Due to the need to supply troops to American quickly to restore royal rule, King George III requested the Hesse-Kassel Landgrave begin assembling half of his force to sail at once, with preparations for movement begining even before the ratification of the treaty. The remainding half of his force would sail approximately four weeks later. For this reason the Hessians of Hesse-Kassel were separated into two divisions for movement to American. The following is information on their movement.

The units of the First Division began marching from their respective garrison towns between 29 February and 3 March 1776 with embarkation at the Port of Bremerlehe scheduled for 15 to 23 April 1776. On 17 April a fleet of 44 vessels set sail for the Port of Portsmouth, England. By the 26th of April the approximate 8,000 troops had assembled in Portmouth and awaited movement to North America. The transport of the First Division, along with the British soldiers destine for America, would sail in two convoys;

Group 1: The convoy departed 6 May 1776, Capt. William Hotham abroad the HMS Preston, commanded the fleet of 85 sail that included four Frigates (1 with 44 guns & 3 with 32 guns), one bomb vessel, a fireship, the hospital ship HMS Jersey and tranports with the first part of the First Division requiring 42 ships. The group included the following units:


1st Company, Hesse-Kassel Jägers: 138 men
Lieb Regiment: 688 men
Regiment Erbprinz: 698 men

March 15, 1776: Regiment departed garrison at Hanau
: Embarked Port of Bremerlehe

Regiment Prinz Carl: 690 men

January 21, 1776: Regiment departed garrison at Hersfeld
March 23, 1776: Embarked Port of Bremerlehe
April 17, 1776: Sailed from Bremerlehe for Portsmouth, England

Regiment von Dittfurth: 684 men

February 11, 1776: Regiment departed garrison at Marburg
March 10, 1776: Embarked Port of Bremerlehe

Regiment von Donop: 696 men

February 29, 1776: Regiment departed garrison at Homberg/Efze
March 23, 1776: Embarked Port of Bremerlehe
April 16, 1776: Sailed from Bremerlehe for Portsmouth, England (aboard Elizabeth)

Regiment von Lossberg: 687 men

March 10, 1776: Regiment departed garrison at Rinton
April 14, 1776: Embarked Port of Bremerlehe

Regiment von Knyphausen [4 companies]: 525 men

March 3, 1776: Regiment depart garrison at Ziegenhain
April 15-17, 1776: Embarked Port of Bremerlehe (aboarded Claudina)

Regiment von Trümbach (von Bose): 677 men
Grenadier-Bataillon von Linsingen: 548 men
Grenadier-Battailon von Block (Lengerke): 553 men
Grenadier-Battailon von Minnigerode: 555 men

March 10, 1776: Regiment departed garrison at Wolfhagen and Immenhausen
April 15, 1776: Embarked Port of Bremerlehe
April 17, 1776: Sailed from Bremerlehe for Portsmouth, England

Artillery: 242 men



Group 2: The convoy departed 26 May 1776, Captain Henry Davis abroad the HMS Repulse, commanded the fleet of 25 sail that included one Frigates (with 32 guns) and tranports with the second part of the First Division requiring 6 transport ships. This group included the following units:


Regiment von Knyphausen [1 company]: 154 men

March 3, 1776: Regiment depart garrison at Ziegenhain
April 15-17, 1776: Embarked Port of Bremerlehe (aboarded Claudina)

Regiment von Mirbach [estimated at]: 690 men

March 1, 1776: Regiment depart garrison at Melsungen
April 19, 1776: Embarked Port of Bremerlehe

Grenadier-Regiment Rall [estimated at]: 690 men


The Preston and Repulse flagged fleets came within sight of each other a few miles of Sandy Hook and began disenbarking on 14 August. Captain Hotham reported the loss of the Hessian Troops by sickness was between ten or twelve. Captain Davis reported that "the Troops are in perfect health, having not lost a man during the Voyage."

The units of the Second Division began marching from their respective garrison towns in may, 1776 with embarkation at the Port of Ritzebutte scheduled for June 1776. The approximate 4,300 troops would arrive in New York Harbor on 18 October 1776. The following units made up the Second Division;


2nd Company, Hesse-Kassel Jägers (Ewald)
Grenadier Battalion von Koehler (von Graf / von Platte)
Regiment von Bünau
Regiment von Stein (von Seitz)

May 6, 1776: Regiment departed garrison at Hersfeld
June 9, 1776: Embarked Port of Ritzebuttel

Regiment Landgraf (von Wutgenau)
Regiment von Wissenbach (von Knoblauch)
Regiment von Huyn (von Benning)