Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1858-04-17
Tia Hessians in the Revolution.

At . recent meeting Of the New Hork His
torical Society, Frederick kapp, Esq, gave
an interesting sketch Of the history Of the
custom Of employing mercenary troops, which
he traced from an early day, and gave an ac-
count Of the engaging of foreign troops by
England, during the war Of the Revolution.
At the commencement OF the Revolution,
England stood in great need Of troops, and
contemplated the hiring Of 10000 men from
Russia But it was decided before long to
abandon this plan, and apply again to their
old men purveyOrs, the small princes Of Ger
many, and soon the necessary treaties were
made with the Duke of Brunswick, the Land
grave Of Hesse Cassel, and the Count Of lla-
nau.
The Duke of Brunswick, whose dominions
comprised at that time 1900 square miles, with
10000 inhabitants undertook to furnish 8,
600 men, Of whom 366 were cavalry and the
rest infantry. For these the Duke received,
under the name Of 'lcvy monry," 80 crowns
cess 5O) for each man, the same sum for cv-
cry 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 recci-
we'd by the Duke, as long as the troops rccciv
ed the pay Of England, amounted to $500
crowns year, ard double that sum from the
time their pay ceased until two years after
their return into Brunswick.
The Landgravc of lIessc, the infamous
Frederick II, although he possessed but 49,
600 square miles, with about 26u,UOO inhabi-
taTts, had an army Of nearly 10000 cxpCricn-
ced troops. He undertook TO furnish, within
four weeks, three grcnadiCr bataliOns, six in
iantry regiments and q company Of riilemcn-
amounting in all to l2,1O4 men. The Land
grave received not only the levy money Of 30
crowns head, but there was alsO paid him q
subsidy Of 45O,O crowns year, In addition
to the regular pay Of the troops.
The LandgraveS son, also, then rcigning
Count Of Hanau, sold a regiment Of G0S men
to the English for $4,000 crowns, besides the
regular levy money Even the Prince Of Lit
tle Waldeck, whose vast dominions consisted
Of some sterile hills Of 400 square miles, with
about $4,000 inhabitants, left, attracted by
che prospect of larger profits, the regular trade
with the Dutch, and instead Of sending his
soldiers, a. usual, to the Cape of Good Hope,
or Batavia, sold an infantry regiment Of $40
men 10 England, on the same good terms as
the Count Of Hanau.
In The beginning Of 1777, the Margravc Of
Anspatch Brandenburgh and the Prince of
Anhak Zerbst Joined these princely dealers in
human flesh and contributed, the former 1886
and the latter 1l0O men. The Margrave re-
ceived, besides the levy money, an annual sub
ssdy Of $4,000 crowns; the Prince a similar
sum. Most Of the soldiers were forcibly en-
listed, and, Of course, assertions were frequent.
Ofthe Anhalt regiment, 140 men deserted at
Once, and the ncxt evening, an officer with 81
men were among the missing.
In conclusion, Mr.. Knapp alluded to the large
number VI Germans who, deserting their ranks,
had remained in this country, and by their in
dastxy had done much for its advancement.