The Portland daily press., 1895-02-21
OUR REVOLUTIONARY ANCESTORS.
How Our Army Impressed Hessian
Officer at the Surrender of Burgoyne
Oct. II, 17s7
To the Editor of the PRESS:

| To the Editor of the PRESS:
Hessian officer, while prisoner at
| Ca M bridge, Mas ss., wrote to his family,
at home, the following description of the
| appearance of the American army at the
surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga, Oct.
II, 1777. AS this is the best account of
| the appearance of our soldier forefathers
| who served in the Saratoga camr aign. it
cannot hut he interesting to at least their
descendants
Not man was regularly equipped.
Each one had on the clothes he was ac-
customed to wear in the field, the tavern,
| the church, and in every day life. No
fault could be found with their military
appearance, for they stood in an erect
| and soldierly attitude. All their mus
kets had bayonets attached to them, and
| their rifemen had rifles. They remained
50 perfectly quiet that we were utterly
astounded. Not one of them smade any
attempt to speak to the man at his side,
aud all of the men who stood in array
before us were SO slender, fine looking
and sinewy that it WAS pleasant to look
at them. Nor could we but wonder that
Dame Nature had created such hand
some race. AS to their height, dear
brother, the men averaged from 8 feet,
& inches, and | am sure am not telling
! an untruth when | state that men feet
s and 10 inches high were oftener to be
seen than those feet inches, and men
of larger height were to be found in all
the companies. I am perfectly serious
when / state that the men of English
| A a q nf n
greater portion of Europe, both as re-
spects their beauty and stature. Few
of the officers wore uniforms. and those
that were worn were evidently of home
manufacture and of all colors For ex-
ample, brown coats with green facings,
white Innings and silver dragons, and
gray coats, with yellow buttons and
straw facings were seen in plenty. The
brigadiers and generals had, however,
uniforms to distinguish them from the
rest of the officers, and wore band
around the Waist to designate their re-
spective rank. On the other hand most
of the colonels and other officers wore
their everyday clothes. They carried their
| nlusketS, to which a bayonet was at
tached in their hands; their pouches or
powder horns were slung on their backs.
and their left hands hung down by their
side, while the right foot was sligtly put
forward. In one place could be seen
men with white wigs from beneath,
which long, thick hair escaped-thick
lamb tails hanging down from the back
in another the glistening black wig OF
an abbe s1rmounting some red or copper
colored face; while still another white
and gray clerical looking wig made OF
horse and goats hair and piled up in
successive rolls. In looking at a man
thus adorned one would imagine that he
had an entire sheep under his hat, with
%,il 4 lor <sJs H.
Il great deal OF respect is entertained fol
these wigs. not only because they were
worn by all gentlemen composing the
committees and those who are renowned
for wisdom. The gentlemen who wore
these different kinds of wigs are mostly
between fifty and sixty years of age, and
having but recently begun to wear them,
you can imagine what comical appear.
ance they cut as soldiers.
The determination which caused them
to grasp musket and powder horn can
be seen in their faces as we'll as the fact
that they are not to be fooled with, es-
pecially in skirmishes in the woods.
Seriously speaking thisientire nation has
great natural military talent. They
have flags with all kinds OF EN- blems and
mottoes. 1t must be said to the credit
of the enemy's regiments, that not &
man among them ridiculed or insulted
us. and none of them evinced the least
sign of hate or malicious joy as we
marched by. On the contrary, it seemed
as though they desired to do us honor.
Gen. Gates is a man between fifty and
sixty years of age; wears thin gray hail
combed around his head; is still lively
and friendly and constantly wears spec
tacles Oh account of his weak eyes
Gen. Burgoyne said to Gen. Gates al
Bemis Heights, when he surrendered
81 admire the number, dress and disei
pline of your army, but above all th,
de corum and regularity that was oh
served. Your funds of men are mex
haustible, like the Hydra's head, wher
cut off, seven more sprang up in it,
, stead"
The similarity OF the conduct of tn,
American army at the surrender of Bur
goyne and of, the Union army at the sur
render Of Lee at Appomattox is yer,
striking and goes to show that Ameri
cans are Americans whether it is 177