Robert of Boswell

Robert von Boswell (1816–1876)

Ferdinand Robert Heinrich Alexander von Boswell (born September 4, 1816 in Nimmersatt , † June 11, 1876 in Görlitz ) was a Prussian major general .

Life

origin

Robert was the son of the Prussian lieutenant ret. D. and cashiers of the customs office Langallen at Memel, August Ferdinand of Boswell and his wife Caroline, born Hoyer.

Career

After attending the high school in Memel and the cadet houses in Kulm and Berlin , Boswell was transferred to the 18th Infantry Regiment of the Prussian Army on August 5, 1833 as a second lieutenant . At the same time he worked as a teacher at the division school of the 10th division in 1836/37 . From October 1, 1838 to September 30, 1839, he was assigned to the 5th Combined Reserve Battalion. Boswell rose to prime lieutenant in early June 1847 and took part in the battles at Gostyń and Xions the following year when the unrest in Poland was put down . Then he was on October 15, 1848 for four weeks at the rifle factory in Sömmerda and from May 8, 1849 to March 8, 1850 as a company commander in the III. Battalion of the 5th Landwehr Regiment commanded to Prussian Stargard . After returning to his main regiment, he became a company commander in the 4th battalion on February 7, 1851. Boswell was promoted to captain and company commander in mid-October 1851 . From April 1 to September 30, 1858, he was assigned to the Infantry Training Battalion. On April 12, 1859 he was promoted to major and on July 1, 1860 he was appointed commander of the fusilier battalion. In this position Boswell became lieutenant colonel on September 22, 1863 and led his battalion in 1864 during the war against Denmark in the siege and the assault on the Düppeler Schanzen as well as in the battle on the buffalo paddock. For this he received the Order of the Red Eagle IV class with swords on April 11, 1864 and the Order of the Crown III on November 14, 1864 . Class with swords.

On May 8, 1866, he was transferred as commander of the 8th East Prussian Infantry Regiment No. 45 to Graudenz and a month later he was promoted to colonel . During the following war against Austria he took part in the battles near Trautenau and Königgrätz and received the Order of the Red Eagle III. Class with swords.

Boswell was appointed commander of Minden Fortress on July 11, 1870 , and on July 24, 1870 received the character of major general. For the duration of the mobilization on the occasion of the war against France , he was commander of a combined infantry brigade of the XIV Army Corps , which was formed from infantry regiments No. 30 and 34 . For his work during the siege of Strasbourg , Boswell received the Iron Cross, 2nd class. After the preliminary peace of Versailles , he was on April 4, 1871 Pension for disposition made and received on 7 November 1872, the Order of the Crown II. Class with swords on rings.

He died unmarried on June 11, 1876 in Görlitz.

literature

• Kurt von Priesdorff : Soldier leadership . Hanseatische Verlagsanstalt Hamburg, undated [Hamburg], undated [1939], DNB 367632829 , Volume 8, pp. 240-241, No. 2577.