Johann Kasimir von Monkewitz

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Johann Kasimir von Monkewitz (* August 1722 in Kedahnen in Lithuania ; † February 1, 1789 in Bückeburg ) was a lieutenant colonel in Schaumburg-Lippe .

Life

First years

In the Second Silesian War he fought as a Prussian free corporal in the battles of Hohenfriedberg , Soor and Kesselsdorf , was an ensign with the Countess Bentinck Castle Company in Kniphausen from 1751 to 1755 and joined the infantry as a lieutenant in the service of Count Wilhelm in July 1755 from Bückeburg .

Seven Years War

Lippe-Bückeburg carabinier in the Seven Years War

Count William of Bückeburg appointed him at the outbreak of war Seven Years to captain and commander of its 1753 built Karabinierkorps .

At the head of this troop, the “black men”, the “diables de Buckebourg”, he made a name for himself as a daring and prudent partisan, feared by the enemy and highly respected by friends. If Monkewitz is little mentioned in the larger historical works, this is partly due to the fact that the achievements of the smaller contingents are often pushed back and overshadowed in these works, but partly also because of Monkewitz's unassuming and modest personality.

Right at the beginning of the campaign of 1757, when the Allies drove the heads of their army to Westphalia , Monkewitz's carbines came out on top , and after the battle of Hastenbeck , in which they had little part, Duke Ferdinand von Braunschweig took over the supreme command and at the end of the winter of 1758 began its triumphal march from the Elbe to the Rhine , they were - as in the previous year with the rear guard - now with the avant-garde .

On February 25th, Monkewitz entered Bremen , on March 26th he attacked an important enemy transport near Bentheim , for his brave behavior in the Battle of Meer , on August 5th, Count Wilhelm honored him with a saber. He took part in the campaign of 1759 with the "small army" of General von Spörcken in Westphalia. An attack on Buer on May 4th, where he deceived the enemy by using counterfeit artillery and inflicted great damage on him, using the terror he had created, was one of his best tricks; for the battle near Klein-Dortmund on September 30th, he was praised by Duke Ferdinand. In the autumn of that year he was given the command of a larger detachment, this time two battalions and three squadrons , for the first time, also on the express order of the duke .

Related to cover the siege of Munster , he got the outpost near Schapdetten and rejected the enemy liberation attack on November 19 in a battle near Nottuln . Later he was given such commands more often.

The winter passed with marches and outposts. Major since the beginning of 1760 , he again took part in the campaign of 1760 under Spörcken. On July 26, 1760, he was taken prisoner in a battle near Wolfhagen because his horse, a young irrepressible stallion, ran away with him. The Duke of Broglie immediately dismissed him on his word of honor, and Duke Ferdinand saw to it that he was replaced soon, whereupon he again took part in the battles in Westphalia and in the troubled winter postings on the Lippe .

In the year 1761 there was a brilliant but lossy battle near Darfeld , where, through no fault of his own, very exposed, he fought his way through a strong enemy force on April 9th. He was particularly useful for scouting and intelligence. He was therefore a lot with the Hereditary Prince of Braunschweig , with whom he a. a. on June 26, 1762 participated in the stubborn cavalry battle at Westerholt, which he had carelessly entered into.

When the Hereditary Prince marched off to Hesse soon afterwards , von Monkewitz was attached to General von Huth , who was staying in Westphalia, as Chief of Staff . When Huth later also left for the siege of Kassel and the English general Lord Cavendish was sent to Westphalia for reinforcement, the duke recommended "in difficult cases to use the advice of Lord von Monkewitz" .

post war period

After the peace was concluded, von Monkewitz remained, although his corps , which at the beginning of the war only numbered 75 men on horseback and 50 on foot, but was increased to a strength of 100 men each, was considerably reduced and soon lost his horses completely , in the Bückeburg service; He turned down offers to move to Prussia or Braunschweig .

In December 1785 he was appointed lieutenant colonel by Philip II (Schaumburg-Lippe) .

literature

personal data
SURNAME Monkewitz, Johann Kasimir von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German lieutenant colonel
DATE OF BIRTH August 1722
PLACE OF BIRTH Kedahnen , Lithuania
DATE OF DEATH February 1, 1789
Place of death Buckeburg