| | Letters
from the American War of Independence
Report by
Marburger
UniJournal
 Stored in
an unimpressive cardboard box in a forgotten corner of the Gilsa manor in
Northern Hesse, 140 letters from the American
War of Independence waited for their rediscovery for over two centuries. Their
addressee, the German nobleman and officer Georg Ernst von Gilsa, had to stay
home due to a battlefield injury and showed a lively interest in the occurrences
in Northern America. Letters by friends and
family, who had joined the British army as officers accompanying the 20.000
mercenaries from Hesse, inspired him to write a
comprehensive diary, in which he reflects widely the political events from 1754
to the 1790s.
 The
edition of the diary and the letters was the scope of a research project, which
is expected to be intensely absorbed by American scholars and the public. The
twelve letter writers report to “Dear Gilsa” directly from the battlefields and,
unlike other sources, do not avoid personal comments and remarks on politics and
military actions, but are characterized by a great intimateness. Valuable
descriptions of customs and culture are also included. Interestingly enough, the
young officers experience Northern America as a laboratory for new ideas on
society: when at first looking down on the rebellious farmers fighting the
British crown, they gradually get enthusiastic about the extraordinary dynamics
of a young people and pay deference to the American nation coming into
existence. The finding turns out to be an excellent source to exemplify vividly
topics usually abstract like the self-perception of nobility and the concepts of
nation and democracy.
 The
thrilling characteristic of these documents drawn from life is the fact that
they cover the complete period of the American War of Independence seen through
the eyes of direct witnesses. Therefore, the Gilsa letters also provide an
unique contribution to the interpretation of the military as a social system as
well as of the interrelations of military, society, economy and state. In
combination with the diary kept by Gilsa, the letters possess an extraordinary
historic value.
Contact: Christoph
Kampmann,
Professor of
History |
