Ansbach-Bayreuth troops of the Holy Roman Empire appear in Winchester VA
Not all the German troops came from the Hessian principalities of Hesse-Kassel, Hesse-Darmstadt, Hesse-Hanau. Some came from "Ansbach-Bayreuth." This group of prisoners from "Ansbach-Bayreuth." were captured at the Battle of Yorktown VA and eventually appeared in Winchester VA.
Lion G Miles, in a historical publication of 1988 sourced below, indicates what battle produced prisoners who eventually were moved to the Winchester VA area.
The Trenton Prisoners 1777- 1778 p21
The Convention Army (prisoners from Saratago NY) 1780-1781 p32
The Yorktown Prisoners 1781-1782 p41, 42
2 Ansbach battalions totalling 948 prisoners were captured at Yorktown. See page 42 of publication below.
Source: Pages 19-63, The Winchester Hessian Barracks by Lion G Miles,
Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society Journal, Volume III published 1988,
The map below shows the Round Hill area. This area, near Round Hill, is where most of the prisoners (both British and German) of the Revolutionary War were held in the Winchester area. The prisoners constructed their own huts in this area.
Before the Yorktown Ansbach prisoners appeared in Winchester, the Hessian prisoners from the Trenton battle were moved to Winchester VA. The locals were tasked to build one big barracks building for them. But the contract to do so fell apart.
Hessian Huts
One of the Germans, Pvt Johann Conrad Dohla of the Bayreuth Regiment [Ansbach-Beyrouth] von Seybothen, described the huts as "built most miserably of wood and lime, most of them with no or very poor roofing, no resting places, bad fireplaces, neither door nor window, and lying in the middle of a forest." The militia guard, he added, "had small huts which were as bad as ours." The prisoners crowded "20-30 men to a hut, where we had hardly room to stand."
Source
Robert J. TILDEN (trans.), The Doehla Journal, in: William and Mary Quarterly, 2nd Ser., 22, 1942, p. 229-274
Timeframe
The Yorktown prisoners left Yorktown 21 Oct 1781. They arrived in Winchester 5 Nov 1781. More than 2000 had arrived. There were only about 60 to 70 huts awaiting them in the Round Hill area just west of Winchester. By Feb 1782 maybe 300 of the sick are left. The rest were moved north out of Winchester.
Daniel Morgan vs Town leaders
Daniel Morgan wants to remove the prisoners out of Winchester.
They're too dispersed. They're not well guarded. The British prisoners showed a greater desire to escape and did. The German prisoners desired less so, but some of them escaped too. Of over a 1000 prisoners , less than 800 could be rounded up for a count. They were dispersed all over the region, working for locals or wandering, or cutting wood, or escaping .
But the town leaders wanted their labor and business.
Colonel North writes on 6 Jan 1782 to General Lincoln:
" --- it is shocking to see the disposition of the Inhabitants of this Town [Winchester]. Nine tenths of them are termed sutlers, and of course interested in the Prisoners staying here; they would sacrifice the World to their own lucrative views and are now throwing Obstructions in their Favour, in my way --- from these circumstances I hope you agree with me that there is an Absolute Necessity for Breaking up this Post." page 45 The Winchester Hessian Barracks by Lion G Miles, Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society Journal, Volume III published 1988.
Daniel Morgan agrees for the same reasons, but also thinks the locals don't owe these prisoners anymore help than what the British did for him when he was prisoner in Quebec:
Daniel Morgan wrote to British Capt Graham who had complained of prisoner conditions for his men:
"If your men don't know how to work they must learn. . . .we did not send them to come among us, neither can we work for them to build them houses." He went on to say that when he had been a prisoner of the British at Quebec in 1776, he had shared a single room with 36 officers and their servants, "so that when we lay down upon our straw we covered the whole floore, consider this, and your men have nothing to grumble at." Finally, the tough old veteran informed the British Captain that, "you have nothing to do but Hut your men as soon as you can," because, "they must not stay in Town much longer."
The town leaders wanted the prisoners to stay.
On 25 Jan 1782 they petitioned the Virginia government "to make application to Congress to countermand the orders for the removal of the prisoners from the Neighbourhood of Winchester."
But those same citizens had complain to the American army impressing and taking of provisions from the citizens to provide food and support for the prisoners. Because of that complain the Virginia Assembly refused this request to keep the prisoners in Winchester.
Earlier the town leaders petitioned the Continental Congress on 15 Jan 1782 to keep the prisoners in Winchester. That was rejected. Those leader in that petition, which was called a "memorial" included "Frederick Conrad, a pioneer setter of Winchester and tanyard owner; Robert Wood, Col James Wood's brother; Philip Bush, German tavernkeeper of the Golden Buck Inn [on Cameron St Winchester]; David Pancost, operatoer of an iron furnace; Lewis Hoff, the wheelwright who had employed the Hesse-Hanau soldier, Conrad Krebs; Dr Robert Mackey, a leading surgeon; Thomas Edmonson, another tavernkeeper; and Col David Kennedy, who had first contracted to build barracks at Winchester."
"Phillip Bush himself probably delivered the memorial [petition] because he was in Philadelphia on the 16th soliciting for a contract to supply rations for the prisoners."
Page 46-47
The Winchester Hessian Barracks by Lion G Miles,
Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society Journal, Volume III published 1988,
James Wood's Report
The Yorktown prisoners left Yorktown 21 Oct 1781. They arrived in Winchester 5 Nov 1781. More than 2000 had arrived. There were only about 60 to 70 huts awaiting them in the Round Hill area just west of Winchester. By Feb 1782 maybe 300 of the sick are left. The rest were moved north out of Winchester.
James Wood talks about some prisoners wanting to stay. He says on Feb 1782 maybe 300 of the sick are left. The rest were moved north out of Winchester.
Colonel James Wood writes from Winchester to General Washington on 2 Feb 1782:
Since the Capture of Lord Cornwallis’s Army I Perceive among the Prisoners the Greatest Disgust to the British Service, Particularly the Germans, and Tradesmen belonging to the British; Several Sober Industrious Tradesmen have made Proposals to me of Serving two years without Pay in Our Army, to be Allowed the Liberty of Remaining in the Country, and becoming Citizens; many of whom wou’d be Valuable Acquisitions to any Country. The Ballance of Prisoners in Our favor being so Considerable, there is hardly a Probability of their being wanted as Objects of Exchange; your Excellency will, I am Persuaded, think this a matter worthy of future Consideration.
there is One Particular Instance Among the Germans in a Soldier who has his family with him, and who has, I am informed, Acquired Near two thousand Pounds Sterling in money and Bills, by Settling, who Offers to lay Out his money in Real Property, and to leave it, and his Family in Security for two Years, which he Agrees to serve in Our Army.
The Prisoners have been Removed from hence Agreeable to General Lincolns Orders, except the sick and those entirely Naked, amounting in the whole to Near three hundred; they are without Provisions except a little Flour which won’t last them more than Eight Days. As I have understood that General Lincoln is gone to the Eastward, I have taken the Liberty of Writing Mr Robert Morris On the Subject, urging the Necessity of a Temporary Provision being made for them, and such Straglers as I shall be able to Collect, until they Can be Removed. I have the Honor to be with every sentiment of Respect and Esteem. Sir Yr Excellency’s Very Obt Servt James Wood.
Col. 8th Va
Source
Lion G Miles article in 1988
Pages 41- 49
Source: Pages 19-63, The Winchester Hessian Barracks by Lion G Miles,
Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society Journal, Volume III published 1988,
Ansbach
Bayreuth
Holy Roman Empire
Notes
Not all the German troops came from the Hessian principalities of Hesse-Kassel, Hesse-Darmstadt, Hesse-Hanau. Some came from "Ansbach-Bayreuth." This group of prisoners from the Battle of Yorktown VA came from "Ansbach-Bayreuth" and eventually appeared in Winchester VA.
Two sources indicate the above claim:
Source 1
Ansbach-Bayreuth
The dual Margraviates of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Brandenburg-Bayreuth, under Margrave Charles Alexander, initially supplied 1,644 men to the British in two infantry battalions, one company of jägers and one of artillery, of whom 461 did not return home.[28] A total of 2,353 soldiers were sent from Ansbach-Bayreuth,[56] including an entire regiment of jägers.[57] They were described as "the tallest and best-looking regiments of all those here," and "better even than the Hessians."[58]
These troops were incorporated into Howe's army in New York and were part of the Philadelphia campaign.[59]
Ansbach-Bayreuth troops were also with General Cornwallis at the Siege of Yorktown,[60] with a force of nearly 1,100 troops.[61]
Source:
Source 2
The story told by Lion G Miles below indicates what battle produced prisoners eventually appearing in the Winchester VA area.
The Trenton Prisoners 1777- 1778 p21
The Convention Army (prisoners from Saratago NY) 1780-1781 p32
The Yorktown Prisoners 1781-1782 p41, 42
2 Ansbach battalions totalling 948 prisoners were captured at Yorktown. See page 42 of publication below.
Source: Pages 19-63, The Winchester Hessian Barracks by Lion G Miles,
Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society Journal, Volume III published 1988,
Conclusion:
Ansbach-Bayreuth prisoners came to the Winchester area from the Battle of Yorktown and not from the Philadelphia Campaign.
The map below shows the Round Hill area. This area is where most of the prisoners (both British and German) of the Revolutionary War were held in the Winchester area.
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