Christoph von Schmidt (General)

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Friedrich Johann Eduard Christoph von Schmidt (born July 26, 1809 in Königsberg , † November 11, 1876 in Metz ) was a Prussian general of the infantry and governor of the fortress Metz .

Life

origin

Christoph was a son of the Prussian captain of the artillery Friedrich von Schmidt (1763-1812) and his wife Magdalena Henriette, née Kanow (1767-1852). His father was on July 6, 1798 by King Friedrich Wilhelm III. was raised to the hereditary Prussian nobility . The Prussian Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Schmidt (1799–1867) was his older brother.

Career

After visiting the cadet houses in Kulm and Berlin , Schmidt joined the 4th Infantry Regiment of the Prussian Army on April 5, 1826 as a portepeef ensign . There he was promoted to secondary lieutenant in mid-February 1827 and was commanded as adjutant to the 1st Battalion in the 4th Landwehr Regiment in Bartenstein in 1836/41 . This was followed by a position as adjutant of the 1st Landwehr Brigade in Königsberg from mid-October 1845. When he was promoted to captain, Schmidt was transferred to the Adjutantur in mid-January 1849 and five months later came to Stargard as Adjutant of the 4th Division . With his appointment as company commander in the 6th Infantry Regiment , Schmidt resigned from the troop service on June 18, 1853 and on February 14, 1856, became a major in command of the 2nd Battalion in the 1st Landwehr Regiment in Wehlau . On April 12, 1859, he was transferred to Danzig as commander of the fusilier battalion in the 4th East Prussian Grenadier Regiment (No. 5) and as such Schmidt rose to lieutenant colonel on July 1, 1860 . From August to October 1860 he was posted to the War Ministry and chaired a commission that worked out instructions for the Landwehr district commands. On July 24, 1861 Schmidt took the lead of the 8th East Prussian Infantry Regiment No. 45 in Graudenz and on October 18, 1861 became a colonel . In 1863 he and his association were used to secure the border to Poland on the occasion of the January uprising . Under position à la suite of the regiment, he was appointed commander of the 16th Infantry Brigade in Erfurt on May 8, 1866 and promoted to major general a month later . In the war against Austria he led his brigade in the battles near Podol , Liebenau, Münchengrätz and Königgrätz and was awarded the Order of the Red Eagle, 2nd class with oak leaves and swords , for his work .

After the peace agreement he was commanded to the district of the newly created XI. Army Corps to Kassel , where Schmidt took over the regulation of the Landwehr and replacement relationships . At the end of February 1867 he resigned as commander of the 16th Infantry Brigade and from March to July 1867 was in command of the troops deployed to protect against the spread of rinderpest in the Thuringian states . For this activity he received the Commander's First Class of the Saxon-Ernestine House Order and the Schwarzburg First Class Cross of Honor . At the beginning of 1868 he was the president of the commission to examine the draft of a military substitute institution for the North German Confederation .

With the beginning of the war against France Schmidt was commander of the 10th division and on July 26, 1870 was promoted to lieutenant general. In the battle of Weißenburg he took over the leadership of the V Army Corps for the injured commanding general von Kirchbach . In the battle of Wörth , which took place two days later , his division bore the brunt of the battle, conquering Wörth and storming the Fröschweiler vineyards and the town of the same name. For this Schmidt received the Iron Cross II. Class and the Knight's Cross of the Military Max Joseph Order . At the Battle of Sedan one of his brigades managed to conquer the heights of Illy - Floing . Schmidt was also able to prove himself during the siege of Paris , particularly in the battles around Mont Valérien, and was awarded the Iron Cross First Class and the Pour le Mérite order .

At the end of March 1873, Emperor Wilhelm I awarded him the Order of the Red Eagle First Class with Oak Leaves and Swords on the Ring, and on October 11, 1873 appointed Schmidt Governor of Metz. In this position he received on March 22, 1875 the character of General of the Infantry and on February 12, 1876 the Grand Commander of the Bavarian Order of Military Merit . The patent for his rank was awarded to Schmidt on March 22, 1876. At the end of July 1876 he celebrated his 50th anniversary with the company. During a tour of the troops with storms lasting several hours , Schmidt contracted a severe cold and an abdominal ailment, from which he died after spending several weeks in a sick bed.

family

Schmidt married Friederike Alwine Szitnik (1820–1856) on August 22, 1838 in Königsberg. The marriage had nine children, six of whom died young. Only three sons reached adulthood:

  • Friedrich Johann Maximilian (1844–1873), Premier Lieutenant in the 7th East Prussian Infantry Regiment No. 44
  • Friedrich Johann Dietrich (* 1852), Prussian lieutenant colonel a. D. ⚭ May 21, 1886 Paula Charisius (* 1866)
  • Friedrich Johann Georg (1854–1901), Prussian lieutenant a. D. ⚭ March 28, 1884 Maria Wilhelmine Charlotte von Puttkamer (* 1849)

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Gothaisches genealogisches Taschenbuch der Briefadeligen houses 1912. Sixth year, Verlag Justus Perthes, Gotha 1912, p. 847.
personal data
SURNAME Schmidt, Christoph von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Schmidt, Friedrich Johann Eduard Christoph von (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Prussian general of the infantry
DATE OF BIRTH July 26, 1809
PLACE OF BIRTH Koenigsberg
DATE OF DEATH November 11, 1876
Place of death Metz