From: "John Ashbury" <wasps65@earthlink.net> Sent: Friday, August 27, 2004 7:01 PM > ============================= > Source: MDFREDER-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: History Moment - 8-27 > > On August 27, 1783, orders were issued that Revolutionary War prisoners of > war held at the Hessian Barracks in Frederick would be granted freedom to > remain in America upon the payments of $80 in Spanish gold. > NOTE: There is only one thing wrong with this - the date of August 27, 1783. The year was 1782 ! The first Hesse-Hanau soldier "SOLD HIMSELF" on 3. August 1782, his name was Henrich KOEHLER, another one was Daniel HEILL. Cheers, John Merz

So who issued these orders and who recieved the $80 and why in spanish gold? my interest in this is that Justus Fernau is shown in HETRINA with a desertion date of 9/1782 could he have been one of these soldiers? thanks, Julie ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Merz" <hessian@sympatico.ca> To: <AMREV-HESSIANS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, August 27, 2004 9:15 PM Subject: [HESSIAN] Re: PML Search: Hessians- buying their 'Freedom'. > > From: "John Ashbury" <wasps65@earthlink.net> > Sent: Friday, August 27, 2004 7:01 PM > > ============================= > > Source: MDFREDER-L@rootsweb.com > > Subject: History Moment - 8-27 > > > > On August 27, 1783, orders were issued that Revolutionary War prisoners of > > war held at the Hessian Barracks in Frederick would be granted freedom to > > remain in America upon the payments of $80 in Spanish gold. > > > NOTE: > There is only one thing wrong with this - the date of August 27, 1783. > The year was 1782 ! > The first Hesse-Hanau soldier "SOLD HIMSELF" on 3. August 1782, > his name was Henrich KOEHLER, another one was Daniel HEILL. > Cheers, > John Merz > > > ==== AMREV-HESSIANS Mailing List ==== > HETRINA - "Hessische Truppen im Amerikanischen Unabhaengigkeitskrieg" > Six Volumes covering Hessen-Kassel, Hessen-Hanau, and Waldeck. > HETRINA does not cover Braunschweig/Brunswick, Ansbach-Bayreuth or Anhalt-Zerbst. Those are partly covered by other publications. > You'll find information in the keyword archive 1999 "26 feb 1999" >

Hi Julie; Johannes Fernau we have discussed on this list since 1998. The 4.Company Hessen-Kassel Erbprinz Soldier JUSTUS FERNAU, born 1748/49 in Eschwege/Hessen, is not only 6 years older as Johannes and born in a different location. His Hetrina entries list him as a prisoner in Sep.1782 and as a deserter in Sep.1782. These are the only entries for Justus in Hetrina III. Soldiers who sold themselves (indentured) were not listed as such in the Hetrina volumes I to V, but in Hetrina VI (Hanau) there is the special designation 32 - Indentured Servant. So it could well be that the date of Septeber 1782 and deserted would indicate that this soldier sold himself, meaning he left German service without permission of his German superiors, and that was equal to desertion. Cheers, John Merz ----- Original Message ----- From: "Julie-Clark" <julie-clark@sbcglobal.net> To: <AMREV-HESSIANS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2004 11:09 AM Subject: Re: [HESSIAN] Re: PML Search: Hessians- buying their 'Freedom'. > So who issued these orders and who recieved the $80 and why in spanish gold? > my interest in this is that Justus Fernau is shown in HETRINA with a > desertion date of 9/1782 could he have been one of these soldiers? > thanks, Julie > > > > From: "John Ashbury" <wasps65@earthlink.net> > > Sent: Friday, August 27, 2004 7:01 PM > > > ============================= > > > Source: MDFREDER-L@rootsweb.com > > > Subject: History Moment - 8-27 > > > > > > On August 27, 1783, orders were issued that Revolutionary War prisoners > of <SNIP>