)
The enemy we're so hard upon us, through his
superior numbers, that the space wherein we we're
moving was more and more limited, until on the
l4th OF October, every opening for final escape
was cut of. Our provisions, also, had become so
scarce that starvation stared us in the face. The
euemys position was not only very strong, but HE
number also was perhaps four times greater than
ours. Supposing eyen-against all probability
that could beat him, this would have availcd us
but very ttle In consideration of the above-men.
toned scarcity Of provisions. And the possibility
of driving our pursuers by one blow beyond Alba
ny, not TO be thought Of. They even did
not consider us worth aitacking-fuy confident
of seeing us in very short time vanquished
without bloodshed-by hunger. To open for our
selves passage into the nearest woods at the
point Of the bayonet, abandoning all our artillery
and baggage, would, perhaps, have been the only
means to get to Carritton--although through ter
rble wildernesses. 1t was, however, but too obvi-
ons and almost certain that nearly all Of us would
have persisted on a march, so utterly deprived Of
any imaginable resource. We applied therefore,
for an honorable capitulation, preferring 1t to an
ignomuious destruction. The application was
readily consented to--the l4th, 18th, and 10th Of
October were spent in negotiations--but on the
18th the commanders had agreed, and shook
hands. There we're thirteen artcles--thc first one
runs thus:
Tomorrow morning our infantry are 10 march,
drums beating and in file and rank, out Of the
camp to the banks of the Hudson, where they
will be formed in line, and on the command Of
their own officers, viii place their arms in piles.
Tho artillery continues to occupy the camp, and
the tents shsll not be broken up before that time.
Second article lit is formally agreed, that the
army are allowed to embark without difficulties
for England vessels are to be sent for that pur-
pose into the port Of Boston by Gen. Stow--but
a solemn pledge was to be given by all not to
serve any more against North America during the
p esent war.
In consequence thereof, the army were on the