Karl Ludwig von Lecoq
| Karl Ludwig von Lecoq | |
|---|---|
| Born |
23 September 1754 Eilenburg, Germany |
| Died |
14 February 1829 (aged 74) Berlin, Germany |
| Allegiance |
 Saxony Kingdom of Prussia
|
| Service/branch | Infantry |
| Years of service |
Saxony 1770-1787 Prussia 1787-1809 |
| Rank | General Officer |
| Battles/wars |
French Revolutionary Wars Napoleonic Wars |
| Awards | Pour le Mérite (military order) |
| Other work | Chief, Grenadier Garde Infantry Regiment # 6 |
Karl Ludwig von Lecoq or Karl Ludwig von Le Coq, born 23 September 1754 – died 14 February 1829, of French Huguenot ancestry, first joined the army of the Electorate of Saxony. He later transferred his loyalty to the Kingdom of Prussia and fought during the French Revolutionary Wars, earning a coveted award for bravery. While serving variously as a staff officer and diplomat, he became renowned as an expert cartographer. In 1806 he was entrusted with command of the forces in northwest Germany. Cut off from the main body of the Prussian army after the disaster at the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt, he concentrated his troops in the fortress of Hameln. After a brief siege, he surrendered his troops to an inferior force of enemies. For this, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. However, he was later pardoned and continued his map-making until he went blind.
Lecoq was born on 23 September 1754 to a French Huguenot family in Eilenburg in the Electorate of Saxony. His father Johann Ludwig Lecoq (1719–1789) was a lieutenant general in the Saxon army. (Karl Ludwig's younger brother Karl Christian Erdmann von Lecoq (1767–1830) also rose to become a lieutenant general in the Saxon army).
Joining the Riedesel Infantry Regiment Nr. 10 as a junior Leutnant in 1770, Lecoq rose to the rank of captain by 1779. He transferred to the Prussian army in 1787. Promoted to major, he was appointed to lead the Legat Fusilier battalion Nr. 20, based in Magdeburg. In 1792 he joined the staff of Feldmarschall Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick and fought in the War of the First Coalition at the Battle of Valmy and other actions. For his courageous actions during the Siege of Mainz from 14 April to 23 July 1793, Lecoq was awarded the Pour le Mérite.
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