Francis de Rottenburg facts for kids

Sir Francis de Rottenburg (born November 4, 1757 – died April 24, 1832) was a skilled military leader and a colonial administrator. He served in the armies of both France and later the United Kingdom. He held important positions, including being the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada for a short time.

Early Life and Military Service

Franz von Rottenburg was born in Danzig, which was part of Prussia (now Gdańsk, Poland), on November 4, 1757. He started his military career in the French army in 1782, using the name de Rottenburg. His time in the French army ended around 1791, during the early years of the French Revolution. After that, he returned to Danzig. There, he led a group of soldiers in an uprising led by Tadeusz Kościuszko.

In 1795, de Rottenburg joined the British Army. He was part of a special unit called Hompesch's Hussars, which was made up of soldiers from other countries. The next year, he helped create Hompesch's Light Infantry. This unit later became part of the 60th Regiment of Foot. It was mostly made up of German people who had moved from their home country. De Rottenburg became a lieutenant-colonel in this unit. He led them during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and when they captured Suriname in 1799.

De Rottenburg also wrote important training guides, first in German. These guides became key for training special soldiers called riflemen and light infantry. He later led a group of these light troops in a military campaign called the Walcheren Campaign.

Service in North America

In 1810, de Rottenburg was promoted to Major General and sent to British North America (which included parts of Canada). When the War of 1812 started with the United States, he took charge of the Montreal area. He also took over as the main civil and military leader of Lower Canada twice when Sir George Prevost, the commander-in-chief, was away.

In 1813, he became the military and civil commander in Upper Canada. Some people thought he didn't pay enough attention to civil duties. Others felt he was too careful in his military choices. For example, he didn't send extra soldiers to Major General Henry Procter. This decision contributed to British defeats at the Battle of Lake Erie and the Battle of Moraviantown. He also made a rule called martial law in some areas. This rule forced farmers to sell supplies to the army, which was very unpopular. His replacement later removed this rule, but then had to bring it back for all of Upper Canada.

In December 1813, Lieutenant General Sir Gordon Drummond took over from de Rottenburg. De Rottenburg then went back to his earlier jobs in Lower Canada. Later in 1814, many more British soldiers arrived in Canada. Sir George Prevost planned to attack the United States by way of Lake Champlain. He put de Rottenburg in charge of a large group of soldiers. However, Prevost led the attack himself, and it was defeated at the Battle of Plattsburgh. After this battle, Prevost, de Rottenburg, and their teams were criticized by other commanders. These commanders had fought in many battles in Europe and felt that Prevost and de Rottenburg had not been brave enough at Plattsburgh.

Later Life and Family

De Rottenburg was called back to Britain in December 1814. He left Quebec in July 1815. He received special honors, becoming a Knight Commander of the Royal Guelphic Order in 1817 and a Knight Bachelor in 1818. He was promoted to Lieutenant General in 1819. He passed away in Portsmouth, England, on April 24, 1832.

De Rottenburg married Juliana Wilhelmina Carolina von Orelli in Bratislava in 1802. She was the daughter of a general from Naples. They had two children:

• George Frederick de Rottenburg: He also became a British Army officer. He came to Canada in the 1830s and was a militia officer in Upper Canada. He left Canada in 1852.
• Frances de Rottenburg: She married Lord William Paget in 1827 and had children. She died on May 6, 1875.