Nelda -- YOUR term may be Hessian but please don't call it OUR term because to many, the term "Hessian" is/was intended to be derogatory. I believe there were two reasons that "Hessian" became synonomous with "German" when discussing the auxilary soldiers employed by the British and deployed to North America. First, when the "Hessians" landed at New York in 1776, they were all true Hessians coming from Hesse-Cassel (except one regiment of true, non-resident mercenaries recruited by/in Waldeck) consequently all the American newspapers called the Germans "Hessians" so the name stuck. Meanwhile the troops from Brunswick and from Hesse-Hanau were sent to Canada, far from the population centers of North America. Second, when the final count was in, something like 70% (plus or minus) of all the German auxilary troops deployed to North America came from either Hesse-Casel or Hesse-Hanau. The first of the continguent from Ansbach-Bayreuth didn't arrive until the Philadelphia campaign had begun in 1777 so they, too, were called "Hessians" when they arrived. The first continguent from Anhalt-Zerbst went to Canada in 1778 after Burgoyne's army had surrendered and major fighting had ended in that theatre and the second large deployment in 1782 from Anhalt-Zerbtst only made it to Halifax where they spent a year in garrison before returning home. As a historian, I prefer to refer to the sponsoring German state to identify the specific military units, viz-- Hesse-Cassel, Brunswick, Ansbach-Bayreuth, Hesse-Hanau, and Anhalt-Zerbst (listed here in declining order of quantiy of troops supplied). It really doesn't matter what generic term you you call the German auxilary troops. Purists will take exception to generic terms and generalist get annoyed by purists. Just don't call them "mercenaries" unless you are referring to the 3. englisch-waldeckisches Soldregiment, a true mercenary regiment of non-residents. Bob Brooks

Hi Bob, In reference to this list, was the only reference where I would use the term Hessian, the "OUR" was not meant to really include the members of the list but the list its self. The list is a non enity, the list manager stands in as that enity.... Does that make sence? The list uses that term to define the difference between the American soldiers, the English soldiers and the German soldiers. this list is for the Hessian soldier. So thus Hessian is OUR term for the German soldier.... If this list was just a list for the pure term Hessian then we could not discuss any other German soldier. Again your wonderful explanitions, help even non historians, non purist and non generalist ... like me! I have no dificulity with learning from a purist or a generalist.. I'm sure each has some information that all of us can learn from. Sorry I wrote it in such a way that you thought it included you as in "OUR".... Nelda...LM Nelda L. Percival nee Gilpin, IBSSG http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~bonsteinandgilpin/ http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gillock/ http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~bonsteinandgilpin/