The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-06
HOW THE HESSIANS CAME.
A Historical Examination Of George
Ills Hireling Army.

To EDITOR OF TIL SUN-Str: The
i~nterrogatory challenge conveyed by the
pen name 'Ammi Wright" invites this
reply to his communication of Novem-
Der 1. He asks:
an the hour of our greatest peril,
when BUR people were fighting against
overwhelming odds to establish this ma
ton. what did the Germans do to help
them" The italics are mine lie
answers his own question by saying.
They sold to Britain $4,000 soldiers
to help destroy Washington and his
little army"
Now let us submit that reply to 'the
bright light Of truth" .
by reference to his history "Ammi
Wright will learn that Wilhelm V. OF
Hesse-Cassel established tho practice
Of hiring out Hessian soldiers TO hght
In the service of foreign princes. His
son the Landgraf, Friedrich l.. King OF
Sweden in 1920. resigned his Hessian
territories to his brother Wilhelm WILL.
who fought under the British n
Hanoverian flag In the Seven Years
war. His son Friedrich II. kept up
tho practice of hiring Hessian soldiers
to his royal friends when the latter
needed additional troops.
Friedrich ii. and King George III.
Of England, who was also the ruler Of
VIA lhICT tFo
Hanover. were boon companions. Fried
rich had men to sell and needed
money to keep up his splendid court :
George had $4,000. 900 and needed more
men they traded. Friedrich got the
100000 and George got $4,000. not
10000. OF Friedrich's Hessian hirelines,
and these are the men whom George
sent to America ito help destroy WASH
ington and his little army"
Hytl-
or trade of soldering; they had fought
before for Britain under Friedrich's
father; they did not care for whom they
fought or against whom they were led
so long as they were paid for II; In
short they were simply the pawns OF war
to be sold to the highest bidder.
No one who knows history will assert
that Hesse-Cassel at that time repre-
scented anything OF the moral or mate
rial forces OF what was then Germany.
Prussia was then the real heart OF Ger
many II Is still the ruling factor in tho
present German Empire.
In these days when . much IL said
and still moro written about the ter
rible "Prussianiz!ng" influence, It is en-
tightening to know that the history OF
that early day unquestionably proves
that Frederick tho Great. then King
Of Prussia. positively refused transit
through Prussian territory of that very
army OF $4,000 Hessians sold to King
George. n by that act indelibly
stamped this d~espicable act of both
Friedrich and George with his "Prus-
sianized" d~isapproyel. For he was
Americas friend so was Prussia and
both absolutely proved their friendship
later on.
A more truthful answer to the query
made by "Ammi Wright as to what
Germany did for US 'in our hour of
greatest peril is expressed in n word :
the immortal name OF Steuben
Steuben was what Germany did for
US then Steuben. the drill master OF
our Revolutionary army"
To prove that Steuben's valiant ser
vices In our cause were then highly APP
preciated by the patriots. II Ia historic
10 state that on no day when the
father of our country. George WASH
!ngton. resigned his commission as COM
mander in chief he wrote to Steuben
and said that he wished TO make use of
the last moment OF his public life TO
express in most positive words the OH
legations that America was under TO
Steuben for his faithful and meritorious
services.
And that. "Ammi Wright" II what
Germany did for us in the hour OF our
greatest peril" S.
NEW York, December I.