Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-06-18
The Hessians in the Revolution.

l I'll
ical Society Frederick Kapp, Esq, read valua
BILE paper on the employment of mercenary
troops by England. We quote from the new
| York Times a condensation of the principal
facts stated
Mr. Kapp gave an interesting sketch of the
history of the custom OF employing mercenary
troops, which he traced from on early day. lie
also showed that in the various wars which
England before our Revolution, had waged on
the Continent, she had employed foreign troops
almost exclusively. Thus in the Seven Years
War, during the second year, the British army
| in Westphalia numbered 48,900 men, of whom
26, 900 were Hanoverians, $4,000 Hessians, and
10000 Brunswickers,
At the commencement of the Revolution,
England stood in great need of troops, and con-
ternplated the hiring of 10000 men from Rus
sia. But it was decided before long to abandon
this plan, and apply again to their old man-pnr-
veyors-the small princes of Germany. The
English Commissary-Colonel VIM. Fawcett,
Captain in the Guards arrived in Germany,
e.,riy in 1876, and in behalf of his Government
concluded, in the course of less than month,
the necessary treaties with the Duke of Bruins
wick, the Landgrave of Hesse Cassel, and the
Count of Hanan. The treaties were submitted
to the House of Commons on the 10th OF Feb
ruary, and after having been referred to q COM
mittee, were finally ratified on the 4th of March
1776. is
The Duke of Brunswick, whose dominions
comprised at that time 500 square miles, with
150, 900 inhabitants, undertook to furnish 49,
900 men, of whom 366 were cavalry, and the
rest infantry For these the Duke received, I'M
der the name of "levy money" 80 crowns $780,
50) for each man, the same sum for every one
killed, or for three wounded, who were to be
accounted equal to one killed and besides this,
for the expenses of equipment two months extra
pay The subsidies received by the Duke, as
long as the troops received the pay of English
soldiers, amounted to Ga, 500 crowns a year,
and double that sum from the time their pay
ceased until two years after their return into
Brunswick
The Landgraye of Hesse, the infamous Fred
rick H. although he possessed but SO, 900 square
miles, with about 100000 inhabitants, had an
army of nearly 10000 experienced troops. He
undertook to furnish within four weeks three
grenadier battaons. six infantry regiments, and
one company of rifemen, and in month after
that, battalion of grenadiers, nine infantry
regiments and q company Of rfemen-amount-
ing in all to 12,104 men. The Landgrave re-
ceved not only the levy money of 80 crowEs a
head, but there was paid him subsidy of
100000 crowns per year, in addition to the reg
ular pay of the troops.
The Landgrave's son also, then reignng Count
of Hanau, sold a regiment of 26S men to the
English for $4,000 crowns per year besides the
regular levy money. Even the Prince of little
Waldeck, whose vast dominions consist of some
sterile hills of 400 square miles, with about 30-
600 inhabitants, left, attracted by the prospect
of larger profits the regular trade with the
Dutch, and instead of sending his soldiers, as u
sua, to the Cape of Good Hope or Batavia sold
an infantry regiment of 670 men to England on
the same good terms as the Count of Hanau.
In the year 1866 it became evident that more
troops were needed for suppressing the ''rebels,"
than had been provided , and, accordingly, Col.
Fawcett again visited Germany. He engaged,
on the same terms as before, S55 men in Cassel
and 410 in Hanau The Landgrave took the op-
portunity of renewing claim for 100000 for
services in the seven years. war which had been
before rejected, but which England was now O.
bliged to pay.
In the beginning of TIT, the Markgrave Of
Anspach, Brandenburg and the Prince Of Ahalt
Zerbst Joined these princely dealers in human
flesh and contributed, the fomer 1885, and the
latter, 1,16o men. The Markgraye received, be-
sides the levy money, an annual subsidy of 45,-
600 crowns the Prince similar sum.
The following table will show the quota of
troops furnished by each Prince, the number lost
and the money received 1t must be remember
ed that the original numbers were continually
supplied with fresh recruits. a ,t
N r. ,,oI