On this day 250 years ago in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress was having translated into German so that it could communicated to the Hessian soldiers who had just landed in America, the following resolution:

Whereas it has been the wise policy of these states to extend the protection of their laws to all those who should settle among them, of whatever nation or religion they might be, and to admit them to a participation of the benefits of civil and religious freedom; and, the benevolence of this practice, as well as its salutary effects, have rendered it worthy of being continued in future times. And whereas, his Britannic majesty, in order to destroy our freedom and happiness, has commenced against us a cruel and unprovoked war; and, unable to engage Britons sufficient to execute his sanguinary measures, has applied for aid to certain foreign princes, who are in the habit of selling the blood of their people for money, and from them has procured and transported hither considerable numbers of foreigners.

And it is conceived, that such foreigners, if apprised of the practice of these states, would chuse to accept of lands, liberty, safety and a communion of good laws, and mild government, in a country where many of their friends and relations are already happily settled, rather than continue exposed to the toils and dangers of a long and bloody war, waged against a people, guilty of no other crime, than that of refusing to exchange freedom for slavery; and that they will do this the more especially when they reflect, that after they shall have violated every Christian and moral precept, by invading, and attempting to destroy, those who have never injured them or their country, their only reward, if they escape death and captivity, will be a return to the despotism of their prince, to be by him again sold to do the drudgery of some other enemy to the rights of mankind.

. . .

Resolved, Therefore, that these states will receive all such foreigners who shall leave the armies of his Britannic majesty in America, and shall chuse to become members of any of these states; that they shall be protected in the free exercise of their respective religions, and be invested with the rights, privileges and immunities of natives, as established by the laws of these states; and, moreover, that this Congress will provide, for every such person, 50 Acres of unappropriated lands in some of these states, to be held by him and his heirs in absolute property.

Source: Journals of the Continental Congress, Vol. V at 653-55; https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-hessians-were-supposed-to-quickly-end-the-american-revolution-instead-they-endured-years-of-battles-and-suffered-thousands-of-casualties-180989252/

On this day 250 years ago from his camp on Long Island (now Brooklyn), New York, Major General Nathanael Greene wrote to General Washington reporting on developments and to request unsuccessfully that Washington reverse his order to transfer one of Greene’s regiments from Long Island to New Jersey:

I beg leave to acquaint you that their peculiar Attachment to the old regiments that are here, their thorough Knowledge of the Ground, their Discipline and the good Order in which they are respecting Arms makes me desirous of their remaining here, if it can possibly be dispenced with and absolute Necessity does not require their removal—The most of the Troops that come over here are strangers to the Ground, Undisciplined and badly furnish’d with Arms—They will not be so apt to support each other in Time of Action as those who have long been acquainted, and who are not only attached to each other but to the Place—I have made this Application in Consequence of my own Observations and to evince the Propriety of it send you inclosed the Arrangement for your Inspection — Colo: Hand about Eight OClock yesterday Evening reported that the Hessians were landing on Staten Island to a considerable Number; that after their Landing they paraded upon the Beach and marched up the Hill towards the Flag staf— . . . —I have the Pleasure to inform you that the Troops appear to be in exceeding good Spirits and make no Doubt that if they should make their Attack here we shall be able to render a very good Account of them—I am carrying into Execution the late resolve of Congress respecting the removal of the Cattle dismantling of the Mills, removing the Grain already thrashed and having that which is still in Sheaf so stacked and disposed of that in Case of an Attack it may easily be destroyed- . . . -I am very sorry that I am under the Necessity of acquainting you that I am confined to my Bed with a raging Fever—The Critical Situation of Affairs makes me the more anxious but I hope thro’ the Assistance of Providence to be able to ride before the Presence of the Enemy may make it absolutely necessary

The Battle of Long Island two weeks later may have played out much differently if General Washington had heeded Greene’s advice to retain troops familiar with the ground on Long Island or if Greene had recovered quickly from his illness.

Source: “Major General Nathanael Greene to George Washington, 15 August 1776,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-06-02-0024. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 6, 13 August 1776 – 20 October 1776, ed. Philander D. Chase and Frank E. Grizzard, Jr. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1994, pp. 29–31.]