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Archiver > BLACK > 2002-01 > 1010105216
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Subject: [BLACK-L] Re: Ohio Black's decended from Hessians, hired by British
Date: 3 Jan 2002 17:46:56 -0700
This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.
Surnames: BLACK/SCHWAR(T)Z - Hessian
Classification: Query
Message Board URL:
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/JNE.2ACIB/2422.1
Message Board Post:
This query about Hessians in the Ohio Valley is a rather 'long shot'. There were to my knowledge no Hessian military units
employed there during the American Revolution, although the
British themselves operated out of Detroit and made a few
excursions into the Ohio River area. Some disastrous, when
they ran into General George Rogers Clark's tough little army,
but with more success when under the British Col. Bird they
invaded Kentucky. Now here is the point where perhaps some
Hessians, or let's say, former Hessians, may have come into
play. During the early settlement of Kentucky 1778/79 some
escaped Hessians had joined with Virginians on the move west, and other Hessians who were captured in Louisiana in
1779 escaped from the Spanish and made their way north to
join up with General Clark. Mind you, I have not found the name BLACK or the German equivalent SCHWAR(T)Z in my
files as being missing in that area. There were several soldiers by the name Schwarz in America, but we would have to know more details to comment on. At this point I would like
to suggest to look into the mail list archives of the
list, or even to subscribe and put a query on the list with more details. We have many knowledgable researchers who may be able to help. Another line of thought - perhaps your ancestor came
long after the Revolution to the Ohio River area from even
perhaps Canada. Many Hessians first settled in Canada and
later moved to the new frontiers of the USA. Hope this will get you on the right track.
John Merz http://www.cgocable.net/~hessian
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