Coins of the Hessians in the American Revolution

My Hessian ancestor also lived in Pennsylvania. Penn had a large German population. The phrase "Pennsylvania Dutch" actually means Pennsylvania Deutsch, or German. The big question I have about my ancestor is they claim he was a colonel, and I don't think a colonel would desert. He was also in his early 20s at the time, and that's young for a colonel. Then again, if you read older records many "upstanding" men were called by military titles even if their military experience was limited.

 

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So far I have not looked up his military service record, but I have of several other American Revolutionary ancestors - one of mine was an ensign in the army - and all along I only though ensigns were in the navy or the marines. I guess ranks were a bit different back then. What is even more amazing is that at least with my ancestry I find it easier to find more information on my Revolutionary War ancestry than my Civil War ancestry.

I have to believe our ancestors came over here rather unwillingly as mercenaries for another country and quickly figured out they were in greener pastures. Life in Hesse couldn't have been too good if you were willing to jump the ship and live in a foreign country with a foreign language and leave everything and everyone you know behind.

 

May well be that those mercenaries who had been ordered to fight for the French-American side had more motivation, at the end, to stay in America. With the others - keep in mind that the people called "Hessians" by the Americans did not necessarily come from Hesse - it depends. From what I have read, about 17,000 of those who had survived went back across the Atlantic Ocean while about 5,000 stayed in North America.

Christian

 

There was a lifestyle possible in America that just wasn't within reach of most Europeans in those days. Our vast reserve of open land meant that anyone willing to work could have a farm of his own. In Europe that was not the case. If you grew up poor, or the fifth son in a family in Europe, you had little chance at improving yourself. In America the opportunities were limitless. That's why so many millions left everything they knew to come here.

 

Hi I have a possible coin of hessian origin, can any one help me identify https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw7FUjijTLS/?igshid=7ry0a1zcvhxk
Sorry for the link I cant seem to attach a regular picture file

 

Interesting subject - thanks OP.

Curious, though, that no mention has been made of Sleepy Hollow! Finding a Hessian coin(s) there would be interesting...the Headless Horseman Hoard! lol

 

The 1941 RKO film "The Devil and Daniel Webster" is about an 1840 New Hampshire farmer who sells his soul to the Devil for wealth, then tries to get Daniel Webster, the famous lawyer, to get him out of the contract.

The Devil explains that some farmers find gold lost by the Hessians.



"They can be all yours, just sign this contract!"

 

Very cool topic. I'll have to dig up my 1770s Hessen coins.

 

I have a 20 Krueger silver coin minted in Austria in 1775 that was allegedly given to a boatman as a tip or payment after helping Washington’s and his men across the deleware the night they surprised the hessians. This boatman apparently helped construct one ore more of the large chains that spanned across the river, such as the one on display at West Point. This coin was passed on as a family heirloom and then sold to me by the widow of the last owner. The widow lived in Trenton, nj within viewing distance of where Washington crossed. I don’t have any documentation of this, but I didn’t know the story until after I bought the coin and noticed the return address. I then inquired to the seller any history about the coin. And she told me the story. Hope this helps.

 

I have a 20 Krueger silver coin minted in Austria in 1775 that was allegedly given to a boatman as a tip or payment after helping Washington’s and his men across the deleware the night they surprised the hessians. This boatman apparently helped construct one ore more of the large chains that spanned across the river, such as the one on display at West Point. This coin was passed on as a family heirloom and then sold to me by the widow of the last owner. The widow lived in Trenton, nj within viewing distance of where Washington crossed. I don’t have any documentation of this, but I didn’t know the story until after I bought the coin and noticed the return address. I then inquired to the seller any history about the coin. And she told me the story. Hope this helps.