Forwarded to the Amrev-Hessians list: ----- Original Message ----- From: <Alijabav@aol.com> To: <hessian@sympatico.ca> Sent: Saturday, November 06, 2004 10:58 AM > ========================================= > Source: BAVARIAN-ANCESTORS-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Franconian soldiers in the American war (1775-1783) > > Hi, > info below might be of interest to US list-members, whose ancestors arrived > at this timeframe or to those whose ancestors are from the area of: > Ansbach (Middle Franconia) / Bayreuth (Upper Franconia) > Regards, Alija > > Circa 30,000 German soldiers were recruited and fought > in the American war (1775-1783). > There were about 2,400 Franconian soldiers amongst them. These > were *leased* by the Margrave of Ansbach-Bayreuth to the British King > for 6 years. From these, ca. 700 soldiers deserted and stayed voluntarily > in America. > > A list of their names: > http://home.t-online.de/home/jochen.seidel/liste.htm > Deserteure, Ueberläufer und Neusiedler > > [Alphabetical list of names of Franconian soldiers who > deserted and *choose* to stay in America] > excerpt from the book: > Die Ansbach-Bayreuther Truppen im Amerikanischen Unabhängigkeitskrieg, > 1777-1783, > Erhard Städtler: Nürnberg 1956, S. 151ff. > > Their story in GERMAN: > http://home.t-online.de/home/jochen.seidel/usa1777.htm > Der Einsatz fränkischer Truppen im Amerikanischen Unabhängigkeitskrieg > [Franconian soldiers in the American war of Independence] > [note:] > * with lots of old pictures + information > * at the end is a literature list with DE+EN books about the topic. > > > Total number of soldiers originally: ----- 2,353 soldiers > Soldiers who got back home: ------------ 1,183 sodiers > total of deaths & desertion: ---------------1,170 soldiers > Soldiers who stayed in the US: --------- 679 ~ 707 > > [note:] > these young men where mostly from the Ansbach, Bayreuth area, > but also from other near-by territories of the German Empire !] > > > Example of the first contingent who went over: > Total: ca. 1,285 Soldaten (soldiers). [Mann ~ means soldiers] > > Regiment Ansbach, 570 Mann, > ........* 1 Grenadierkompanie and 4 Musketierkompanien. > Regiment Bayreuth, 570 Mann, > ........* 1 Grenadierkompanie and 4 Musketierkompanien. > Jägerkompanie, 101 Mann > Artillerie je 2 Regimentsgeschütze, 44 Mann > > > The author remarked: > It's not easy to follow the trail of these FRANCONIAN soldiers who > stayed in America. Because most of the GERMAN soldiers, where > given the term *Hessen* (means from Hessen), independently of where > they really came from in Germany. (Simply because the majority of > the total 30,000 German soldiers in this war came from *Hessen*) > > [note:] > Seems another group of the Franconia's who stayed, > went to the then British territory of Nova Scotia (Canada)] > > > [Titles + subtitles of the German text, with references to areas in > America where the Franconia's fought.] > http://home.t-online.de/home/jochen.seidel/usa1777.htm > > Der Einsatz fränkischer Truppen im Amerikanischen Unabhängigkeitskrieg > I. Der Amerikanische Unabhängigkeitskrieg > ...Steuerliche Belastungen > ...Beginn der Kampfhandlungen > ...Kämpfe um New York > ...Unfähigkeit des Oberkommandos > ...Die Aushandlung des Subsidienvertrags mit dem Markgrafen > ...Der Vertrag von 1777 > ...Die Anwerbungen > II. Der Weg nach Amerika > > III. Die Kriegsjahre in Amerika 1777-1781 > ....Das Jahr 1777 > ....Die Jäger am Brandywine-Fluss und bei der Eroberung > ....Philadelphias > ....Die Grenadiere in Staten Island, New York und bei der Sicherung > ....des Hudson > Das Jahr 1778 > ...Veränderung der Kommandostruktur > ...Der Abzug aus Philadelphia > ...Die Rhode Island - Expedition > ...Die Ankunft der ersten Verstärkung aus Europa > Das Jahr 1779 > ...Dienst in Rhode Island > ...Die Jäger Im Einsatz am Hudson River > ...Expedition nach Charleston, Virginia > Das Jahr 1780 > ...Das Schicksal der "Anna" > ...Die Eroberung von Charleston > ...Die Plünderung von Hackensack > Das Jahr 1781: Die Niederlage bei Yorktown (Virginia) > ...Portsmouth - Petersburg > ...Yorktown > IV. Die Gefangenschaft 1781-83 > .....Endlich Frieden! > V. Heimkehr nach Europa > ....Die Soldaten: Opfer, Heimkehrer und Deserteure > ....Heimkehrer > ....Deserteure > ....Nova Scotia > VI. Schlussbetrachtung > VII. Literatur >