Two hundred years ago, if you were a poor German peasant in the province of Hesse-Darmstadt, you could be drafted into the army, and your regiment could be sold to whatever foreign country could afford to buy it. Frederic II sold some soldiers to George III, to put down a little disturbance in the American colonies. 22,000 troops, for around $15 million in today's money - or $730 per man, which was just about the going rate for an able bodied black slave too...

As if general George Washington doesn't have enough tangible obstacles to contend with, a scarcity of food, arms, ammunition, equipment he has now in addition a supernatural problem. Terrorizing the camp is a headless Hessian horseman who is seen riding about almost every night and unless this apparition is speedily dismounted and disposed of it doesn't look as if there will be a flood of re-enlistments at this most crucial hour.