German Battalion

German Battalion 8th Maryland
Active	1776–1781
Allegiance	Continental Congress
Type	Infantry
Size	8 to 9 companies
Part of	Continental Army
Engagements	Battle of Trenton (1776) Battle of Assunpink Creek (1777) Battle of Princeton (1777) Battle of Brandywine (1777) Battle of Germantown (1777) Battle of Monmouth (1778) Sullivan Expedition (1779)
Commanders
Notable commanders	Colonel Nicholas Haussegger Colonel Henry Leonard d'Arendt

The German Battalion or German Regiment or 8th Maryland was an American infantry unit that served for about four and one-half years in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Authorized in May 1776, the unit was recruited from ethnic Germans from Maryland and Pennsylvania. The Continental Congress appointed Nicholas Haussegger to command the battalion, which initially organized in the strength of eight companies. While the unit assembled at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a ninth company was added. The battalion fought at Trenton in December 1776, where its soldiers called out in German for the Hessians to lay down their arms.

A week later, the German Battalion was in action at Assunpink Creek where a number of its troops were captured, including Haussegger. The next day, the unit fought at Princeton. After Haussegger defected to the British, George Washington appointed Prussian volunteer Henry Leonard d'Arendt to command the battalion. The battalion served with the 1st Virginia Brigade at Brandywine and Germantown in September and October 1777. The following June the German Battalion fought at Monmouth. Late in 1778, the unit was assigned to Edward Hand's brigade and served in the Sullivan Expedition in the summer of 1779. The battalion transferred to the New Jersey Brigade before being dissolved in January 1781.

Service record

Designation	Date	Brigade	Department
German Battalion	25 May 1776	none	none
German Battalion	27 June 1776	none	Middle
German Battalion	23 September 1776	none	Main Army
German Battalion	22 May 1777	2nd Maryland	Main Army
German Battalion	24 May 1777	1st Virginia	Main Army
German Battalion	22 July 1778	2nd Maryland	Main Army
German Battalion	24 November 1778	Hand's	Main Army
German Battalion	8 October 1779	none	Main Army
German Battalion	16 September 1780	New Jersey	Main Army
German Battalion	1 January 1781	New Jersey	disbanded

Bibliography

• Boatner, Mark M. III (1994). Encyclopedia of the American Revolution. Mechanicsburg, Pa.: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-0578-1. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Heitman, Francis Bernard (1914). Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army during the War of the Revolution. Washington, D.C.: Rare Book Shop Publishing Company. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• McGuire, Thomas J. (2006). The Philadelphia Campaign, Volume I. Mechanicsburg, Penn.: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-0178-6. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• McGuire, Thomas J. (2007). The Philadelphia Campaign, Volume II. Mechanicsburg, Penn.: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-0206-5. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Morrissey, Brendan (2008). Monmouth Courthouse 1778: The last great battle in the North. Long Island City, N.Y.: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-772-7. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Washington, George. "The writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources. Vol. 7. University of Virginia". Retrieved 17 February 2012.
• Wright, Robert K. Jr. (1989). The Continental Army. Washington, D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History. CMH Pub 60-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)