Seeking information on a Hessian soldier

This article contain information about Winchester VA being a prison camp for British & Hessian soldiers during the Rev. War. 

http://www.rasnickfamily.org/thehessianbarracks.pdf

The Johannes Schwalm Historical Association  has records and articles related to the Hessian soldiers.

http://jsha.org/

Dear Mr. Lacefield,

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

We searched the National Archives Catalog and located multiple records relating to prisoners in the Records of the Continental and Confederation Congresses and the Constitutional Convention (Record Group 360) and the War Department Collection of Revolutionary War Records, 1709 - 1939 (Record Group 93). We also located a reference guide to records relating to Prisoners during the Revolutionary War, 1776-1783.  These records are in the custody of the National Archives in Washington, DC - Textual Reference (RDT1). For more information please contact RDT1 via email at Archives1reference@nara.gov but please note that the National Archives has limited or often no information concerning individual German auxiliaries.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of NARA staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgement as well as a substantive response to your reference request from RDT1. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.

We also searched Founders Online for “British Prisoners” with multiple results. Founders Online was established through a partnership between the National Archives and the University of Virginia Press to make available the papers of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison.

We have been informed by the Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, that they have some information about Hessians and other German auxiliaries among their holdings. The blog Not Your Usual Redcoats: Notes on Interrogations of British Deserters in George Washington’s Papers discusses some of these records.

The Manuscripts Division of the William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan has the collection German Auxiliaries muster rolls (1776-1786, bulk 1781-1783). 

The following publications listed in WorldCat may be useful in your research. We suggest that if you do not see an institution near you listed, that you contact your local state, university, and public libraries, because not all libraries are listed in WorldCat. You may wish to arrange for an interlibrary loan.

• Hessische Truppen im amerikanischen Unabhängigkeitskrieg (HETRINA) (Hessian Troops in the American Revolution). Six Volumes. Marburg, Germany: Archivschule, 1971-1976, 1987-.
• Muster Rolls and Prisoner-of-War Lists in American Archival Collections Pertaining to German Mercenary Troops Who Served with the British Forces During the American Revolution (Westland Publications, 1976, in three parts)

Please see the resources listed on the following pages.

• http://www.genealogycenter.org/Community/Blog/acpl-genealogy-blog/2011/09/10/Hessian_Soldiers
• https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Germany_Military_Records#American_Revolution_-_Hessian_Troops
• http://www.dlar.org/Bibliographies/2006Hessians.doc
• http://wvancestry.com/ReferenceMaterial/Files/Men_and_Events_of_the_Revolution_in_Winchester_and_Frederick_County_Virginia.pdf
• http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~amrevhessians/military/j/jails1a.htm#navbar
• https://livesandlegaciesblog.org/2018/03/07/hessians-and-history-learning-something-new-every-day/#_edn9
• https://www.americanrevolution.org/hessians/hessindex.php
• https://www.handleyregional.org/services/departments/archives/manuscripts/s/575-WFCHS-THL

We hope this information is helpful. Best of luck with your family research!