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Brig. Gen. August von Willich (b. 1810, d. 1878). Born in Prussia as the son of a Napoleonic officer and military educated in the Prussian Army, von Willich was one of the few competent German-born Generals fighting in the American Civil War. Orphaned at the age of three he was raised by the philosopher and theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher. He became a Marxist in the 1840s and had subsequently to resign from the army. In 1847 he gave up his noble title. As active supporter of the German Revolution of 1848 he had to flee the country after the revolution was put down by Prussian troops. Willich immigrated to Great Britain and in 1852 to the United States. At the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted in the 9th Ohio, commissioned first lieutenant. He was soon promoted to major and saw first action at Rich Mountain, (West-) Virginia, in July 1861. Afterwards he trained the 32nd Indiana and became its colonel. Due to good performance at the second day of Shiloh, where he rallied his men under fire, he was promoted to Brig. Gen. of volunteers in July 1862. He was captured at Stones River on December 31, 1862. Returning to the Federal Army in May 1863 he subsequently fought at Liberty Gap, Chickamauga (being part of Gen. George Thomas' defenders) and Chattanooga, where his brigade was one of the first to storm Missionary Ridge. Willich served under Gen. William T. Sherman in the Atlanta Campaign and was wounded at Resaca, Georgia. He survived the wound but could only perform administrative duties afterwards. He was mustered out in 1866 as breveted Maj. Gen. (since October 1865). After the war he returned to Germany and offered his service to Prussia for the Franco-Prussian War. This was neglected due to his age and Willich returned to Ohio, where he died in 1878.

Ldr: 4
Tact: 4
Init: 4
Com: 4
Cav: 0

Teaches: Organized

Hmm. Somehow I missed this one. Got it now, though.

Here's Willich. As you can see, I got into this one. Fascinating individual. Even if he was a Commie.


Brig. Gen. August von Willich (b. 1810, d. 1878). Born in Braunsberg, Prussia as the son of a Napoleonic officer and militarily educated in the Prussian Army, Willich was one of the few competent German-born Generals fighting in the American Civil War. Orphaned at the age of three, he was raised by the philosopher and theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher. He became a Marxist in the 1840’s and subsequently had to resign from the army, in which he had risen to the rank of Premierleutnant (i.e., 1st lieutenant), and in 1847 he gave up his noble title for the same reason. As leading figure in the German Revolution of 1848 – whose aide-de-camp had been Friedrich Engels – Willich had to flee the country after the revolution was put down by Prussian troops. Willich first immigrated to Great Britain, where he hoped to raise a new army, only to see Marx and Engels turn against him over ideological differences and attempt to smear his name with claims that he was the bastard son of German royalty, a philanderer and a homosexual. Willich left for to the United States in 1852, first living in Brooklyn before moving to Cincinnati and becoming editor of a radical publication, the “Republikaner.” A prominent speaker during the secession crisis who rallied immigrants in support of democracy and equal human rights, at the outbreak of the Civil War Willich enlisted in the 9th Ohio, commissioned as a 1st lieutenant. He was soon promoted to major and saw his first action in the Battle of Rich Mountain, in western Virginia on July 11, 1861. Afterwards, von Willich trained the 32nd Indiana and became its colonel, drilling the unit in German according to the Prussian manual of arms. Despite his eccentric habits – which included addressing his men as “citizen” in the tradition of the French Revolution and using a German adaptation of “La Marseillaise” as the regimental hymn – Willich was popular among his men, who affectionately referred to him as “Papa Willich.” Due to his good performance on the second day of the Battle of Shiloh, where he rallied his men under fire by drilling them in the manual of arms and then led them on a successful charge, he was brevetted to brigadier general of volunteers in July 1862. Willich was captured at Stones River on December 31, 1862. Returning to the Union Army in May 1863, he subsequently fought at Liberty Gap, Chickamauga and Chattanooga, where his brigade was one of the first to storm Missionary Ridge. Willich next served under Gen. William T. Sherman in the Atlanta Campaign and was wounded at Resaca, Georgia in May 1864. He survived the wound but could only perform administrative duties afterwards. He was mustered out in 1866 as a brevetted major general, dating to October 1865. After the war, Willich moved to St. Marys, Ohio, though he returned to Germany and offered his services to Prussia for the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. This offer was rejected due to his age, and Willich returned to Ohio, where he died in 1878, having remained as actively involved in political, social and intellectual movements during the final decade of his life as in the previous ones. (Bio by Joern Kaesebier)

Leadership: 5
Tactical: 5
Initiative: 3
Command: 4
Cavalry:

Teaches: Steady (14), Disciplined (1)

Start date: 36 or 37
“Death” date: 80

Great that you have included more of his time in London. I had refrained from it to get faster to the war events.

I just found his close association with Marx and Engels too interesting not to give more info, especially since his military career itself doesn't seem to have been especially unusual.