"A Hessian Diary of the American Revolution" by Johann Conrad Döhla is a rare and highly valuable primary-source account of the American Revolutionary War from the perspective of an enlisted German soldier. The modern English edition was translated and edited by Bruce E. Burgoyne and published by the University of Oklahoma Press in 1990.
This unique diary, written by one of approximately thirty thousand Hessian troops whose services were contracted by King George III to support the British war effort, is one of the most complete and informative firsthand accounts of the Revolution from the viewpoint of a common soldier. Döhla does not limit his writing to battlefield events; he also describes prewar developments, American customs, the cities and regions he encountered, and even international events that influenced the broader conflict. In addition, he offers personal evaluations of major military commanders, providing insight into how enlisted men perceived both their superiors and their enemies.
Döhla crossed the Atlantic in 1777 as a private in the Ansbach-Bayreuth contingent of German auxiliary forces. His American service began in New York in June of that year, followed by extended periods stationed on Staten Island and Manhattan. His regiment was later transferred to Newport, Rhode Island, where they remained for more than a year before British forces evacuated the area. Afterward, the unit returned briefly to the New York–New Jersey theater before being deployed to Virginia to reinforce British operations in the southern campaign.
One of the most significant sections of the diary covers the Yorktown campaign, where Döhla provides a vivid, ground-level description of the final major battle of the war. Following the British defeat and General Cornwallis’s surrender, he records his experience of captivity, spending approximately two years as a prisoner of war.
The editor, Bruce E. Burgoyne, contributes a detailed introduction on the Ansbach-Bayreuth regiments and provides extensive scholarly notes that help contextualize Döhla’s observations for modern readers. His translation preserves the immediacy of the original diary while making it accessible to both academic audiences and general readers.
