Johann von Ewald | |
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Born | Kassel, Hesse-Kassel (present-day Germany) | 20 March 1744
Died | 25 June 1813 | (aged 69)
Allegiance | Hesse-Kassel Kingdom of Denmark-Norway |
Service | Army |
Years of service | Hesse-Kassel: 1762–1788 Kingdom of Denmark-Norway: 1788–1813 |
Rank | Lieutenant General |
Commands | Schleswig Jäger Corps Schleswig-Holstein Battalion of Light Infantry |
Battles / wars |
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Awards | Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog French Legion of Honor Dutch Order of the Union Order of the Dannebrog |
Johann von Ewald (20 March 1744 – 25 June 1813) was a German military officer from Hesse-Kassel. After first serving in the Seven Years' War, he was the commander of the Jäger corps of the Hessian Leib Infantry Regiment attached to British forces in the American Revolutionary War.[1] He arrived with his troops, first serving in the Battle of White Plains in October 1776. He saw regular action until his capture at Yorktown in 1781. In 1788, he joined the Danish Army, where he rose to the rank of lieutenant general; he also served as governor general of Holstein during the Napoleonic Wars.[2] Following his American war experiences, he wrote an Essay on Partisan Warfare (German: Abhandlung über den kleinen Krieg), a widely read treatise on guerrilla warfare. He also kept a journal during most of his time in North America that has since become a valuable resource for historians of the war.