Hessians: Officer, Baroness, Chaplain―Three German Experiences in the American Revolution

by Brady J. Crytzer

In 1775 the British Empire was in crisis. While buried in debt from years of combat against the French, revolution was stirring in its wealthiest North American colonies. To allow the rebellion to fester would cost them dearly, but to confront it would press their exhausted armed forces to a breaking point. Faced with a nearly impossible decision, the administrators of the world's largest empire elected to employ the armies of the Holy Roman Empire to suppress the sedition of the American revolutionaries. By 1776 there would be 18,000 German soldiers marching through the wilds of North America, and by war's end there would be over 30,000. To the colonists these forces were "mercenaries," and to the Germans the Americans were "rebels." While soldiers of fortune fight for mere profit, the soldiers of the Holy Roman Empire went to war in the name of their country, and were paid little for their services, while their respective kings made fortunes off of their blood and sacrifice among the British ranks. Labeled erroneously as "Hessians," the armies of the Holy Roman Empire came from six separate German states, each struggling to retain relevance in a newly enlightened and ever-changing world.

In Hessians: Mercenaries, Rebels, and the War for British North America historian Brady J. Crytzer explores the German experience during the American Revolution through the lives of three persons from vastly different walks of life, all thrust into the maelstrom of North American combat. Here are the stories of a dedicated career soldier, Johann Ewald, captain of a Field-Jager Corps, who fought from New York to the final battles along the Potomac; Frederika Charlotte Louise von Massow, Baroness von Riedesel who raced with her young children through the Canadian wilderness to reunite with her long-distant husband; and middle-aged chaplain Philipp Waldeck who struggled to make sense of it all while accompanying his unit through the exotic yet brutal conditions of the Caribbean and British Florida. Beautifully written, Hessians offers a glimpse into the American Revolution as seen through the eyes of the German armies commanded to destroy it.

Genres: History

304 pages, Hardcover

First published May 21, 2015

Reviews

[Cody Conroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this book 2 years ago but am just seeing now that it was still on my "Currently Reading shelf.

All in all, it was a fun book that taught me about what I wanted to know: The Hessians. A group of Germanic mercenaries that fought under the British flag in the Revolutionary War.

My favorite part was learning about the Hessian Officer Johann Ewald. Ewald was a fierce leader that highly boosted Hessian influence within the leaders of the British Army.

He died of dropsy 40 years after the war and was buried in Kiel, Germany. In WWII during the allied bombing campaign of Nazi Germany, his grave alongside the cemetery it belongsd was obliterated (indirect payback for his efforts against the US's birth!)

[Christopher Lutz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Provides a unique perspective on the American Revolution though the eyes of the Germans involved, military, civilian, and pastoral. My favorite part being the Battle of Pensacola and the experiences of the Hessian soldiers in the Caribbean and West Florida. A story brand new to me that was utterly fascinating.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this book, but was left somewhat disappointed. Typos and poor grammar abound and the author often throws in unnecessary (and sometimes inaccurate) asides and details. While the approach of highlighting three Germans was a great approach to the topic, it was poorly executed. The Reidesels' long captivity as part of the Convention Army, though well-documented, is glossed over in half a paragraph. The third part on Rev. Waldeck is more about the Spanish empire than on German auxiliaries. Absent from all three parts is any discussion of daily life for the common soldier in these German armies at home or in America.

There are definitely some nice sections (the section on Ewald is generally well-written), but it left much to be desired.

[Raully · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic perspective on the Revolutionary War from the Hessian side. Crytzer divides the book up into three biographies -- a Hessian soldier fighting as a ranger on the East Coast; a baroness tracking her husband while nursing the wounded in Canada/New York; and a Waldecker chaplain stationed in British Florida. The differences in gender, occupation and field give a broad perspective of the Revolution missing from our American-centric retelling of the Revolution. If I had one wish for the book, it would be that Crytzer paid more attention to the Reformed faith of his subjects, which obviously meant a great deal to them but always remains on the periphery of this military historian's sight.