Connecticut western news., 1875-02-12
THE WAR OF 1776.
The Hessians EnspIoyed by the English in ihe Revolutionary War--Where They Came Froni-.An Interesting Sketch.

- An 4ttahtte correspondent } gives i $ us the story of the troops k1fown as Hes sians, employed in the Revolutionary war by the English. After telling us that Great Britain had employment for her own troops, and must hire others to fight her battles in the, colonies, he says that application Wns made to Russia and then to Holland, who declined. Ger many was then divided into petty prin- clpatities, over each of which reigned an almost absolute monarch, who was as poor as he was aristocratic. The Seven Years war had ended and each of these princes had an army that was of no use at home. .s.-.5l 5l...-F s. .-ss
 Col Wm. Fawcitt was employed by the English government to make the negotiations, and set about his work. The first cohtract was made with the Duke of Brunswick. His little territory of about sixty square miles had popu- lation of one hundred and fifty thou sand, and an income of million and a half. His debts amounted to nearly twelve millions. He paid thirty thou sand thalers year to the directory of his opera, and the offer of Fawcitt met him when he was sorely in need of money. SSs .',s~ --
 The first body of men. employed con, sisted of four thousand infantry and three hundred light dragons. This was made up of old men and raw re- cruits. They were sent off without over coats and no shoes or stockings. The English had to supply these, and when the vessels got Go sea and the boxes were opened it was found that the shoes were thin, made for ladies' wear, and utterly useless. 1s Ese'H''i
 Shortly after the second division of the Duke of Bnmswick's troops, con- sisting of about eighteen hundred men, was mustered in. They were nearly all recruitsalevied especially for service in America; many of them, as in the first, too old or too young, or imperfectly grown and too feeble to carry musket.
 Fawcitt having obtained all the troops he could of the Duke of Brunswick went to Hesse- Cassel. .s The Duke of Hesse.C .Cassel, like his brother of :Bruns- wick, felt no scruples, no humane mis- givings, no paternal doubts about traffic ing in the blood of his subjects. A conscriptiop was ordered. A cruel one 1t was. When father asked for his son, whom the conscaiption had torn from I1lIl, u0 WAS S0uG .GO bl0 m1u0S. u mother besought that he to whom she had looked for the support of her age might be restored to her, she was sent to the work house. Some of the bar barous punishments by which soldiers ficted Tn the streets. Never" says Germany" "did I see so many poor otoho nho k1,o e&~ in Cassel. It Is less injurious to the health than running the gauntlet 2 the officers told him; and we'll 1t might be, for that gauntlet was run through mar TOW lane of men, each provided with a stout cane and bound to apply it with full force to the backs of the delinquents. In cases of desertion, the greatest oi crimes, the offender was made to run this gauntlet two days in succession, and twelve times each day. Can we won, der that the terrible punishment often ended in death2 h : ,+.- .-a sa .- B. secured, and they entered New York har- bor the 18th of August, 1776. On the 27thsthey took a brilliant part in the bat tie of Long Island under De Heister. A gale of wind, persistent calm, any 
 they would have been too late, and Howe would not have dared to fight the battle which won him his knighthood; Wash ington would have had time to strengthen his works on both islands; Greene, who one perfectly familiar with the ground, would have recovered sufficiently from his untimely fever to resume his com mafld, and the whole aspect of the cam. paign of .1776 would have been altered Henceforth4l 4letzit be borne in mind that in every battle of the war of independ ence hired men of Germany play an i'm portant part :-. .se+f-.. -.
 On the 2d of June the second division was mustered into service. On the 1851 of October it landed at New Rochelle It consisted of '3, ,997 men. This division was not so easily raised as the first. II spite of all the efforts both of the kine and the landgrave, the desertion con tinued; the difficulty of finding recruit increased; native Hessians able to bea arms disappeared from the towns ant fields; and 1t was only by stealing mel wherever they could be found that tn landgrave could fulfill his promises Meanwhile he went to Italy to enjoy hi. money and form new plans of embellish ment. r- al. J-r ,-
 From Cassel Fawcitt hastened to Ha nau and to other small provinces, wher after negotiations he succeeded in rais ing small bodies of troops, paying dit ferent prices for them. The Margrav of Anspach encountered serious obsta clesin sending his troops to the place o authorization. At Ochsenfurt they re volted and refused to embark. A skill full leader might have opposed a foa midable resistance, but their officer were not with them in heart, and infor nation of the untoward event was im mediately sent to the margraye. He il stahtly mounted his horse, not stoppin long enough to take a change of linen c even his watch, and followed by onl two or three attendants rode at flu speed to the scene of the revolt. the sight of their master the hearts ( these bold men, so daring in the face ( the enemy, misgave them, and the penitently returned to their alegianc.
 The Duke of Wurtemberg offeredfou thousand men, and Fawcitt had been il structed to enter into negotiations wit him. But upon closer examination
 was found that he was bankrupt. H had no arms and no uniforms. To pr vent the men from deserting they wei kept without pay. The officers ten had been cut up to eke. out the decor tions of the dukes rural festivals. Tn troops could not be equipped and cou] not be furnished.
 By the contract made with the prime, certain sum was paid for each divisio of men. For every man killed a certai number of thalers additional was pai and three wounded men counted as o1 killed. As near as can be establishe by a careful comparison of the Engli, authorities, the sums paid under varioi names by the English treasury for tho troops amounted in round numbers