Some humorous history goes largely unreported. For example, circumstances surrounding Washington's success at the Battle of Trenton, December 26,1776, are not reported in the American records, but are in the Hessian's.
What seems suspiciously absent from the normally well-kept American records is that Colonel Donop's Hessian contingent stationed in Bordentown, 6 miles south of Trenton, to support Trenton in case of attack, had been lured south 12 miles to Mount Holly in response to American Colonel Griffin's colonial forces. Upon arriving in Mount Holly, December 23, both Colonel Griffin's force and all town residents had escaped to the countryside in advance of the literally rapacious Hessians. The one exception was an “exceedingly beautiful” widow in the house obviously the choice for overnight headquarters of Colonel Donop.
Donop chose indulge his opportunity of a willing lady for several days, keeping his troops in Mount Holly, and too far from Trenton to be of support. A Hessian Captain Ewald later wrote, “This great misfortune, which surely cost the utter loss of the thirteen splendid provinces of the Crown of England, was due partly to the extension of the cordon, partly to the fault of Col. Donop, who was led by the nose to Mount Holly by Col. Griffin, and detained there by love. Thus the fate of an entire Kingdoms often depends upon a few blockheads and irresolute men.”
Circumstantial evidence exists that a pretty young lapsed Quaker, a passionate patriot, an intimate of Washington, and widow of John Ross, was the mysterious lady.
Betsy Ross, it seems, not only stitched the American flag, but saved it without a stitch. However, one cannot tell that story to school children, but it does perhaps explain why Betsy Ross' pew in Christ Church was always next to Washington's.
------------------------------------------
Hessians in the American Revolution were know for aggressive rape and plunder, and it was Colonel Rall's Hessians in Trenton who had bayoneted 500 Americans trying to surrender at Fort Washington during the Battle of New York. However, Washington ordered the 826 captives from Trenton be treated compassionately since they had not chosen to fight this war.
The Pennsylvania Militia assigned to escort the Hessians from New Jersey to a camp in Virginia, indeed, earned Hessian respect by following those orders. When they arrived at the Pennsylvania border, the Militia Captain his captives to continue on alone. Three days later, the Hessians arrived at the Virginia camp,to a man.
After the war a quarter of the Hessians elected to stay in America. Many more returned to Germany only long enough to gather their families and sail for America.
------------------------------------------
Although Washington's forces were depleted to around 2500 by lapsing enlistments, Jerseymen guerrilla units swelled to near 12,000, during the winter of 1776-77. Seems the rape, plunder and foraging by Hessians and Redcoats, turned that winter into the fighting season for farmers. These units were aggressive and well led, often engaging in 8 to 10 attacks per week—and only bothering to report the larger ones.
This Foraging War continued until Spring, with British control reduced to the mouth of the Raritan River and Staten Island. The rest of New Jersey was liberated.
Americans knew from this time on this was a war they could win, and British Officers wrote home privately that they thought victory impossible.
------------------------------------------
America's Forgotten History, Part 1: Foundations, Mark David Ledbetter, 2010
No comments:
Post a Comment