Ludwig Hirdes, A Hessian Soldier Who Settled In America

Ludwig Hirdes (1750-1814) was born in the small town of Breuna in Hessen-Kassel (Germany). He was baptized in the Christian Protestant church. He learned the blacksmith trade from his father. The army drafted Ludwig, and he was one of thousands of Hessian troops shipped across the Atlantic Ocean to help the British fight against the American Patriots and French in the Revolutionary War. Ludwig's regiment (Rall) fought many successful battles along the east coast. But at Trenton, NJ, in 1776 American Patriot Gen. George Washington's frozen army crossed the Delaware River, surprised and defeated the Hessians. Six years later, Ludwig was on garrison duty in Charleston, SC. He and two comrades risked their lives to desert the army. They fled to a German community near Charlotte, NC. Ludwig married and started a new life as Lewis Hartis. He and his wife, Elizabeth, raised ten children. He owned a big farm and was active in church and community. This book was published 200 years after his death.