Revolutionary War–dated manuscript DS, signed “W. de Gall, Brigadier General,” one page, 12 x 7.5, July 31, 1778. Document headed "Return of Provisions drawn Monthly by the Hesse Hanau Regiment of Infantry," while held captive as part of Burgoyne's Convention Army at Winter Hill, Massachusetts. The muster roll lists a total of 444, including eleven women and sixteen servants, drawing a combined total of over 26,000 rations in a two-month span. In fine condition.
Burgoyne's 'Convention Army,' which surrendered to American forces after the decisive Battles of Saratoga in 1777, included a significant number of Hessian troops—German soldiers hired by the British to supplement their forces. These Hessians, primarily from Brunswick and Hesse-Hanau, had fought alongside British regulars throughout the campaign, enduring difficult marches and harsh wilderness conditions. When General John Burgoyne capitulated to General Horatio Gates, the entire force—British, Loyalist, and German—was taken prisoner under the terms of the Convention of Saratoga, which promised their return to Europe. However, the Continental Congress later voided the agreement, and the Hessians, along with the rest of the Convention Army, remained in captivity until war's end.
