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Carl Gustaf CreutzSwedish baron, general of cavalry
Date of Birth: 25.01.1660
Country:  Sweden |
Content:
- Carl Gustaf Creutz: A Daring Commander of the Swedish Cavalry
- Military Career
- Northern War
- Battle of Kletsk
- Imprisonment and Leadership
- Return to Sweden
- Late Career and Legacy
Carl Gustaf Creutz: A Daring Commander of the Swedish Cavalry
Early Life and EducationCarl Gustaf Creutz was born into a noble family in Sweden as the youngest son of Lorentz Creutz Sr. and Elsa Duvall. At the tender age of two, he was enlisted as a lieutenant in the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment. Later, he attended Uppsala University in 1674.
Military Career
In 1675, Creutz entered royal service as a chamber page and accompanied Charles XI on a military campaign against Denmark. He served in the Carelian Cavalry Regiment in Brandenburg, rising through the ranks to become captain-lieutenant and then captain.
Northern War
When the Northern War broke out, Creutz was a captain in the Södermanland Company. He participated in the crossing of the Western Dvina in 1701 and was promoted to major that same year. After the Battle of Lautenbourg in 1703, he became lieutenant colonel of the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment and subsequently colonel and chief of staff in 1704.
Battle of Kletsk
Creutz achieved his greatest military triumph at the Battle of Kletsk in 1706. Commanding a force outnumbered by the enemy, he routed them and went on to conquer the fortified town of Lyakhovichi. For his bravery, Charles XII awarded him the rank of major general of cavalry and appointed him commander of the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment.
Imprisonment and Leadership
After the Swedish army's surrender at Perevolochna in 1709, Creutz was taken prisoner to Poltava and then Moscow. He participated in Peter I's triumphal parade and was sent to Tobolsk with his son, Lorentz.
Throughout his 13 years of captivity, Creutz worked tirelessly to unite the imprisoned Caroleans. Following the death of Count Carl Piper, the leader of the prisoners, Creutz took over his role and spread pietism among both the captives and the local Russian population.
Return to Sweden
With the signing of the Treaty of Nystad in 1721, Creutz returned to Sweden in 1722. Prior to his return, he received the ranks of lieutenant general in 1720 and general of cavalry in 1722.
Late Career and Legacy
In Sweden, Creutz assumed command of the new Life Guards Cavalry Regiment, a successor to the regiment lost at Poltava. He held this post until his death.
Creutz was married to Sofia Kristina Natth och Dag. Through this marriage, he acquired the estate of Texhammar near Nyköping. After the death of their son, Lorentz, in 1733, the estate passed to their daughter, Beata, and her husband, Fredrik Rosenhane. The remains of Creutz and his wife were moved from Riddarholm Church in Stockholm to Husby-Oppunda Church in Södermanland.
Creutz's letters to his wife, Sofia, provide valuable insights into the military campaigns of Charles XII's Russian campaign. His bravery and leadership skills during the Northern War cemented his place as one of Sweden's most renowned military commanders.
