John de Barth Walbach
| John Baptiste de Barth Walbach | |
|---|---|
| Born |
October 3, 1766 Munster, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France |
| Died | June 10, 1857 (aged 90) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Louise Harberger |
| Children | Therese de Barth Walbach, Louisa de Barth Walbach, Capt. Louis Augustus de Barth Walbach, Marie Adelphine Theresa de Barth Walbach, Lieut. John J. de Barth Walbach |
Brevet Brigadier General John Baptiste de Barth Walbach (1766-1857), an Alsatian baron who fought in the French Revolutionary Wars, was one of the few foreign-born senior officers in the US Army prior to the Civil War. On coming to join hs father in America, he became an aide to Alexander Hamilton, rising to Adjutant General of the United States during the War of 1812. A career Army officer who served for over 57 years, he remained in active duty until his death at the age of 90, making him the oldest acting officer in U.S. history. During his long career he commanded most forts on the eastern seacoast: Fort Constitution, Fort Trumbull, Fort Severn, Fort Monroe, Frankford Arsenal, Fort McHenry, and Fort Pickens. His long career left behind many American place names.
Though born in France, as were his parents, Walbach's main biographies were written during the late 19th century while Alsace was temporarily part of Germany, so most references refer to him as German. His extant correspondence is in French and English. His father was described by Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and others as a Frenchman.
John de Barth Walbach was born on October 3, 1766, in Munster, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France, and was the third son of French nobleman Count Jean Joseph de Barth and Marie Therese de Rohmer. Walbach's full name was Antoine Jean Baptiste de Barth, Baron de Walbach, but he Anglicized it after emigrating to the United States in 1798.
Walbach received his military education from the military academy of Strasbourg, Alsace, France, and was commissioned as an ensign in the Royal Alsace Regiment in 1782. He then served as 2nd, then 1st lieutenant in the Lauzun hussars in the French Royal Army from 1784 to 1789.
In 1790, Walbach's aging aristocrat father led a group called the "French 500" to America to escape the French Revolution, creating a new settlement called Gallipolis in what is now Ohio. Walbach remained behind to fight for the French monarchy in the French Revolutionary Wars with several forces in the Armée des Émigrés, including the army of the Comte d'Artois, the Austrian Chasseurs of Condé, and Rohan's Hussars.
...
Wikipedia