Johann von Hinrichs Johann von Hinrichs ( 1752 – 1834 ) received training as a military engineer . He served as an officer of Hessian jägers during the American Revolutionary War . He wrote a series of letters to his Minister of War which survive as an important historical record . Some time after the war , he offered his sword to the Kingdom of Prussia . In 1806 he commanded a brigade in the Prussian army and was captured in one of the early battles . American Revolution . Hinrichs was born in 1752 and joined the army of Hesse - Kassel . He fought in the American Revolutionary War as part of the first group of Hessian soldiers to arrive in America starting in 1776 . While serving as a lieutenant of jägers , he was badly wounded in the chest during the New York and New Jersey Campaign . He was promoted to captain in 1778 and wounded " several " more times during the war . He penned a series of letters to Friedrich Christian Arnold von Jungkenn , the Hesse - Kassel Minister of State . These missives survived and provide an important account of the war . On 18 January 1778 he wrote that the Americans were not , " to be despised " , and that it only , " requires Time and good leadership to make them formidable " . He also described his activities in detail during the Siege of Charleston in 1780 . Historian Mark M . Boatner III remarked that his writings show that , " he was well - educated and had a keen and intelligent interest in a wide variety of subjects from fighting to music " . He was trained as an engineer , fought as a jäger officer , and entered the line infantry in 1784 . Transferring his allegiance to Prussia soon after , he was granted a title of nobility . Napoleonic Wars . By 1806 , Hinrichs was a General - major in command of a brigade in Eugene Frederick Henry , Duke of Württemberg ' s Prussian Reserve in the War of the Fourth Coalition . On 17 October 1806 , he fought in the Battle of Halle against the French I Corps under France Jean - Baptiste Bernadotte . Hinrichs ' Advance Guard was made up of the " Borell " Fusilier battalion Nr . 9 , " Knorr " Fusilier battalion Nr . 12 , and " Hinrichs " Fusilier battalion Nr . 17 , two squadrons of " Usedom " Hussar Regiment Nr . 10 , one squadron of " Hertzberg " Dragoon Regiment Nr . 9 , one squadron of " Heyking " Dragoon Regiment Nr . 10 , and two horse artillery pieces . Württemberg ' s two infantry divisions lined up facing the city of Halle on the east bank of the Saale River . Meanwhile , Hinrichs defended the bridges on the west side of the city with a screen of infantry and dragoons , plus a few artillery pieces . Pierre Dupont de l ' Etang sent the 32nd Line Infantry Regiment charging east along the causeway that led to the bridges with the 9th Light Infantry and three cannons in support . The French smashed through the Prussian defenses and quickly seized an island in the river . The Prussian foot soldiers remaining on the west bank were rounded up and captured while the dragoons swam their horses to safety . Within an hour Dupont ' s soldiers captured all three bridges and made Hinrichs a prisoner . Rushing into Halle , the I Corps overran a Prussian battalion and routed another from the city . In the subsequent fighting , Württemberg ' s force was badly mauled , losing 5 , 000 killed , wounded , and captured . Bernadotte reported only 800 casualties . In the War of the Sixth Coalition , Hinrichs commanded 8 , 400 Prussian Landwehr at the siege of Küstrin . The operation lasted from April 1813 to 7 March 1814 before 5 , 000 French troops under Jean - Louis Fournier d ' Albe surrendered . Hinrichs led three battalions each of the 1st East Prussian , 2nd East Prussian , and 3rd Neumark Landwehr Regiments , two squadrons of the 2nd Neumark Landwehr Cavalry Regiment , and one 6 - pound foot battery . Hinrichs was promoted to Generalleutnant before his death in 1834 .