The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1875-03-10
The HessiaH Tercenarfes or Our Rev
oIution.

The HessiaH Mereenaries OF our Rev
CLINTON.
Prof G. w. Greene has lengthy
article in the Atlantic Monthly for
February, on "Tbe Hessian Mercen-
aries of our Revolution" which the
Chicago Tribune pronounees the
best account ever published in Eng
lish Of the traffic in blood between
Great Britain and Germany during
our struggle for liberty. The first
skirmishes, since glorifed as battles
of the Revolution, showed that the
$4,000 British troops between Nova
Scotia and Florida could not conquer
5000, 600 American colOnists. To
be sure, many Of the latter, far more
than we care to admit now, were
faithful to the king New York city
was a stronghold Of his. But their
faithfulness did not generally go
the length Of inducing them to
bear arms in his cause. They were
not of much use to the royalists.
Recruiting and cOnscripting could do
little in England, where the Wings
opposed the war from the start
London was hostile to it. The aris-
tocracy furnished officers in limitless
abundance, but where were the pri-
Yates to come from? From Russia,
George thought, and forthwith Offer
ed to buy 10000 troops of the En-
press Catherine. The English Min
lister at St. Petersburg, Cunning,
opened negotiations He preferred
his request and the Empress politely
said she would gladly pay her obli-
cations to King George in the man
ner most agreeable TO him" There
upon Cunning wrote that the 10000
Russian mercensries were duly
bought. George wrote Z letter Of
thanks to Catherine in his own hand,
and was unatteTably disgusted to re-
.ceiye reply from her private secre-
tary announcing that her reply TO
Cunning was merely polite express
sion, and that she did not care to sell
a part of her army. Evidently
Catherine had spoken in French, the
language of diplomacy, Of compli-
ments and elegant falsehood. If she
had used rugged Russian or straight
forward English, Cunning might
not have been tricked. It is very
strange and true that Russia and
America have always been steadfast
friends. We owe the Czar and his
subjects many a good turn.
Holland was tempted next. She
came near yielding. Then arose an
apostle of right, Baron Van der Cap
ellen, who stung SUM bering public
opinion into hearty condemnation Of
the scheme Of sending the sons Of
rebels to put down rebellion The
people spoke and the Court heard
The baf1ed British ENJOYS withdrew
in desgust and dlspair The petty
PrinceliIgs of Germany were next
fshed for and bit eagerly for the
naits. They used their selfish sub
jects only IS money making ma
chimes. Why not use them as such in
this new way? they asked one an
other. They drove a hard bargain
and put their prices. Six States,
Brunswick, Hesse CasseL Hesse-
Hanau, Waldeck, AHspaek and An
haIt-Zerbst sold %, 9,l66 menl The
detachment, 4,30O Brunswiekers, was
q poor lot. Its centre was composed
of very young or very old men, sick
men, tiny men, worthless men.
Their uniforms were unfit for use,
and they had no oveTcoats, clOaks.
shoes or stockings. They were III
ted out by swindling British eoniFao-
tors at Bristol and sent to sea
When the voyage bad fairly begun,
the stores we're opened The shoes
were found to be women's shoes,
thin and small The pillows were
pineushions, 5 inches by :. \
mattress, blanket, and coverlet to-
ge.her weighed Z pounds. The food
was rotten. They suffered from both
German and British ayarice.
The first diyisiOa Of Hessians, g.
39T strong. reached New York, Aug.
~ IT'S. Fifteen days afterwards,
tLey tasted blood on Long Island.
So he troops poured in. Misery
reigued in Germany. There was a
common saying among the peasants;
when we are dead, we are done
with it." Yet they shrank froI The
terrors of an ocean voyage, bad
enough now and s.r worse then, and
from fghtiag foF the gain o: their
rulers. Il die" said DOnOp, mortal
'Iy wounded at the attack Of Rejbank,
sithe victim of nv own ambition and
the avarice Of my sovereign" a Ger
man historian wrote: The Treasury
was filed with blood and tears. "
Blood yielded good dividends, for a
man killed was paid for as a new
recruit, and three men wounded
counted as one killed. When 2,eO0
Brunswiekers were taken prisoners at
Saratoga, their dueaI ruler objected
to their exchange. He feared it woald
interfere with future profits. In lTIS,
the last lot Of purchased Germans
sailed fo- America. The market
was exhausted. Frederick the Great
had already interfered with the trat-
fc by rem0nstraaee, by levying
cattle tax" oa the men mareneu
through bis territories TO the sea
board, and by finally refusing tEem
passage from bis ports. This was
probably not because be really loVed
the business less (be was a cosmo-
politan kidnapper bimselD' but be-