John Ruthven (general)

John Ruthven was a military officer who served in Denmark and Sweden during the Thirty Years' War before returning for brief service in the British Civil Wars. He served first as a captain in Danish service from 1627. As King Christian IV of Denmark-Norway made peace with the Habsburg Emperor in 1629 Ruthven, along with many other Scottish soldiers in Danish service, then turned to Sweden to continue the war. He first appears in Swedish service in 1629 serving as a captain of the Scottish infantry at Stralsund under the command of Alexander Leslie. He was soon promoted lieutenant-colonel in Leslie's infantry regiment (by 1630) and led an infantry-regiment in the battle of Breitenfeld on 17 September 1631 as full colonel. He later took part in the battle at the Alte Veste near Nuernberg on 3 September 1632, and later took part in the bloody conquest of Landsberg/Lech (Bavaria) under the command of Lennart Torstensson.

Ruthven was promoted to major-general by 1636 and took part in the battle of Wittstock as defacto commander of the reserve when Major General Vitzthum refused orders to advance. Evidence from eye-witness accounts by the generals show that this was John and not his uncle Patrick Ruthven as sometimes claimed. In 1638 he sought permission to leave Swedish service in order to return to Scotland to participate in the Bishops' Wars under his uncle's command. John Ruthven appears to have not taken part in any of the action in this conflict, but did hold the king's commission.

When the Civil Wars broke out in England in 1642, John Ruthven appears to have retired from service, and did not join his uncle's retinue in England. Having married Barbara Leslie, the eldest daughter of Alexander Leslie, now Lord General of the Army of the Solemn League and Covenant (and having witnessed the strength of the Covenanters in Scotland in this period), a shrewd move for harmonious family relations.

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