XXII 
FROM THE COUNT DE SCHAUMBERGH TO THE BARON 
HOHENDORF, COMMANDING THE HESSIAN TROOPS 
IN AMERICA 
Rome, 18 February, 1777. 
MONSIEUR LE BARON: *—On my return from 
Naples, I received at Rome your letter of the 27th 
December of last year. I have learned with un- 
speakable pleasure the courage our troops exhibited 
at Trenton, and you cannot imagine my joy on being 
told that of the 1,950 Hessians engaged in the fight, 
but 345 escaped. There were just 1,605 men killed, 
and I cannot sufficiently commend your prudence 
in sending an exact list of the dead to my minister 
in London. This precaution was the more neces- 
sary, as the report sent to the English ministry does 
not give but 1,455 dead. This would make 483,450 
florins instead of the 643,500 which I am entitled 
to demand under our convention. You will com- 
prehend the prejudice which such an error would 
work in my finances, and I do not doubt you will 
take the necessary pains to prove that Lord North’s 
list is false and yours correct. 
The court of London objects that there were a 
hundred wounded who ought not to be included 
in the list, nor paid for as dead; but I trust you will 
x This jeu d’esprit has been ascribed to Franklin. 
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