More material from Burgoyne's book, confirmed by my memory as well, which seems to debunk that statement that these were very loyal folks with a low desertion rate. Fact is, many of them deserted. When I ws younger and living in New Orleans, I learned about veterans of the 3rd Regiment being held in Baton Rouge, who upon release settled the area around what is now called Bayou des Allemands. Although Burgoyne has plenty of good information, its not complete. When I go to see my family graveyard in Freienhagen -- which Burgoyne does not credit with any participants, there are a number of historical stones commemorating those citizens who went with Freiherr von Leliwa and fell in the American wars. As far as the dichotomy about induction/conscription in the 1850s, that's a tough one. I can think of three solutions: (1) the town of original was not as stated -- Prussia owned many smaller parcels of real estate at that time, which might not show on the map (2) zealous immigration folks, for whom Prussia was Germany. (3) ignorance. In 1776, the 3rd Waldeck Regiment was raised. The regiment entered English service and was deployed to the rebellious colonies. Leaving Bremerhaven on Dutch ships, it arrived in New York. Of 1,225 soldiers in the regiment, 470 were natives of Waldeck. Some 720 would not return from the Americas, having been killed, gone missing or deserted (the Continental Congress offered land grants to Hessian deserters). This loss rate seems typical of England's "Hessian" mercenaries: State of origin Number of troops Losses Hesse-Cassel 16,992 6,500 (of which 2,000 were KIA) Hesse-Hanau 2,422 981 Brunswick 5,723 3,015 Ansbach-Bayreuth 1,644 461 Anhalt-Zerbst 1160 176 Waldeck 1,225 720 Sources: Max von Elking, German Allied Troops in the American War of Independence, B.E. Burgoyne, Waldeck Soldiers of the American Revolutionary WarIn the 1777 campaign, the 3rd Waldeck Regiment was garrisoned in Amboy, New Jersey. The regiment was sent to the Gulf Coast in 1778, and fought the Spanish at Baton Rouge and Pensacola, among other places. The regiment was captured in 1781 in Pensacola. The remnants were repatriated to Germany in 1783. A unit designated the 5th Waldeck Battalion was formed in 1784. It also entered Dutch service. Some former members of the 3rd Waldeck Regiment, having returned from the US, served in this battalion. In 1802, it was sent to garrison the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. The Waldeckers would (unsuccessfully) defend Capetown from the English in 1806. In 1806, when Napoleon dissolved the Batavian Republic and made Holland a kingdom under his brother Louis Napoleon, the regiments were reorganized. The 1st Waldeck Regiment became the 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment and the 2nd Waldeck Regiment became the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment. The 5th Waldeck Battalion was dissolved. Werner Saemmler Hindrichs Director of Operations ALS, Inc 1-540-592-7215 Fax: 1-703-832-0692

Thank you Werner Saemmler Hindrichs for a most interesting and detailed account. We have Henry Iles, b abt 1749, died in Bennington Township, Licking County, OH. We understand that the name may have been Iler\Oiler\ or others. Family tradition is that he was Hessian Soldier who managed to stay in this country. He married Mary M. Stine about 1782. It is maintained that he was born in England. Were there any such troops sent to the colonies from England? --- Original Message ----- From: <Antiquariu@aol.com> To: <HESSE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2003 1:44 AM Subject: Re: [HESSE] Hessian Soldiers > More material from Burgoyne's book, confirmed by my memory as well, which > seems to debunk that statement that these were very loyal folks with a low > desertion rate. Fact is, many of them deserted. When I ws younger and living in > New Orleans, I learned about veterans of the 3rd Regiment being held in Baton > Rouge, who upon release settled the area around what is now called Bayou des > Allemands. > Although Burgoyne has plenty of good information, its not complete. When I > go to see my family graveyard in Freienhagen -- which Burgoyne does not credit > with any participants, there are a number of historical stones commemorating > those citizens who went with Freiherr von Leliwa and fell in the American wars. > > > As far as the dichotomy about induction/conscription in the 1850s, that's a > tough one. I can think of three solutions: (1) the town of original was not > as stated -- Prussia owned many smaller parcels of real estate at that time, > which might not show on the map (2) zealous immigration folks, for whom > Prussia was Germany. (3) ignorance. > > In 1776, the 3rd Waldeck Regiment was raised. The regiment entered English > service and was deployed to the rebellious colonies. Leaving Bremerhaven on > Dutch ships, it arrived in New York. Of 1,225 soldiers in the regiment, 470 were > natives of Waldeck. Some 720 would not return from the Americas, having been > killed, gone missing or deserted (the Continental Congress offered land grants > to Hessian deserters). This loss rate seems typical of England's "Hessian" > mercenaries: State of origin Number of troops Losses > Hesse-Cassel 16,992 6,500 (of which 2,000 were KIA) > Hesse-Hanau 2,422 981 > Brunswick 5,723 3,015 > Ansbach-Bayreuth 1,644 461 > Anhalt-Zerbst 1160 176 > Waldeck 1,225 720 > Sources: Max von Elking, German Allied Troops in the American War of > Independence, B.E. Burgoyne, Waldeck Soldiers of the American Revolutionary WarIn the > 1777 campaign, the 3rd Waldeck Regiment was garrisoned in Amboy, New Jersey. > The regiment was sent to the Gulf Coast in 1778, and fought the Spanish at > Baton Rouge and Pensacola, among other places. The regiment was captured in 1781 > in Pensacola. The remnants were repatriated to Germany in 1783. A unit > designated the 5th Waldeck Battalion was formed in 1784. It also entered Dutch > service. Some former members of the 3rd Waldeck Regiment, having returned from the > US, served in this battalion. In 1802, it was sent to garrison the Cape of Good > Hope in South Africa. The Waldeckers would (unsuccessfully) defend Capetown > from the English in 1806. In 1806, when Napoleon dissolved the Batavian Republic > and made Holland a kingdom under his brother Louis Napoleon, the regiments > were reorganized. The 1st Waldeck Regiment became the 3rd Battalion, 1st > Infantry Regiment and the 2nd Waldeck Regiment became the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Infantry > Regiment. The 5th Waldeck Battalion was dissolved. > > > > > > Director of Operations > ALS, Inc > 1-540-592-7215 > Fax: 1-703-832-0692 >