This is all I know about my Hessian ancester:
WALTER/WALTHER - His surname was WALTER/WALTHER, and his grave was in the Newton,
Lackawanna County, PA cemetery. In the 1930's my brother helped
my father tend that and other graves before Memorial Day. That
grave, along with a few others, was removed when the road was widened.
Neither my brother nor I remember the information that was on the
gravestone. The cemetery caretaker said no records from any of the
removed gravestones was recorded. So the only actual information I
have is that the grave existed, and my father said the person buried
there was our ancestor and was a Hessian soldier. Is this an
insurmountable stone wall, or are there ways for me to find out
more about this ancestor?
Any help would be appreciated.
Elie Bortz
One of these names is Friedrich Bernges son of Johann Bernges and Anna Hedwig born on 4 February 1756 in Bleichenbach,
Hesse, Germany. He was in the Bourgoyne Regiment, fifth unit, as a musketeer. He was captured, traded to the British and
recaptured. After the last time he joined the Rhode Island Regiment as a private. After the war he settled in upper New York along
Lake George.
The other soldier was named Anton John Watteremann.
Now both of these individuals are credited with marrying Hannah Newland.
Any additional information would be appreciated. It is frustrating trying to get a hard link.
Thanks, Clark Cox
Could you suggest where I can start looking to find more information on Heinrich? I would like to know more about the
battles, etc. Except for the Headless Horseman, I never even heard of the word Hessian, but have spent a lot of time on the
Internet learning. Any direction you can give me will be appreciated.
Edna McClain
Conrad Wolfkill was taken as a prisioner of war and held in Chambersburg
Pa. When he was released, he married Mary and settled in Cumberland
Pennsylvania and died in 1813. He had 6 children but I only know the name
of my (4) greats-grandfather, Peter Wolfkill. Any thing you can tell me
about tracking down the names of ships or anything else would be
appreciated. Thanks,
Sue Gephardt
bortz@gate.net
WATTEREMANN - In researching the records of the Hessians in the American Revolution, I have come across two possibilities of my ancestor. This
particular individual John Chris(Christian) Burgess changed his name from his original German name. I get the impression that he
did not want to found out.
genejoycecox@freeport.com
WEDEKIN / WEDEKIND - I believe my ancestor was Heinrich Wedekin/Wedekind, age about 24, who I was told served in the Brunswick Regiment,
Von Riedesel unit , Vacante Company. He was captured at Saratoga, N. Y.. Henry deserted near Suffield, Conn. on 14,
Nov. 1778. I believe this is the same Henry that married Tabitha Prior on Jan 15, 1781.
emac@stoutinternet.com
WELLING, AUGUSTUS - - For more information please Click here
WOLFF, FRIEDRICH CARL - Officer in the rifle-regiment of Lieut.Gen. von Lossberg since 1758.
Listed in the regimental roll of October 20, 1782 as an officer in the
company of Maj.Gen. von Loos. Mentioned in the regimental diary as
returned from the U.S. to the regiment in Canada on August 23, 1783.
Friedrich Carl Wolff was born in Bassum, Germany, on August 28, 1737 and
died in Obernkirchen, Germany, on April 18, 1814. He was drafted in 1758,
fought the Seven Years' War, and was shipped to America. He returned to
Germany in 1783 and married in Rinteln, Germany, on January 29, 1788.
The significance to Americans of his marriage in Germany is that it was his
SECOND marriage recorded as the marriage of a WIDOWER. Thus he must have
had a first wife in America, and perhaps could have had American children
unknown to his German descendants.
His diary was passed to one of his grandsons, Georg Heinrich Wilhelm Wolff,
born in Dedesdorf, Germany, November 12, 1831. This grandson emigrated to
Baltimore in 1851, worked as a cook on German and American ships, and was
last heard of from a whaling ship docked in Mauritius in 1860. His
grandfather's, the Hessian soldier's diary is presumed lost togehter with
this emigrant.
Two grandaughters of Friedrich Carl Wolff, the Hessian soldier, emigrated
to Baltimore in 1849 and married there.
I. Caroline Margarethe Friederike Wolff, born in Desdesdorf, Germany,
February 4, 1826, married the Swiss Thomas Walther in Baltimore on December
31, 1850. Of her 4 known children, the only one surviving to 1865 was
Wilhelm Heinrich Thomas Walther, born in Baltimore on January 26, 1852. The
last news from the Walther family were by letter of 1865 to Germany from
Lincoln, Illinois, where they were unsuccessful farmers.
II. Sophie Elise Wilhelmine Wolff, born in Dedesdorf, Germany, on January
28, 1829, married W. R. Schmidt in Baltimore and had 4 known children.
1. Wilhelm became a pharmacist in St.Louis
2. Eugen
3. Alexander
4. Lottchen, who married John Leonardy, fruit grower in the State
of Washington.
I have one picture of each of the three grown sons, great-grandsons
of the Hessian soldier.
S. Damus
1879 Kingsdale Avenue
Gloucester, Ontario
Canada, K1T 1H9
e-mail: DIAagency@compuserve.com
WOLFKILL, CONRAD - I'm searching for info on my 5 greats grandfather. I know that he came
from Germany with his 5 brothers to serve as mercenaries for the British.
sgep@erols.com