New-York tribune., 1884-02-29


With maps and plans. PIP. 32s. Harper Brother
The history of those German mercenaries whic
were sold by their hereditary rulers TO Great Britai
for war against the American colonies In the kevC
lutionary War has been undertaken by Mr. Lowe
IN this volume. The main facts of their participa
ton in the war are of course TO be found IN the eX
listing histories of the time, but this is the first at
tempt to give detailed account of their adventure
and TO show precisely what estimate ought to b
nlaced upon their services The author has gon
carefully over the German records, both printed an'
manuscript. and has evidently sought to gather NJ
nil the scattered evidence on the subject Th
Uessians and other German auxiliaries were not IL
America voluntarily. They were hired ont by thei
princes like cattle, and they left their homes very
reluctantly though for the most part they fought
stoutly when fighting the work before them
Between 1776 aud 1888 this German force IL
America averaged nearly 10000. During that
period about 80 600 were brought over, and ,$l5
returned to Germany at the end of the war. Some
10000 either died settled here. For the services
of the Hessans England paid in levy-money and
subsidies to the princes 91770,000 sterling, in
addition to the pay of the soldiers and all other ex-
penses but those of recruiting and equipment.
@There can be no question" says Mr. Lowell that
for this large sum of money Great Britain obtained
che services of excellent soldiers" Ihey iouSho
well at Hubbardton and Freemans FARM lhey
held the most exposed part of the line at Saratoga
Al White Plains and Fort Washington they be-
haved with great gallantry. At Trenton ana hed
Bank they were heavily defeated, but the surprise
of Trenton seems TO have been due TO the stupid
temerity of their commander, Rail, who despised
the Americans so much that he would not erect
earthworks or take any of the usual precautions
MFR. Lowell thinks that on few occasions during
the war did the Hessian soldiers show either want
of courage or a want of discipline" They, however,
suffered from the evils attendant upon divided
command and the British officers appear to nave
treated them often with superciliousness. Ihere
was jealousy between General Hester and Sir
William Howe. and between General Riedesel ana
Burgoyne and this ill-will evidently extended IN
some cases to the rank and lile between whom ser-
ous quarTes occurred.
The Hessians on first landing entertained very
low opinion of the rebels" but familiarity did not
in this case breed contempt. On the contrary, they
learned to respect the extraordinary people who |
fought successful battles without knowing any |
thing of the art of who went into action With
ont uniforms; who often were careless about pre-
serving their formation, but fought from behind
trees and rocks who were full of dash and
daring. and would not acknowledge defeat. The
rebels on their part at first overestlmated the
Hessians concerning whose ferocity wonderful tales
were told. Gossip even represented them as cannl-
balls and the women employed them as boRies to
awe fractions children By degrees both sides came
70 understand one another and is pleasant to read
how kindly the Americans usually treated the Ger
mans when the latter were their prisoners. Some
of the most interesting pages in Mr.. LowelFs book
consist of extracts from the memoirs of the
Baroness Redesel, who accompanied her husband ! {
through the campaign that ended at Saratoga, and
the letters of German officers to their friends at
home From these may he obtained graphic pic !
lures of the period and interesting reflections of i
foreign criticism upon Revolutionary manners and Il
customs A German officer for instance was much
Impressed by the appearance of the American forces
ut Saratoga when the Brunswickers after the sur 6
render, passed through their camp, where they
drawn up. "The men stood so still that we were
filed with astonshment," he writes; "not man =
made motion to speak with his neghbor. More u
Dver, kindly nature had made all the men standing
In the ranks slender SO handsome, sinewy,
hat it pleasure to look at them, and we all y
wondered at tn sight Of SO well-made people. a.
. In truth, English America surpasses most IL
parts of Europe in the size and beauty of its men,"
Another German officer is brought to the conclusion IL
in serious earnest this whole nation has much
natural talent for and for a soldiers life" The re
ame officer has left record description of the CT
American Girl of tho Period which must always be
Interesting He made his observations in captivity sp
,ut they are none the less frank and genial He tn
avs: til
The women of all this district far as Boston ca
nd New-York are slender and straight, ana are | tn
lump without being stout. They have PRETTY lit tn
70 feet, good strong hands and arms, a very white
kin, and healthy color in their faces, without
avng to paint, Hardly any of those have seen or
ere pitted with smallpox but then inOcuaton ~.
as been common here for many years. Their teeth ~ %
e very white their lips beautiful and their eyes Ia
,tural, unconstTained manner, a free and cheerful
a natural assurance. They care ~
uch for cleanliness and for being well shod They A
lint oil oio hoe, n
cry day make it up behind into chgnon and in f
mt over cushion of moderate height. They LIZ
nerally 90 about bareheaded and at most set a -
tie heart-shaped thing or some such trife, on IL
hair fly and braids it with ribbon. However S,1
Or may be the hut in which they live they put on -
ilken mantle and gloves when they 90 out. They V
Ow how to wrap themselves in the mantle verv
ttilY, that one little white elbow peeps out Then IN
y put on some kind of well-made shadehat, from L.
der which they peep cOquetishly with their t. y
uish eyes In the English colonies the fair ones Lie
'e taken fancy TO mantes of red silk or wool. DJ
essed in this way girl runs, jumps and dances Il
mt wishes you q pleasant goOd-day, or gives ac-
ding to the question saucy answer. SO they
)d by dozens all along our road passed in "r
p5a "sfa msh@s5a at ,"a $ @ and Rs RsnS5 %s 4"
lpPe. We thought at first that they were girls ou
the towns, or AT least, from class number two IT
dng by the roadside; but, 10 and behold s1ans nan
were the daughters of poor peasants, whom press
could recognize as poor peasants by their
hing. u
ored account of his captors. OF the members np
e General Court of Massachusetts, he thus dis T."
ses
e can see in these men exactly the National
acter of the natives of New England Espe-
are they distinguished by the fashion of their 81
ing. They all present the appearance
respectable magistrates, with their very TR1
\ round, yellowish wigs. Their clothes AddI
I the very old English fashion, and they wear
er and summer. blue cloak with sleeves
b they fasten round their bodies with a eath- "
strap. lOu seldom see one without whip DRC
are mostly thick-set and of medium height SO 4
it is difficult TO tell one from another when A IA