The German Allied Troops in the North American War of Independence, 1776–1783 by Max von Eelking, translated/edited by Joseph George Rosengarten, is a historical study of the German auxiliary forces—commonly known as “Hessians”—who served in British pay during the American Revolutionary War.
The work examines the participation of troops drawn primarily from the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, along with contingents from other German principalities, which were leased to Great Britain under subsidy agreements and deployed in North America between 1776 and 1783.
A central focus is the military organization and deployment of German auxiliary forces, including their structure, leadership, and role in key campaigns such as New York, the Hudson Valley, and the southern theater of the war. The book outlines how these units were integrated into British operational planning.
The study also explores the experience of German soldiers in America, including combat service, discipline, captivity, and interaction with both British allies and American forces. It draws heavily on archival material and earlier German military sources.
Another key theme is the broader European context of subsidized warfare, explaining how German states maintained standing armies that could be rented out as part of 18th-century diplomatic and military practice.
