In 1776, Pastor Friedrich Becker (1747-1825) went to North America with the Hessian corps as a hospital chaplain. He had been in North America for around one year when he wrote a letter to his friend Georg Ernst von und zu Gilsa, an officer and war councilor in Kassel, Germany, in the summer of 1777. (The letter is dated July 12; however, internal evidence suggests that he wrote it over a period of time leading up to that date.) Becker was one of several thousand Hessians that were stationed in New York at that time. The war had been going on for more than two years. The first German troops had arrived in New York roughly eleven months earlier, in August 1776. Already, the chaplain was losing hope that the British would be able to put down the rebellion. He also doubted that the war would be ending any time soon.

This post features an excerpt from Becker’s letter to Gilsa. In it, he refers to several key events that had occurred over the course of the previous year, including the Battle of Trenton in December of 1776, the Battle of Bound Brook in April 1777, and the circulation of Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense (originally published in January 1776) in the city of New York. Becker had strong opinions about these events and their effects on the state of the war and prospects for a British victory. While this and other letters by him reflect strong contempt for the disloyal Americans, he is also critical of British approaches to dealing with the rebellion. His criticism included overly lenient treatment of them by the British that only seemed to embolden the enemy. Becker is doubtful that the war will end soon and successfully “[i]f no other measures are taken with this rabble.” He also believes that the British need to place a greater trust in God and not only rely on their “wisdom and strength.”

Despite his expressions of disdain for the rebels, Becker recognizes the significant promise of America as a place of learning and the spread and improvement of the sciences. He predicts that it would quickly surpass other nations in this regard if only good instruction were made available and learnedness seen as a point of honor.

Becker remained in North America until the conclusion of the war. He served as hospital chaplain until 1778, when he was appointed staff chaplain. At some point (the date is not clear) he married an American woman, Charity Douty [Doty? Doughty?], who accompanied him back to Germany. She was twenty-five years old when she died in childbirth in 1787. Until his death in 1825, Becker served as a pastor for a congregation in the Hessian village of Weimar, roughly 10 miles from Kassel.

Note: This post does not include a German transcription of the letter. Readers can find it in the published collection of letters to Gilsa: Holger Th. Gräf, Lena Haunert und Christoph Kampmann, eds., Krieg in Amerika und Aufklärung in Hessen. Die Privatbriefe (1772-1784) an Georg Ernst von und zu Gilsa (Marburg, 2010), pp. 264-265, which has been fully digitized  and is available online.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Excerpt from a letter from Friedrich Becker to Georg Ernst von und zu Gilsa, New York, July 12, 1777

Now, what about our expedition to [New] Jersey? It did not turn out especially remarkable, perhaps nothing substantial had been intended. The rebels under the command of General Washington entrenched themselves so strongly at Bound Brook and positioned themselves on such cliffs that our army could not get there without the most dangerous assault and the sacrifice of many men. His Excellency, General Howe, therefore decided it was best for the entire army to withdraw. During this retreat, which took place at the end of last month, the Jäger, the Grenadier Battalion Minnigerode and one English regiment had the opportunity to fight with a corps of rebels under the command of General Sterling, and they beat them back with a loss of about 300 men and three French metal cannon, which are still completely new. The Grenadier Battalion Minnigerode captured two of these cannons, and the English regiment captured the third. Of our troops, two grenadiers were killed, six were wounded, and four Jäger died from the heat. After this, all of the allied troops left [New] Jersey and since the beginning of this month have been stationed on Staten Island, or rather, they are now all embarked and anchored off Staten Island. The intended destination of this large fleet is not known. It is generally suspected that it will go to New England, possibly to join up with General Carleton. His Excellency, General Lieutenant von Knyphausen, who has now assumed command, will embark tomorrow. General Clinton, who returned from England a few days ago, will not accompany the army but will remain in command of the troops at Kingsbridge, at Fort Knyphausen, and whatever is on this island. May God bless all their endeavors!

One thing is certain: there is still little indication of peace. Seven months ago, the prospects were much greater and almost certain. The unfortunate affair at Trenton has thwarted all our joyful and hopeful expectations. Through this fortunate coup, the rebels have become bold and extraordinarily daring. Every day, they are learning more and more about war and how to conduct it, and their enthusiasm for freedom is growing daily. A pamphlet titled “Common Sense” also contributes enormously to strengthening the freedom enthusiasts in their sweet dreams. Since this little book is only circulating individually in the city, I am currently copying it and will have the honor of sending it to Your Highness at the first opportunity. If no other measures are taken with this rabble, I am very doubtful of imminent peace and even more of a successful outcome of our endeavor. The gracious king has very few truly loyal subjects here. Today, they swear an oath of allegiance with all due ceremonies, and tomorrow they are already breaking it with equal insolence. We live among the disloyal; we eat and drink with them, we sleep beside them— in short, we have our enemy in our midst, warming and feeding him, for our gentle demeanor towards him only encourages him to insult us more severely. Our current situation is therefore not the best. Yet, for my comfort in these critical circumstances, I think, “the counsel of the Lord is wonderful, and He will lead everything to glorious completion. He frustrates the devices of the crafty.”

The American war is also a salutary chastisement for us. If it had already achieved its purpose, namely our improvement, we would certainly be further along than we are. I always think, when I seriously consider the matter, that the victory and the end of this unrest are entirely in our hands, insofar as we no longer place too much confidence in our wisdom and strength before our trust in that invisible divine assistance but instead unite both of them properly and better. That sad affair at Trenton, which remains a puzzle to many, holds no mystery for me from this perspective. It was, to use a milder term, a completely necessary consequence of the mindset that was almost universally prevalent among us at the time. If only this mindset is improved, our fortunes will also naturally again improve.

The rebels are in their imagination so certain of the successful outcome of their cause that, as is being said, they plan to celebrate the anniversary of their freedom for the first time this year. Perhaps, however, something will thwart their plans. I sincerely hope that this unrest will soon come to an end.

The sciences are still in their infancy here. There is a lack of sufficiently learned people. The few among the English are not enough for such a large country. I have no doubt that, once peace is restored and the spread and improvement of the sciences is made a serious focus, the American nation, to which Providence has granted such remarkable talents and has so far freed from many learned prejudices, will certainly rise significantly in a very short time in this regard. The children show much intelligence at an early age as well as an exceedingly lively and cheerful nature, free from all restraint and shyness. They are very eager to learn. If good instruction is provided and learnedness is made a point of honor, America will surely not only catch up with other nations in a short time but will advance ahead.

Featured Image: J. Leach, “Plan of the situation of the American & British armies, June 15st 1777,” Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library.