Louis de Watteville
Encyclopedia
Louis de Watteville whose name was sometimes germanicised to Abraham Ludwig Karl von Wattenwyl was born in Switzerland
but became a Major General in the British Army
, and fought in the Napoleonic Wars
and the War of 1812
.
. No doubt through his influence, Louis fought as a junior officer in the same regiment against Revolutionary France in 1793 also in 1794. When the Netherlands were defeated by France, Louis gained a commission in a similar Swiss corps in the Austria
n army in 1799. When Austria was defeated in turn, the various Swiss units were disbanded, and they regrouped under British command at Malta
and various other posts in the Mediterranean. Louis's uncle Frédéric was appointed Colonel and gave his name to the regiment.
, in 1806, and at the Siege of Cádiz
. He was appointed Colonel of his regiment in 1812. In the following year, he and the regiment were transferred from Cadiz to Upper Canada
. By this time the regiment was a mixture of nationalities, including German, Italian and Hungarian, many of whom had been taken prisoner of war
by the British while serving in the French armies in Spain
.
, de Watteville immediately struck up a friendship with the Governor General of Canada, Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost
, himself of Swiss origin. He received promotion to Major General on 11 August 1813, although for a time held no appointment. On 17 October he was appointed to command the district of Montreal
, which at the time was threatened by American
armies approaching on two fronts. De Watteville immediately called out the militia and began strengthening his defences, but on 26 October, his collected outpost units under Lieutenant Colonel Charles de Salaberry
defeated the nearest American army at the Battle of Chateauguay
. De Watteville was present and gave full credit to de Salaberry in his dispatch. Unfortunately, Prevost, who was also present, belittled both de Watteville and de Salaberry in his own dispatch, which took precedence over those of his subordinates.
In June 1814, de Watteville was transferred briefly to the Richelieu River
sector, but on 8 August, he was appointed to command the "Right Division" on the Niagara River
in Upper Canada (succeeding Major General Phineas Riall
who had been wounded and taken prisoner by the Americans at the Battle of Lundy's Lane
). He reported to the siege lines around Fort Erie
on 15 August. On 17 September, the Americans made a sortie against de Watteville's lines, leading to a bloody engagement in which about 600 men were killed or wounded on each side.
As campaigning wound down over the winter, de Watteville took leave in Montreal to meet his wife and family. Here he learned that the War had ended. After presiding over the court martial of Major General Henry Procter, he resumed his command, and in late 1815 was nominated Commander in Chief of the forces in Upper Canada. He preferred to retire from the army, and lived out the remainder of his life in retirement in Rubigen in Switzerland.
Although his career was undoubtedly assisted by family influence and the accident of serving under a Commander in Chief with similar background, de Watteville was often given credit as a steady officer, and noted for his fairness to subordinates.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
but became a Major General in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, and fought in the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
and the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
.
Dutch and Austrian service
His father was an officer in a Swiss mercenary regiment in the service of the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. No doubt through his influence, Louis fought as a junior officer in the same regiment against Revolutionary France in 1793 also in 1794. When the Netherlands were defeated by France, Louis gained a commission in a similar Swiss corps in the Austria
Austria
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 in 1799. When Austria was defeated in turn, the various Swiss units were disbanded, and they regrouped under British command at Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
and various other posts in the Mediterranean. Louis's uncle Frédéric was appointed Colonel and gave his name to the regiment.
British service
Louis fought with the regiment at the Battle of MaidaBattle of Maida
The Battle of Maida on 4 July 1806 saw a British expeditionary force fight a First French Empire division outside the town of Maida in Calabria, Italy during the Napoleonic Wars. John Stuart led 5,200 British troops to victory over about 6,000 French soldiers under Jean Reynier, inflicting...
, in 1806, and at the Siege of Cádiz
Siege of Cádiz
The Siege of Cádiz was a siege of the large Spanish naval base of Cádiz by a French army from February 5, 1810 to August 24, 1812 during the Peninsular War. Following the occupation of Madrid on March 23, 1808, Cádiz became the Spanish seat of power, and was targeted by 60,000 French troops under...
. He was appointed Colonel of his regiment in 1812. In the following year, he and the regiment were transferred from Cadiz to Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
. By this time the regiment was a mixture of nationalities, including German, Italian and Hungarian, many of whom had been taken prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
by the British while serving in the French armies in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
War of 1812
On arrival at QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, de Watteville immediately struck up a friendship with the Governor General of Canada, Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost
George Prevost
Sir George Prévost, 1st Baronet was a British soldier and colonial administrator. Born in Hackensack, New Jersey, the eldest son of Swiss French Augustine Prévost, he joined the British Army as a youth and became a captain in 1784. Prévost served in the West Indies during the French Revolutionary...
, himself of Swiss origin. He received promotion to Major General on 11 August 1813, although for a time held no appointment. On 17 October he was appointed to command the district of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, which at the time was threatened by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
armies approaching on two fronts. De Watteville immediately called out the militia and began strengthening his defences, but on 26 October, his collected outpost units under Lieutenant Colonel Charles de Salaberry
Charles de Salaberry
Lieutenant Colonel Charles-Michel d'Irumberry de Salaberry was a French-Canadian of the seigneurial class who served as an officer of the British army in Lower Canada and won distinction for repelling the American advance on Montreal during the War of 1812.-Early years:Born at the manor house of...
defeated the nearest American army at the Battle of Chateauguay
Battle of Chateauguay
The Battle of the Chateauguay was a battle of the War of 1812. On 26 October 1813, a force consisting of about 1,630 French Canadian regulars and militia and Mohawk warriors under Charles de Salaberry repulsed an American force of about 4,000 attempting to invade Canada.The Chateauguay was one of...
. De Watteville was present and gave full credit to de Salaberry in his dispatch. Unfortunately, Prevost, who was also present, belittled both de Watteville and de Salaberry in his own dispatch, which took precedence over those of his subordinates.
In June 1814, de Watteville was transferred briefly to the Richelieu River
Richelieu River
The Richelieu River is a river in Quebec, Canada. It flows from the north end of Lake Champlain about north, ending at the confluence with the St. Lawrence River at Sorel-Tracy, Quebec downstream and northeast of Montreal...
sector, but on 8 August, he was appointed to command the "Right Division" on the Niagara River
Niagara River
The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the river...
in Upper Canada (succeeding Major General Phineas Riall
Phineas Riall
Sir Phineas Riall, KCH was a British army officer, who fought in the War of 1812. was born in Clonmel, Ireland into a wealthy Protestant landowning family, the third son of Phineas Riall of Heywood, Co. Tipperary, whose father had founded the Riall Bank of Clonmel, and Catherine Caldwell of Dublin...
who had been wounded and taken prisoner by the Americans at the Battle of Lundy's Lane
Battle of Lundy's Lane
The Battle of Lundy's Lane was a battle of the Anglo-American War of 1812, which took place on 25 July 1814, in present-day Niagara Falls, Ontario...
). He reported to the siege lines around Fort Erie
Siege of Fort Erie
The Siege of Fort Erie was one of the last and most protracted engagements between British and American forces during the Niagara campaign of the American War of 1812...
on 15 August. On 17 September, the Americans made a sortie against de Watteville's lines, leading to a bloody engagement in which about 600 men were killed or wounded on each side.
As campaigning wound down over the winter, de Watteville took leave in Montreal to meet his wife and family. Here he learned that the War had ended. After presiding over the court martial of Major General Henry Procter, he resumed his command, and in late 1815 was nominated Commander in Chief of the forces in Upper Canada. He preferred to retire from the army, and lived out the remainder of his life in retirement in Rubigen in Switzerland.
Although his career was undoubtedly assisted by family influence and the accident of serving under a Commander in Chief with similar background, de Watteville was often given credit as a steady officer, and noted for his fairness to subordinates.