Cathy and Carla, It is known that the Hessian soldiers who remained in America after the Revolutionary War tended to stick together and to live in close proximity to one other geographically. You two are the first I have heard from indicating that their "Hessian" ancestors settled in Mifflin Co., Pa. where my 4th great-grandfather, a Hessian soldier, also settled. I will enjoy further correspondence with both of you. My 4th great-grandfather, Johannes Zulauf, was a Hessian soldier who landed at Staten Island on 15 August 1776. I learned he changed his name to Sulouff and I have spent the past 13 years doing research on him. He was with the v. Knyphausen Regiment in Trenton at Christmastide, 1776, and was one of the 753 men from the Rall Brigade who managed to evade capture by Washington's forces the day after Christmas. These men were consolidated into the "Combined Battalion" from January 1777 to September 1778. In that Battalion, Zulauf was with the flotilla that sailed up the Chesapeake Bay to take Philadelphia from the west. He was at the Battle of Brandywine, crossed over the Schuylkill River the night of 22 October 1777, and spent the winter of 1777-78 in Philadelphia. He left Philadelphia on 15 June 1778, was at the Battle of Monmouth Courthouse on 27 June, and sailed from Navesink, N.J., back to New York (Staten) Island the first week of July 1778. He remained on New York Island for a year, during which time the v. Knyphausen Regiment was recommissioned. On 8 September 1779 the v. Knyphausen Regiment set sail in a flotilla bound for Canada. The British ship on which Zulauf was embarked, the TRITON, was badly damaged in a hurricane and was captured by Americans at sea on 26 September. On the list of those captured, Zulauf is listed as a "Servant to Officers." The prisoners were put ashore at Little Egg Harbor, N.J. and were hastily marched across Jersey to Philadelphia, where they arrived on 6 October. From there Zulauf went with his company officers to Reading, where they arrived on 15 October 1779, and where Zulauf remained until the end of the war in 1783. On 11 July 1782 Congress declared that any German prisoner of war who desired to remain in the States could (1) take the Oath Of Allegiance, (2) make cash payment of $80 (30 pounds Sterling) to the Finance Minister, and thereby obtain from the Board Of War a certificate stating he was (1) discharged from confinement, (2) was no longer considered a prisoner of war, and (3) was entitled to the rights and privileges of the free citizens of the United States. Prisoners who did not have sufficient money to buy their "redemption" certificates could indenture themselves to someone who would provide the required amount. Such indenture was limited to three years. On 28 March 1783 Johannes Zulauf married a girl from the country just south of Reading and began farming in Robeson Twp., Berks Co. The Zulauf family moved from Berks Co. to northern York Co. in 1792. I found the deed for their Newberry Twp. farm in the Pennsylvania Archives in Harrisburg, Pa. They moved again to (then) Mifflin Co. in 1802, where Johannes bought a 206 acre farm for 600 pounds Sterling in Milford Twp. This township lay in the portion of Mifflin Co. which became Juniata Co. in 1831. The original deed for this farm, dated 12 May 1802, is held in the office of the Mifflin County recorder. Here Johannes Zulauf, now known as John Sulouff, and his wife raised eight children, all of whom married and raised families in what is today Juniata Co. Cathy, I would very much appreciate learning more about the information provided by your father-in-law that land was granted to these POW's who "became loyal to the American side." I have searched and failed to find evidence of such land being granted to Johannes Zulauf, aka John Sulouff. I hope the results of my research will point in directions that will be helpful to you. Please contact me if you have any questions. Rev. Nelson R. Sulouff Retired in Arizona ///////////////////////////////////////Don Ertley wrote: > > Dear Carla, > > I was intrigued to read your posting about the Hessian connection. In our > Ertley family history, the same story has been circulated for many years. I > have no source to date, that documents this idea, but seeing your query made > me want to re-think the possible origins. My father in law had discovered > that free land was granted to these Hessian mercenaries (in the Reading, PA > area?) who were willing to defect from the British army and become loyal to > the American side. I'd like to correspond with you on this topic. Please > contact me at dertley@nbi.ispkenya.com Thanks, Cathy > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Don and Cathy Ertley > World Mission Associates > P.O. Box 21410 > Nairobi, Kenya > E-mail: dertley@nbi.ispkenya.com > Web Site: www.wmausa.org > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Carla Harris <charris@texas.net> > To: <PAMIFFLI-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Friday, August 11, 2000 4:07 AM > Subject: [PAMIFFLI-L] Hessian Ancestry: HARRIS in Mifflin Co., PA-Union > Hill, 1785-1810 > > > Posted on: Mifflin County, Pa Query Forum > > Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Pa/Mifflin/1048 > > > > Surname: HARRIS, DEETZ, VON HARRAFZ > > ------------------------- > > > > Hello, > > I have discovered something about my HARRIS family. My 4th > great-grandfather > > was a Hessian mercenary that went to America in 1776 to fight for the > British > > in the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). When the war was over he > > didn't want to return to Germany and he changed his name to HARRIS.There > > are old family letters that still exist that are written in German and > > mention a name, VON HARRAFZ/HARAFZ. There are letters from Germany to > Tuscarawas > > Co., OH to a David VON HARREZ/HERREZ. We are not sure who he is but, > believe > > VON HARRAFZ was our Hessian ancestor's name. The letters speak of > indentured > > servants and also that my Hessian ancestor was in servitude to the > Margrave > > of Bavaria. The Hessian fleet landed on American soil the 17th of Aug > 1776. > > That is the date I have to start with. My great-great-great-grandfather, > > my Hessian ancestors son, Henry Harris was born in Mifflin Co., > Pennsylvania > > in Union Hill about 1803. Henry HARRIS married Julia DEETZ in Tuscarawas > > Co., OH in 1829. There were more children born > > in Mifflin Co., PA: > > Sophia Harris > > Soloman Harris b. abt. 1806 > > Joseph Harris > > Jacob Harris b. abt. 1800 > > My Hessian ancestor moved with his family to Tuscarawas County, OH. Most > > of the above children are found in Tuscarawas Co., OH in 1850. > > Does any of this sound remotely familiar to anyone? I bet not but, if you > > happen to know how I can get copies of old Mifflin Co., PA records, say > > between 1785 and 1810 or information that I could find on any of this, > > please contact me. > > Thank you for your time and any kind of help is greatly appreciated. > > Carla Harris > > BTW, can anyone tell me exactly where Union Hill is? > > > > ==== PAMIFFLI Mailing List ====