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Karl Sigmund Friedrich Wilhelm Leutrum
Karl Sigmund Friedrich Wilhelm Leutrum
"Baron Litron"
He arrived in Piedmont at the age of 14 years old, together with his half-brother Karl Magnus,
attached to the escort of the Prinz Eugen. Leutrum decided in that occasion to enter in the
Sabaudian army. Promoted captain of infantry, he was trained by Captain Johann Hernst Wahren.
In 1725 he became lieutenant-colonel of the Regiment Rehbinder, in 1732 he was its new
colonel, fighting with his units during the War of Polish Succession, especially during the siege of
Gera-Pizzighettone in winter 1733. At the end of 1735 he was promoted brigadier general.
The War of Austrian Succession began with Leutrum marching to the low padanian plain. His
Regiment Rehebinder was one of the Piedmontese units ready for the action in that sector of the
front. With the 1st battalion he moved from the camp of Parma to fights in the battle of Camposanto
(8 February 1743). During the second phase of this fight, three Spanish infantry brigades (Guardie,
Irlanda, Flandres) smashed the first line of the right wing of the Austro Piedmontese army. From the
second line Generals D'Apremont and Leutrum led counter charge with three battalions of
Regiments Savoia, Piemonte and Rehbinder. The right wing of the Spanish line was broken and
compelled to withdraw. During this action Spanish Regt. Guadalaxara is cut off from its army and
compelled to surrender. Leutrum was badly wounded, but he was comforted by his new rank of
Major General.
Before the end of the year Leutrum reached Turin, and then the Orbassano and the camp of San
Colombano in Susa Valley, while his Regiment fought in Varaita Valley. In the spring 1744
Leutrum arrived at the entrenched camp of the Villefranche Harbour. The 20 April he faced, under
Comm. Cinzano command, the French-Spanish offensive. With the grenadiers of the Regiment
Bourgsdorff (the previous Rehebinder) he was able to recapture the lost redoubts at Mont Gros and
Collet de Villefranche with an envelope movement in co-ordination with grenadiers of Regiments
Saluzzo, Tarantasia and Guibert. After the surrender of the Place, he went to the Harbour of
Oneglia. Then he came back in Piedmont. The "key" of south Piedmont, the city-fortress of Cuneo,
was under the danger of an immediate siege by the composite French-Spanish army under Prince de
Contì. Charles Emmanuel III changed immediately the governor of the place. The old Ottavio Pallio
Comte de Rinco was changed with Baron Leutrum. An officer of the garrison wrote about him:
Baron Leutrum reached Cuneo in the night between the 18 and the 19 august with the first battalion of Regiment
Kalbermatten and some little pieces of artillery. Everybody knew him for his merits, prudence, ability, resoluteness and
of the military virtues. So it is not the case for me to speak any more about him, since I should say anything well knew to
everybody.
De la Fléchère
The new governor prepared the city to the siege in such way; first of all raising the morale of the
garrison (8 battered battalions, about 3.244 men). 3 free companies were raised, together with 11 of
citizen militia. The houses of Cuneo became all little quarters, all the incendiary material transferred
in safety, the street were unpaved, a lot of water and food supplies introduced in the city. It had a
total storage supplies for more than five months of siege. More important Leutrum ordered to build
three new redoubts on the glacis at about 300 meters from the covered way. He wanted to defend
the glacis as long as possible. He had at his order two able officers, the officer of the engineers
Lorenzo Bernardino Pinto Count of Barri and the lieutenant of the miners Bozzolino. The trench
was opened by the Allies the 12 September; when the siege was over, the 22 October, the three
detached redoubts were still in Piedmontese hands.
So the siege of Coni finished, during that Baron Leutrum, thank to his sense and ability, and his tireless care, won
the honour and the respect of the garrison and of the citizen. The troops sustained with fervour and courage and
complied in everything the dispositions and the orders of their Governor. The citizen made all things you can hope in
such occasion, since they worked in every moment to the safety and resistance of the Place.
in Mémoires du siège de Coni
Then the main offensive against Asti was launched, in the mid of a storm. For the first time
Leutrum had at his order a great army, about 30.000 men, 31 infantry battalions and six cavalry
regiment, The beginning of the assault to east was not the best the Sabaudian wished, and the
artillery siege park had many problems:
During the night march from San Damiano to Asti the artillery crews informed Leutrum that, since the bad season,
it wasn't possible to ford the Borbore stream with the artillery. Leutrum simply said "I want them to ford". After many
attempts, all frustrated, the crews spoke again to the general. He again told to his men "I want them to ford". That night
all the cannons had forded the stream.
Biagio Gho
The piemontese general cleared the way; the 7 march 1746 Asti was reconquered after two day
of artillery bombardment. The French garrison (9 battalions, about 5000 men), 27 flags and 8
cannons were captured. The 10 march the Citadel of Alessandria was made free from the block. Just
in time since a heavy snowfall collapsed the piedmontese logistics. Leutrum, now General of
infantry, could move only in April, when the 17 April he sieged the city of Valenza on the river Po.
In a sea of mud, the cit was taken the 4 may 1746. The Piedmontese landscape was completely free
from enemy forces only the 27 November 1746, with the surrender of Tortona
Then we find Leutrum during the French Spanish offensive of 1747. On the ligurian theatre
Leutrum, with a very small force was able to defend the line Saorgio-Oneglia-Savona until the
arrive of the Austrian army from Genoa, to face the enemy advance with over than 50 battalions.
At the end of the War of Austrian Succession he went to Cuneo to rule the city as governor. A
Regiment of German Infantry, Burgsdorf, became Regiment Leutrum. Protestant, he didn't want to
become catholic. He refused also the collar of the Ordine della Santissima Annunziata, the greater
honour of the Kingdom of Sardinia (and, late, of the Kingdom of Italy).
He died the 16 may 1755 in Cuneo, since dropsy. So, after his death, he was buried at Torre
Pellice, in the Waldesian Valleys. His coffin was transferred from Cuneo to Torre Pellice in the
heart of the Alps by the soldier of his Regiment Leutrum. Beloved by the citizens of Cuneo, the
piemontese people in general and, first of all, by his soldiers people, a song about Leutrum and his
"great refusal" to become catholic, was soon composed.
He was probably the best field commanding officer of the Sabaudian army in XVIII century.
The waldensian temple of Ciabas, Angrogna, Torre Pellice
1732 Colonel
Giovanni Cerino-Badone