It seems to me it was the act of recruiting mercenaries that was 
reviled, much more than the mercenaries themselves.  There was a 
general sense that somehow the rebels were worthy of the cost in 
English blood to put down their rebellion.  Hessians were lured into 
desertion with promises of land, and significant numbers of them 
accepted these offers and settled places like western PA, Ohio and 
Kentucky.  The Pennsylvania troops were nearly as German as the 
Hessians.

I do recall that although they were conscripted and had no particular 
love for their cause, their craft, nor their master, they were superbly 
trained and feared for their effective use of the bayonet.

-jc

On Mar 31, 2004, at 9:35 AM, [log in to unmask] wrote:

>  and my last rant for the day-
>  my 9 yr old is reading a kid's novel set in 1778-
>  and we had a discussion in re the Hessions, whom to my natal memories 
> were even more despised that the Red Coats because they were 
> mercenaries.
>  So how do we reconcile this memory with all of the private 
> out-sourcing of so much of our armed forces- both armed and unarmed- 
> functions???
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
>
>  J.A. Drew Diaz
>
> EDGE Development Construction
>
> Suite 1205
>
> 150 W 28th St
>
> NY, NY 10001
>
>  
>
> t 212.741.7348
>
> f 212.741.7423
>
> c 917.971.1577
>
> e [log in to unmask]
>
> w http://edgedc.com
>
>  
>
>  
>
>  
>
>  
>
>
> -- 
>
>
> J.A. Drew Diaz
>
> EDGE Development Construction
>
> Suite 1205
>
> 150 W 28th St
>
> NY, NY 10001
>
>  
>
> t 212.741.7348
>
> f 212.741.7423
>
> c 917.971.1577
>
> e [log in to unmask]
>
> w http://edgedc.com
>
>  
>
>  
>
>  
>
>