John de Barth Walbach, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

John de Barth Walbach

United States general

Date of Birth: 03-Oct-1766

Place of Birth: Munster, Grand Est, France

Date of Death: 10-Jun-1857

Zodiac Sign: Libra

Brevet Brigadier General John Baptiste de Barth Walbach (1766-1857), an Alsatian baron who fought in the French Revolutionary Wars, was one of the few foreign-born senior officers in the US Army prior to the Civil War.
On coming to join his father in America, he became an aide to Alexander Hamilton, rising to Adjutant General of the United States during the War of 1812.
A career Army officer who served for over 57 years, he remained in active duty until his death at the age of 90, making him the oldest acting officer in U.S.
history.
During his long career he commanded most forts on the eastern seacoast: Fort Constitution, Fort Trumbull, Fort Severn, Fort Monroe, Frankford Arsenal, Fort McHenry, and Fort Pickens.
His long career left behind many American place names. Though born in France, as were his parents, Walbach's main biographies were written during the late 19th century while Alsace was temporarily part of Germany, so most references refer to him as German.
His extant correspondence is in French and English.
His father was described by Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and others as a Frenchman.