Translation[12] of a treaty between His Majesty and the Landgrave of
Hesse Cassel.
His Britannic Majesty being desirous of employing in his service a
body of twelve thousand men of the troops of His most Serene
Highness the reigning Landgrave of Hesse Cassel, and that prince
full of attachment for His Majesty, desiring nothing more than to
give him proofs of it, His Majesty, in order to settle the objects,
relative to this alliance has thought proper to send to Cassel the
Sieur William Faucitt his minister plenipotentiary and colonel in
his service, and His most Serene Highness has named, on his part
for the same purpose, the Baron Martin Erneste de Schlieffen, his
minister of state, lieutenant general and knight of his orders, who
being furnished with requisite full powers, have agreed that the
treaties formerly concluded between Great Britain and Hesse, shall
be made the basis of the present treaty, and to adopt as much of
them as shall be applicable to the present circumstances, or to
determine by new articles such points as must be settled otherwise,
every thing that shall not be differently regulated, shall be
deemed to subsist in full force, as it shall appear to be declared
in the abovementioned treaties, and as it is not possible to
specify each particular case, every thing that shall not be found
regulated in a precise manner, neither in the present treaty nor in
the former treaties, ought to be settled with equity and good
faith, conformably to the same principles which were agreed on by
each part to be pursued for regulating all such cases, whether
during or after the last war.
I. There shall be therefore, by virtue of this treaty between his
Majesty the King of Great Britain and his most Serene Highness the
Landgrave of Hesse Cassel, their successors and heirs, a strict
friendship, and a sincere, firm and constant union, in so much that
the one shall consider the interests of the other as his own, and
shall apply himself with good faith to advance them to the utmost,
and to prevent and avert mutually all trouble and loss.
II. To this end it is agreed, that all former treaties principally
of guaranty, be deemed to be renewed and confirmed by the present
treaty in all their points, articles and clauses, and shall be of
the same force as if they were herein inserted, word for word, so
far as it not derogated from them by the present treaty.
III. This body of twelwe thousand men, of the troops of Hesse,
which is to be employed in His Brittannic Majesty's service, shall
consist of four battallions of grenadiers, of four companies each,
fifteen battallions of Infantry, of five companies each, and two
companies of chasseurs, the whole provided with general and other
necessary officers. This corps shall be completely equipped and
provided with tents, and all accoutrements of which it may stand in
need; in a word shall be put upon the best footing possible, and
none shall be admitted into it but men fit for service, and
acknowledged for such by His Britannic Majesty's commissary.
Formerly the signature of the treaties has usually preceded, by
some time, the term of the requisition for the march of the troops,
but as in the present circumstances there is no time to be lost,
the day of signature of the present treaty is deemed to be also the
term of the requisition, and three battalions of grenadiers, six
battalions of Infantry, with one company of chasseurs, shall be in
a condition to pass in review before His Britannic Majesty's
commissary on the fourteenth of February, and shall begin to march
on the day following the fifteenth of February, for the place of
embarkation. The rest shall be ready in four weeks after, if
possible and march in like manner.
This body of troops shall not be separated, unless reasons of war
require it, but shall remain under the orders of the general to
whom His most Serene Highness has entrusted the command, and the
second division shall be conducted to the same places only where
the first shall actually be, if not contrary to the plan of
operations.
IV. Each battalion of this body of troops shall be provided with
two pieces of field artillery, with the officers, gunners and other
persons, and the train thereunto belonging, if his Majesty is
desirous of it.
V. Toward defraying the expence in which the most Serene Landgrave
shall be engaged, for the arming and putting in condition the said
corps of twelve thousand men, His Majesty the King of Great Britain
promises to pay to His most Serene Highness, for each foot soldier
thirty crown banco levy money, as well for the Infantry as for the
chasseurs, or artillery, if there should be any, the sum total of
which shall be ascertained according to the number of men composing
this corps, and as they have been reckoned in former alliances.
The sum of one hundred and eighty thousand crowns banco valued as
in the following article, shall be paid on account of this levy
money on the tenth of February, and the residue shall be paid, when
the second division of this corps shall begin their march.
VI. In all the former treaties a certain number of years is
stipulated for their duration, but in the present His Britannic
Majesty choosing rather not to engage himself for any longer time
than he shall have occasion for these troops, consents instead
thereof that the subsidy shall be double from the day of the
signature of this treaty to its expiration, that is to say, that it
shall amount for this body of twelve thousand men to the sum of
four hundred and fifty thousand crowns banco per annum, the crown
reckoned at fifty three sols of Holland, or at four shilling and
nine pence three farthings English money, and that the subsidy
shall continue upon this foot during all the time that this body of
troops shall remain in British pay. His Britannic Majesty engages
also to give notice to the most Serene Landgrave of its termination
twelwe months or a whole year before it shall take place, which
notice shall not even be given before this body of troops is
returned, and actually is arrived in the dominions of the said
prince, namely in Hesse, properly so called. His Majesty shall
continue equally to this corps the pay and other emoluments for the
remainder of the month in which it shall repass the frontiers of
Hesse, and His most Serene Highness reserves to himself on his side
the liberty of recalling his troops at the end of four years, if
they are not sent back before, or to agree with His Britannic
Majesty at the end of that time for another term.
VII. With regard to the pay and treatment, as well ordinary as
extraordinary, of the said troops, they shall be put on the same
foot, in all respects, with the national British troops, and His
Majesty's departement of war shall deliver without delay to that of
His most Serene Highness, an exact and faithful state of the pay
and treatment enjoyed by those troops, which pay and treatment, in
consideration that His most Serene Highness could not put this
corps in a condition to march in so short a time without
extraordinary expences, shall commence for the first division on
the first of February, and for the second, seven days before it
shall begin to march, and shall be paid into the military chest of
Hesse, without any abatement or deduction, to be distributed
according to the arrangements which shall be made for that purpose,
and the sum of twenty thousand pounds sterling shall be advanced
immediately on account of the said pay.
VIII.[13] If it should happen unfortunately that any regiment or
company of the said corps should be ruined or destroyed either by
accidents on the sea or otherwise, in the whole or in part, or that
the pieces of artillery or other effects with which they shall be
provided, should be taken by the enemy, or lost on the sea, His
Majesty the King of Great Britain shall cause to be paid the
expences of the necessary recruits, as well as the price of the
said field pieces and effects, in order forthwith to reinstate the
artillery or the said regiments and companies, and the said
recruits shall be settled likewise on the foot of those which were
furnished to the Hessian officers by virtue of the treaty of 1702,
article the fifth, to the end that the corps may be always
preserved and sent back in as good a state as it was delivered in,
the recruits annually necessary shall be sent to the English
Commissary, disciplined and compleetly equipped, at the place of
embarkation, at such time as His Britannic Majesty shall appoint.
IX. In Europe His Majesty shall make use of this body of troops by
land wherever he shall judge proper, but North America is the only
country of the other parts of the globe where this body of troops
shall be employed. They shall not serve on the sea, and they shall
enjoy, in all things without any restriction what soever, the same
pay and emoluments as are enjoyed by the English troops.
X. In case the Most Serene Landgrave should be attacked or
disturbed in the possession of his dominions, His Britannic Majesty
promises and engages to give him all the succour that it shall be
in his power to _afford_ (original _de donner_) which succour shall
be continued to him until he shall have obtained an entire security
and just indemnification: as the most Serene Landgrave promises
likewise on his part, that in case His Majesty the King of Great
Britain is attacked or disturbed in his kingdoms, dominions, lands,
provinces or towns, he will _give him_ (original, _lui prêtera_) in
like manner all the succour that it shall be in his power _to
afford_ (Original _de donner_) which succour shall likewise be
continued to him, until he shall have obtained a good and
advantageous peace.
XI. In order to render this alliance and union the more perfect and
to leave no doubt with the parties about the certainty of the
succour which they have to expect by virtue of this treaty, it is
expressly agreed, that to judge for the future whether the case of
this alliance and the stipulated succour exists or not, it shall
suffice, that either of the parties is actually attacked by force
of arms, without his having first used open force against him who
attackes him.
XII. The sick of the Hessian corps shall remain under the care of
their physicians, surgeons, and other persons appointed for that
purpose, under the orders of the general commanding the corps of
that nation, and every thing shall be allowed them, that His
Majesty allows to his own troops.
XIII. All the Hessian deserters shall be faithfully given up
wherever they shall be discovered in the places dependent on His
Britannic Majesty, and above all as far as it is possible, no
person whatever of that nation shall be permitted to establish
himself in America, without the consent of his sovereign.
XIV. All the transports of the troops, as well for the effects,
shall be at the expence of His Britannic Majesty, and none
belonging to the said corps shall pay any postage of letters, in
consideration of the distance of the places.
XV. The treaty shall be ratified by the high contracting parties,
and the ratifications thereof shall be exchanged as soon as
possible.
In witness whereof, we the undersigned, furnished with the full
power of His Majesty the King of Great Britain, on one part, and of
His most Serene Highness the reigning Landgrave of Hesse Cassel on
the other part, have signed the present treaty and have caused the
seals of our arms to be put thereto. Done at Cassell the fifteenth
of January in the year 1776.
_L.S. William Faucitt. L.S. M. de Schlieffen._