Karl Fyodorovich von Baggovut (1761-1812)

Karl Fyodorovich von Baggovut (Карл Фёдорович Багговут) frequently rendered in French and English-language Napoleonic literature as “Bagavout,” “Baggovout,” or “Baggowut”—was a lieutenant-general of the Imperial Russian Army, a Baltic nobleman by origin, and a long-serving light-infantry commander whose principal field service lay in the wars against the Ottoman Empire, in Poland, in the campaigns against France in 1806–1807, in Finland in 1808–1809, and in the Patriotic War of 1812. He entered military life as a teenager, first in the service of the Margrave of Ansbach-Bayreuth (holding a captain’s commission obtained by purchase), and then transferred to Russian service on 4 March 1779 as a подпоручик (second lieutenant) in the Tobolsk Infantry Regiment. He was transferred to southern formations in 1781 and took part in operations in the Crimea, including actions connected with the suppression of unrest among Crimean Tatars; during this period he was promoted captain. Assigned to the Siberian Grenadier Regiment, he served in the Russo–Turkish War, participating in the engagement on the Salcha (Salcea) River (7 September 1789) and in the capture of Bender (4 November 1789). On health grounds he left service in February 1791 with the rank of премьер-майор.

He returned to active operations in Poland in 1792 as a volunteer attached to the Russian forces, and was formally readmitted later that year. During the 1794 uprising he was present in Warsaw during the initial attacks on Russian troops and subsequently served in field operations against insurgent detachments. He fought in the campaign that culminated at Maciejowice (29 September 1794), where he received promotion to lieutenant-colonel, and then served under Suvorov in the final operations including the storming of Praga and the occupation of Warsaw. In the postwar period he held a succession of jäger (light infantry) appointments: in July 1795 he commanded a battalion of the Belorussian jäger regiment, later commanded the 14th jäger regiment, and was promoted Colonel in 1798. In 1799 he was promoted major-general and held the position of шеф (regimental chief). He was again removed from service in 1800, then recalled after Alexander I’s accession; in November 1801 he was appointed шеф of the 4th jäger regiment, a position he retained until his death.

In the War of the Fourth Coalition he served with Bennigsen’s forces. In December 1806 he commanded an advance detachment during the movements toward Pułtusk; he fought there on 14 December, defending the crossing over the Narew and receiving the Order of St George (3rd class) and the Prussian Order of the Red Eagle (1st class). In the winter campaign of 1807 he took part in the fighting during the withdrawal toward Preussisch Eylau and then in the battle itself, where he was wounded. He continued in the forward elements in the spring operations, including actions around Guttstadt and the approach to Heilsberg, and fought at Heilsberg (10 June 1807) and Friedland (14 June 1807), where he suffered a further concussion and relinquished command during the battle. In December 1807 he was promoted to генерал-лейтенант (lieutenant-general).

In 1808 he was sent to Finland during the Russo–Swedish War. He held senior field responsibilities after Bagration’s departure, fought actions that included the relief of Uusikaupunki (Nystad), and commanded in the protracted combat at Iverismo near Åbo (Turku) on 7 June 1808. Later in the campaign he commanded the 5th Division and took part in fighting near Helsing (Helsinki/Helsingfors) in September.

During the 1812 campaign Baggovut commanded the 2nd Infantry Corps in Barclay de Tolly’s 1st Western Army, first engaging the French in the fighting around Smolensk. At Borodino (7 September 1812) he was initially posted on the right of the Russian position and later moved to reinforce the left during the Major attacks; after Lieutenant-General Nikolai Tuchkov was mortally wounded, Baggovut assumed command in that sector and fought against the Polish corps under Poniatowski during the struggle around the southern flank. For Borodino he was awarded the Order of St Alexander Nevsky, but he did not live to receive its insignia. In the combat at Tarutino (Vinkovo) on 6/18 October 1812 he led an infantry column in the outflanking movement against Murat’s advanced forces and was killed early in the action by artillery fire. He was buried at the Lavrentiev Monastery in Kaluga. He was married to Elizaveta Yakovlevna von Fock and left no children.

Sources

• Russian Biographical Dictionary (A. A. Polovtsov): “Багговут, Карл Федорович” (Wikisource)
• Encyclopedia of Germans in Russia: “Baggovut, Karl Fedorovich”
• Napoleon Series: “Lieutenant General Carl Baggovut”
• History of War: “General Karl Federovich Baggovut (1761-1812)”
• Wikipedia (English): Karl Gustav von Baggovut
• Wikipedia (Russian): Багговут, Карл Фёдорович (генерал-лейтенант)