Johann Christian von Pontanus

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Johann Christian von Pontanus (born November 19, 1742 in Wehlau , † February 5, 1813 in Breslau ) was a Prussian major general of the artillery and knight of the order Pour le Mérite .

Life

Military career

Pontanus joined the artillery corps of the Prussian Army in 1762 and took part in the battle near Teplitz and the Battle of Freiberg during the campaign in 1762/63 . After becoming a non-commissioned officer in 1766 , he was promoted to second lieutenant on February 5, 1769 . As such he was used in the battle near Weißkirch in the War of the Bavarian Succession . Later in his military career, Pontanus was captain and company commander in the 3rd Artillery Regiment and joined the army in South Prussia at the end of April 1794 on the staff of Friedrich Wilhelm II . During the Kościuszko uprising he was involved in the attack on Krakow , the siege of Warsaw and the battle on the Rawka . For his achievements, Pontanus was awarded the order Pour le Mérite on June 7, 1794 and promoted to major on June 16, 1794 . While the campaign in Poland was still in progress, in December 1794 he was transferred to the 3rd Department of the Upper War College as an assessor, where he worked on the drafting of new drill regulations. In this position on October 22, 1799 promoted to lieutenant colonel, Pontanus was on January 22, 1801 by King Friedrich Wilhelm III. for his services raised to the nobility .

As a colonel , he was appointed commander of the 1st Artillery Regiment on October 8, 1804. In the 1806/07 campaign , Pontanus fought with the regiment in the battle of Prussian Eylau . After the peace of Tilsit on half salary, he was appointed President of the Artillery Examination Commission in the reorganization of the artillery on June 21, 1809 as the successor to General August of Prussia and promoted to major general on July 24, 1811.

"A capable officer to whom the artillery owed the mobilization plan of 1797 for the First Coalition War, as well as the fruits of his restless zeal for the perfection of the weapon later."

family

Pontanus had married Luise Wilhelmine Witte (1750-1828) on February 23, 1777. The marriage resulted in the daughter Karoline Henriette Dorothea, who married the Prussian major of the artillery Friedrich Magenhoefer on May 19, 1803 in Berlin.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Louis von Malinowsky, Robert von Bonin : History of the Brandenburg-Prussian Artillery. Volume 1. Duncker and Humblot publishers. Berlin 1840. p. 209.
personal data
SURNAME Pontanus, Johann Christian von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Pontanus, Johann Christian
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Prussian Major General of the Artillery
DATE OF BIRTH November 19, 1742
PLACE OF BIRTH Wehlau
DATE OF DEATH February 5, 1813
Place of death Wroclaw