Founded in the year 1702 as "Regiment Schenk zu Schweinberg" the regiment became "Füsilier-Regiment von Ditfurth" in 1766, named after its new chief, General-Major Wilhelm Maximilian August von Ditfurth. The privates were almost entirely native hessians who were recruited in the area of the cities of Marburg and Frankenberg in the west of the german principality of Hesse-Cassel. During the American War of Independence the Regiment was part of the auxiliaries which were hired from Hesse-Cassel by the British. Since August 1776 the Fusiliers and Grenadiers of the Regiment took part in the battles of Flatbush, White Plains, Brandywine, and the siege of Charleston. The Uniform of the regiment was a very close copy of the prussian uniforms of the time.
