Leopold of Gayl

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Baron Leopold Georg Karl von Gayl (born November 14, 1791 in Eichstedt , † November 29, 1876 in Potsdam ) was a Prussian infantry general .

Life

origin

He was the son of Kasimir Wilhelm Ernst Freiherr von Gayl (born January 26, 1746 in Birsen , Kurland , † April 3, 1821 in Stendal ) and his second wife Sophie Anna Charlotte, born von Jagow (born April 14, 1757, † 18 June 1813 in Kassel ). His father was a captain . D. , Herr auf Eichstedt and Chamber Director. Leopold had numerous other siblings, including Friedrich (1776-1853), later major general , and Ludwig (1785-1853), who rose to lieutenant general and was Chamberlain in Oldenburg .

Military career

After his education in the cadet corps , Gayl was employed on June 18, 1809 in the "Guard" regiment of the Prussian Army and assigned to the Fusilier battalion as a second lieutenant . During the Wars of Liberation against Napoleon , he was seriously wounded in the Battle of Großgörschen on May 2, 1813 by a bullet in the right arm and a shot in the right knee joint and, after recovering, took part in the fighting around Paris . Promoted to prime lieutenant in mid-April 1815 , after the final peace agreement as captain, he was appointed company commander on March 30, 1817 . Gayl became major on March 30, 1829 and served as commanding officer of the training battalion from September 20, 1835 to March 24, 1841. In the meantime promoted to lieutenant colonel on March 30, 1840 , Gayl was entrusted with the command of the 1st Guards Regiment on foot and was finally appointed commander on August 29, 1841. In this position he was promoted to colonel on April 7, 1842 . Released from his command on March 26, 1847, Gayl was commander of the 5th Landwehr Brigade until July 23, 1847 and then the 2nd Guard Landwehr Brigade. As a major general, he was given command of the troops returning from the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein on September 15, 1848 . He then returned on February 22, 1849 to his old position as commander of the 2nd Guards Landwehr Brigade and was appointed inspector of the occupation forces of Mainz and Luxembourg on June 12, 1849 . At the same time, Gayl was from April 4, 1850 also in command of Luxembourg. From February 19, 1852 to June 2, 1858 he commanded the 16th Division in Trier . After being promoted to lieutenant general in the meantime, Gayl was then appointed governor of Magdeburg .

In this position he received the character of General of the Infantry on May 31, 1859 and was awarded the Grand Cross of the Red Eagle Order on October 18, 1861 . Due to his age, Gayl was retired on July 2, 1862 with a pension and was awarded the Grand Commander of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern . He was also a legal knight of the Order of St. John .

family

Gayl married Johanna Wilhelmine Marie Countess von Waldersee on March 29, 1826 in Potsdam (born July 11, 1803 in Dessau , † May 18, 1862 in Magdeburg ). The marriage resulted in a son and three daughters.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Kurt von Priesdorff: Soldatisches Führertum. Volume 10, Hanseatische Verlagsanstalt Hamburg, undated [Hamburg], undated [1942], DNB 986919810 , p. 502, no. 3355.
personal data
SURNAME Gayl, Leopold von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Gayl, Leopold Georg Karl von (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Prussian general of the infantry
DATE OF BIRTH November 14, 1791
PLACE OF BIRTH Eichstedt
DATE OF DEATH November 29, 1876
Place of death Potsdam