Saint Mary's beacon., 1911-07-27


page of it's Sunday issue TO the solu-
tion OF lone Of the mysteries OF
American history"-to wit, what
became Of the Hessian prisoners Of
the Revolutionary War; Those to
whom the Times refers as ''the Hes
sian prisoners were the thousand
captured by Washington at Trenton.
These, the Times declares, settled
down in Fauquier county. Virginia.
where il says their descendants still
live and are known as Free Sta
ters."
This statement of the history OF the
Trenton prisoners may be- correct.
But tnere were other Hessian pri.
soners who settled in Maryland,
aud their descendants are still with
US, useful and respected citizens.
The story Of these other Hessisns
is told in q History of Frederick
County," which has just been pub
lished. The State owned a fine lot
in Frederick upon which there was
an armory and barracks; in fact, IL
still owns the same land. and the
State School for tie Deaf stands
upon it. Frederick then being re-
mote and OF difficult access. the old
barracks was used as o military
prison all through the war Bur
goyne's Army was sent through
Frederick to Charlottesville, and on
the way down remained in Freder-
ick q few weeks. Il returned in
November, 1870. and remained there
until after the surrender OF Corn
wallis.
While in Frederick the prisoners
were under few restrictions. Farm
labor was in demand. and they were
encouraged TO hire themselves to
the farmers. Many OF them mar
ried and bought farms, some set
ting around Funkstown, in Wash
ington county. Among the latter
was a young man named Whistler,
the ancestor OF Whistler. the artist.
When the time came for the prison
ers to leave to embark for Europe
but few remained in the barracks.
or one regiment which at Saratoga
was 45O stroug only so departed
from Frederick.
Shortly after the departure OF the
Burgoyne prisoners from Frederick
the German troops surrendered by
CORVALLIS at Yorktown arrived.
These Germans consisted OF two Hes
sian regiments-the V. Bose and
the Crown Prince-two South Ger.
man regiments, their artillery and
the Hessian and Bayreuth Yagers.
These prisoners occupied while at
Frederick The two barracks and 100
butts that had been built by the Bur
goyne prisoners, and many OF the
Hessians were quartered in the
poorhouse. At that time the Ger
man language was commonly spok-
en- in Frederick, and when the pri-
soners arrived they were delighted
to hear their native tongue. The
German prisoners speedily assimila-
ted with the Frederick farmers, hir-
ed themselves to them and married
among them. On September l, 1881,
Congress ordered all the prisoners
who were at work on the farms to
report in Frederick. But any OF
them could obtain release by the
payment OF eighty Spanish dollars.
Those who did not possess this sum
found friends to advance it for them,
agreeing to repay il in labor. These
bargains were made publicly at the
church door ard had legal sanction.
In that way many Hessians and
other Germans became citizens of
Mary land. When the news OF peace
reached Frederick in March. 1888.
none reiviced more than the Ger
man prisoners. They united in the
celebration, prepared fireworks,
and German band played the music
at the peace ball.
When Lafayette visited Frederick
in 1924 there was a military parade,
and among the soldiers there was a
remnant OF the Hessisns, who. Mr.
William Ross told Lafayette. were
highly respected citizens whom
the hand OF foreign despotism ar
rayed against you but they
have forgot their scars and ground
ed their enmity with their arms at
the siege OF Yorktown and now sin
cerely unite with US in the public
testimony OF nations love-"
Lafayette addressed the Hessians
directly in his speech. 1T is also
for me q great pleasure, he said,
to see among our former adver-
saries. whose gallant souls indign-
ant at the anti social abuse OF their
valor, at the vile bargain for their
lives and limbs, made between
European princes, and Witnessing
the happiness OF American freemen.
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