Christopher Ludwick
Encyclopedia
Christopher Ludwick [or Ludwig] (1720 Germany
- 1801 Philadelphia) was a German
immigrant in Philadelphia who served as baker
general for the Continental Army
during the American Revolutionary War
.
n army and served in the war against the Turks. He endured the hardships of the seventeen weeks' siege of Prague
, and, on its capture by the French
and Bavaria
ns in 1741, he entered the Prussia
n army. When peace was declared he became a sailor
, and between 1745 and 1752 he made many voyages. In 1753 he sailed for Philadelphia, taking with him £25 worth of clothing. Making £60 by this venture, he returned to London
. In the following year, he returned to Philadelphia and became a gingerbread baker
and confectioner located in Laetitia Court. In this occupation he amassed a fortune.
even if it be one of long duration. On one occasion, when it had been proposed by Gen. Thomas Mifflin
to purchase firearms by private subscription, which caused dissent, Ludwick silenced opposition by saying, “Let the poor gingerbread baker be put down for £200!” The proposition was adopted unanimously. In the summer of 1776, at 55 years of age, he enlisted as a volunteer.
He was of no little service in persuading his Hessian countrymen to desert from the British
ranks and become residents of Philadelphia.
Having learned that among the prisoners taken during the Battle of Germantown
were eight Hessians, Ludwick went to
headquarters and induced the commander-in-chief to place these
men in his hands. He then constituted
himself their host and guide, and taking them all about Philadelphia
and its vicinity, showed them how the citizens of German heritage were prospering,
how comfortably they were housed, what fine
churches they had, with what freedom and independence they
followed their avocations, and with what happiness those in the
humbler pursuits of life were living. He then
dismissed his prisoners, charging them to return to their
regiments and inform their fellow-soldiers of all that they had seen,
and explain to them the happiness awaiting those who would
desert and settle in Pennsylvania. The seed thus planted bore
rich fruit. It is said that among the deserters resulting from
this action, numbers afterward became prosperous citizens of
Philadelphia.
Ludwick's success in this enterprise encouraged
him to further endeavors in the same direction. He visited a
Hessian camp on Staten Island
, and without detection succeeded
in causing several soldiers to flee to Pennsylvania.
baker general to the American army. It was stipulated that he should return one pound of bread for every pound of flour delivered to him, but he at once replied, “Not so; I must not be enriched by the war. I shall return 135 pounds of bread for every 100 pounds of flour.”
He was often invited to dine at George Washington
's large dinner parties, and frequently consulted with him in relation to the bread supplies of the army. One of Ludwig's notable achievements was the prompt execution of Washington's order, immediately after the surrender at Yorktown
, to bake bread for the army of Cornwallis; Ludwig baked 6,000 pounds of bread in one day. The commander-in-chief usually addressed him in company as “My honest friend,” and in 1785 gave him a certificate of good conduct in his own handwriting.
in Philadelphia in 1793, he worked at bread baking gratuitously to aid in relieving the wants of the destitute. At his death, his will awarded sums to the Deutsche Gesellschaft von Pennsylvanien (an immigrant-aid society), the University of Pennsylvania
, and to two churches that were to award the income to poor children. The residue of his estate, £3,000, was given to found a free school, which in 1872 was named in his honor as the Ludwick Institute.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
- 1801 Philadelphia) was a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
immigrant in Philadelphia who served as baker
Baker
A baker is someone who bakes and sells bread, Cakes and similar foods may also be produced, as the traditional boundaries between what is produced by a baker as opposed to a pastry chef have blurred in recent decades...
general for the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
Makes his fortune
Early in life, he enlisted in the AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n army and served in the war against the Turks. He endured the hardships of the seventeen weeks' siege of Prague
Siege of Prague (1742)
The 1742 Siege of Prague was an extended blockade of the Bohemian capital Prague during the War of the Austrian Succession. French forces first under the command of de Broglie were surrounded by a large Austrian army in June 1742...
, and, on its capture by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
ns in 1741, he entered the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n army. When peace was declared he became a sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
, and between 1745 and 1752 he made many voyages. In 1753 he sailed for Philadelphia, taking with him £25 worth of clothing. Making £60 by this venture, he returned to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In the following year, he returned to Philadelphia and became a gingerbread baker
Baker
A baker is someone who bakes and sells bread, Cakes and similar foods may also be produced, as the traditional boundaries between what is produced by a baker as opposed to a pastry chef have blurred in recent decades...
and confectioner located in Laetitia Court. In this occupation he amassed a fortune.
American revolutionary
At the beginning of the American Revolution, he gave his money freely to aid the cause of the revolutionaries. He was an aggressive advocate of the Revolution. From the very first he maintained that no compromise measures would be effective, and spoke for war with EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
even if it be one of long duration. On one occasion, when it had been proposed by Gen. Thomas Mifflin
Thomas Mifflin
Thomas Mifflin was an American merchant and politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, a member of the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly, a Continental Congressman from Pennsylvania, President of the Continental...
to purchase firearms by private subscription, which caused dissent, Ludwick silenced opposition by saying, “Let the poor gingerbread baker be put down for £200!” The proposition was adopted unanimously. In the summer of 1776, at 55 years of age, he enlisted as a volunteer.
He was of no little service in persuading his Hessian countrymen to desert from the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
ranks and become residents of Philadelphia.
Having learned that among the prisoners taken during the Battle of Germantown
Battle of Germantown
The Battle of Germantown, a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War, was fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania between the British army led by Sir William Howe and the American army under George Washington...
were eight Hessians, Ludwick went to
headquarters and induced the commander-in-chief to place these
men in his hands. He then constituted
himself their host and guide, and taking them all about Philadelphia
and its vicinity, showed them how the citizens of German heritage were prospering,
how comfortably they were housed, what fine
churches they had, with what freedom and independence they
followed their avocations, and with what happiness those in the
humbler pursuits of life were living. He then
dismissed his prisoners, charging them to return to their
regiments and inform their fellow-soldiers of all that they had seen,
and explain to them the happiness awaiting those who would
desert and settle in Pennsylvania. The seed thus planted bore
rich fruit. It is said that among the deserters resulting from
this action, numbers afterward became prosperous citizens of
Philadelphia.
Ludwick's success in this enterprise encouraged
him to further endeavors in the same direction. He visited a
Hessian camp on Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, and without detection succeeded
in causing several soldiers to flee to Pennsylvania.
Baker general
Ludwick had learned the baking trade in his native city of Giessen. In 1777 he was appointed by the Continental CongressContinental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
baker general to the American army. It was stipulated that he should return one pound of bread for every pound of flour delivered to him, but he at once replied, “Not so; I must not be enriched by the war. I shall return 135 pounds of bread for every 100 pounds of flour.”
He was often invited to dine at George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
's large dinner parties, and frequently consulted with him in relation to the bread supplies of the army. One of Ludwig's notable achievements was the prompt execution of Washington's order, immediately after the surrender at Yorktown
Siege of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Yorktown, or Surrender of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis...
, to bake bread for the army of Cornwallis; Ludwig baked 6,000 pounds of bread in one day. The commander-in-chief usually addressed him in company as “My honest friend,” and in 1785 gave him a certificate of good conduct in his own handwriting.
Philanthropy
He delighted to discover objects of charity and relieve their wants. During the yellow-fever epidemicYellow Fever Epidemic of 1793
The Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 is believed to have killed several thousand people in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.-Beginnings:...
in Philadelphia in 1793, he worked at bread baking gratuitously to aid in relieving the wants of the destitute. At his death, his will awarded sums to the Deutsche Gesellschaft von Pennsylvanien (an immigrant-aid society), the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, and to two churches that were to award the income to poor children. The residue of his estate, £3,000, was given to found a free school, which in 1872 was named in his honor as the Ludwick Institute.