Charles, Baron Alten
| Carl August von Alten | |
|---|---|
Alten as Minister of War
|
|
| Born |
21 October 1764 Burgwedel, Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg |
| Died | 20 April 1840 (aged 75) Bozen, County of Tyrol (now Bolzano in Italy) |
| Allegiance |
 Kingdom of Hanover
|
| Years of service | 1781–1840 |
| Rank | Generalfeldmarschall |
| Commands held |
Light Division King's German Legion |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Guelphic Order |
Field Marshal Sir Charles (Carl August von) Alten GCB, GCH (21 October 1764 – 20 April 1840), Hanoverian and British soldier, son of Baron Alten, a member of an old Hanoverian family, entered the service of the elector as a page at the age of twelve. He led the famous Light Division during the last two years of the Peninsular War. At the Battle of Waterloo, he commanded a division in the front line, where he was wounded. He later rose to the rank of Field Marshal in the Hanoverian army.
In 1781 he received a commission in the Hanoverian guards, and as a captain took part in the campaigns of 1793–1795 in the Low Countries, distinguishing himself particularly on the Lys in command of light infantry. In 1803 the Hanoverian army was disbanded, and Alten took service with the King's German Legion (KGL) in British pay. In command of the light infantry of this famous corps he took part with Lord Cathcart in the Hanoverian expedition of 1805. He also fought at the Copenhagen in 1807.
Alten was with John Moore in Sweden and Spain. He commanded the 2nd Flank Brigade in Moore's campaign though he missed the Battle of Corunna. He participated in the disastrous Walcheren expedition in the summer of 1809. He was soon employed once more in the Peninsula, and at the Battle of Albuera he commanded an independent KGL brigade. An incident in the battle highlights both the abilities and the limitations of Alten.
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