Peter Graf von Lacy (russian: link=no, Пётр Петро́вич Ла́сси,
tr. ; en, Pierce Edmond de Lacy; ga, Peadar (Piarais Éamonn) de Lása; 26 September 1678 – 30 April 1751) was an
Irish-born soldier who later served in the
Imperial Russian army
The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...
.
Considered one of the most successful
Russian Imperial commanders before
Rumyantsev
The Rumyantsev family (') were Russian counts prominent in Russian imperial politics in the 18th and early 19th centuries. The family claimed descent from the boyar Rumyanets who broke his oath of allegiance and surrendered Nizhny Novgorod to Vasi ...
and
Suvorov, in a military career that spanned half a century he claimed to have participated in 31 campaigns, 18 battles, and 18 sieges. He died on his private estate in
Riga
Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the ...
, where he served as governor for many years.
One of his sons was
Count Franz Moritz von Lacy
Franz Moritz Graf von Lacy ( en, Francis Maurice de Lacy; russian: Борис Петрович Ласси, tr. ; 21 October 1725 – 24 November 1801) was a Baltic German-born Austrian military leader, he was the son of Count Peter von Lacy ...
, who went on to serve in the
Imperial Habsburg Army, while his nephew
George Browne (1698-1792) was also a general in the Russian army.
Life
Family
Peter Lacy was born Pierce Edmond de Lacy on 26 September 1678 in
Killeedy near
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2 ...
into a noble
Irish family.
In an autobiography preserved by his descendants, Lacy claimed that his father Peter was the son of John Lacy of Ballingarry.
[John D'Alton (historian), D'Alton, John]
, ''Illustrations, historical and genealogical, of King James's Irish army list, 1689'' (1855)
/ref> Count Peter also claimed Pierce Oge de Lacy of Bruff as a kinsman. It appears that Count Peter's grandfather John Lacy of Ballingarry was of the House of Bruff, and possibly the brother of Pierce (Peter) Oge (the young) Lacy of Bruff (−1607, executed) celebrated from the wars against Elizabeth I, the son of Sir Hempon Pierce de Lacy, who maintained that he was 18th in direct descent from William Gorm de Lacy, son of Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath, and great-great-grandson of Walter I de Lacy (–c.1085), the Norman soldier.
His uncle was Lieutenant-Colonel John Lacy of the House of Bruff, and this was the uncle John with whom Count Peter served at the age of 13 in the defence of Limerick, who had rescued Count Peter by buying him off at the capitulation of Limerick, then fled overseas with Count Peter and the rest of his regiment (which included Count Peter's father and brother) to join the Irish Brigade in France, and who was killed in October 1693 while fighting with Count Peter in the battle of the "Val de Marseilles". Lieutenant-Colonel John Lacy of the House of Bruff who had resided in Kilmallock had prior to 1647 been an officer in the time of Charles I of England
Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. He was born into the House of Stuart as the second son of King James VI of Scotland, but after ...
, had fought in France and Flanders, and been a prisoner in England for 2 years. In 1647 he was the only Lacy to be a member of the Supreme Council of Confederate Catholics, and in 1651 he was excluded from amnesty after the 1st Siege of Limerick. He was Deputy Governor of Limerick 1685–86, and one of the representatives of Kilmallock in the Parliament of Dublin in 1689.
Early career in Ireland and Western Europe
At the age of 13, during the Williamite war in Ireland
The Williamite War in Ireland (1688–1691; ga, Cogadh an Dá Rí, "war of the two kings"), was a conflict between Jacobite supporters of deposed monarch James II and Williamite supporters of his successor, William III. It is also called th ...
Peter was attached to the Jacobite defence of Limerick against the Williamite
A Williamite was a follower of King William III of England (r. 1689–1702) who deposed King James II and VII in the Glorious Revolution. William, the Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, replaced James with the support of English Whigs.
O ...
s with the rank of Lieutenant. The Flight of the Wild Geese followed, with Peter, his father and his brother joining the Irish Brigade in France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. After his relatives lost their lives fighting for Louis XIV
Louis XIV (Louis Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was List of French monarchs, King of France from 14 May 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the Li ...
in Italy, Peter was induced to seek his fortune elsewhere. After two years of service in the Austrian army, Lacy followed his commander, Charles Eugène de Croÿ, into the Russian service.
Service under Peter the Great
His first taste of land battle in Russia was the disastrous defeat at Narva, in which Lacy commanded a unit of musketeers, holding the rank of poruchik
The rank of lieutenant in Eastern Europe ( hr, poručnik, cs, poručík, pl, porucznik, russian: script=latn, poruchik, sr, script=latn, poručnik, sk, poručík) is one used in Slavophone armed forces. Depending on the country, it is either ...
. During the Great Northern War
The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swe ...
he was seriously wounded on two occasions, also gaining the rank of colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...
in 1706. In the same year, Peter gave him command of the Polotskii regiment and three new regiments raising him to colonel status. The following year he led his brigade at Poltava, in which battle he greatly distinguished himself. In the battle of Rumna, 1708 he attacked and captured the headquarters of Charles XII. He gained fame at this stage by advising the Czar that musketeers should wait until they were within a few yards of the enemy before opening fire. Prior to this the Russians were known for uncoordinated fire. From this point began his fame as a soldier. His next active service, still under Prince Repnin, was the siege of Riga
Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the ...
. Lacy was reputedly the first Russian officer to enter the capital of Livland
Livonia ( liv, Līvõmō, et, Liivimaa, fi, Liivinmaa, German and Scandinavian languages: ', archaic German: ''Liefland'', nl, Lijfland, Latvian and lt, Livonija, pl, Inflanty, archaic English: ''Livland'', ''Liwlandia''; russian: Ли ...
and he was appointed the first Russian chatelain of Riga Castle in the aftermath.
In 1719 as a Major General Apraksin's fleet landed Lacy with 5,000 infantry and 370 cavalry near Umeå
Umeå ( , , , locally ; South Westrobothnian: ;). fi, Uumaja; sju, Ubmeje; sma, Upmeje; se, Ubmi) is a city in northeast Sweden. It is the seat of Umeå Municipality and the capital of Västerbotten County.
Situated on the Ume River, Um ...
in Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...
, where they proceeded to devastate a dozen iron foundries and a number of mills. Two years later he led a similar action against Sundsvall. Soon promoted to General, he entered the Military Collegium (modelled by Peter I Peter I may refer to:
Religious hierarchs
* Saint Peter (c. 1 AD – c. 64–88 AD), a.k.a. Simon Peter, Simeon, or Simon, apostle of Jesus
* Pope Peter I of Alexandria (died 311), revered as a saint
* Peter I of Armenia (died 1058), Catholicos ...
upon the Swedish administrative reforms introduced by Axel Oxenstierna
Axel Gustafsson Oxenstierna af Södermöre (; 1583–1654), Count of Södermöre, was a Swedish statesman. He became a member of the Swedish Privy Council in 1609 and served as Lord High Chancellor of Sweden from 1612 until his death. He was a c ...
) – as the Russian Ministry of Defense was then known – in 1723. Three years later, Lacy succeeded Repnin in command of the Russian forces quartered in Livland, and in 1729 he was appointed Governor of Riga. These positions brought him in contact with the Duchess
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranke ...
of Courland
Courland (; lv, Kurzeme; liv, Kurāmō; German and Scandinavian languages: ''Kurland''; la, Curonia/; russian: Курляндия; Estonian: ''Kuramaa''; lt, Kuršas; pl, Kurlandia) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands in western Latvia ...
, who before long ascended the Russian throne as Empress Anna
Anna Ioannovna (russian: Анна Иоанновна; ), also russified as Anna Ivanovna and sometimes anglicized as Anne, served as regent of the duchy of Courland from 1711 until 1730 and then ruled as Empress of Russia from 1730 to 1740. Much ...
. During her reign, Lacy's capacity for supreme command would never be doubted.
Lacy was one of the first recipients of the Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky
The Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was an order of chivalry of the Russian Empire first awarded on by Empress Catherine I of Russia.
History
The introduction of the Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was envisioned by Emperor ...
when it was established, furthermore, he was given command of all infantry in St Petersburg, Ingria and Novgorod. By 1728 he was ranked third of only six full generals in the Russian Army and the only foreigner. As a foreigner his salary was 3,600 Roubles a year, 15% higher than Russian generals. Higher salaries for foreign-born generals were seen in other ranks too. Lacy's signature, even on documents in Cyrillic script
The Cyrillic script ( ), Slavonic script or the Slavic script, is a writing system used for various languages across Eurasia. It is the designated national script in various Slavic, Turkic, Mongolic, Uralic, Caucasian and Iranic-speaking c ...
, always appears in English and Latin script
The Latin script, also known as Roman script, is an alphabetic writing system based on the letters of the classical Latin alphabet, derived from a form of the Greek alphabet which was in use in the ancient Greek city of Cumae, in southern ...
which would suggest he never gained proficiency in Russian.
When Catherine
Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria.
In the early Christ ...
was Empress Lacy was given responsibility for removing Maurice de Saxe
Maurice, Count of Saxony (german: Hermann Moritz von Sachsen, french: Maurice de Saxe; 28 October 1696 – 20 November 1750) was a notable soldier, officer and a famed military commander of the 18th century. The illegitimate son of Augustus I ...
from Courland
Courland (; lv, Kurzeme; liv, Kurāmō; German and Scandinavian languages: ''Kurland''; la, Curonia/; russian: Курляндия; Estonian: ''Kuramaa''; lt, Kuršas; pl, Kurlandia) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands in western Latvia ...
. Saxe had managed to gain support and was even mentioned as marrying Anna, Duchess of Courland.
Service under Empress Anna
Having saved her from marriage to Saxe Anna was very familiar with Lacy and he became one of her most trusted generals. The War of the Polish Succession
The War of the Polish Succession ( pl, Wojna o sukcesję polską; 1733–35) was a major European conflict sparked by a Polish civil war over the succession to Augustus II of Poland, which the other European powers widened in pursuit of thei ...
again called him into the field. In 1733, Lacy and Munnich expelled the Polish king, Stanisław I, from Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...
to Danzig, which was besieged by them in 1734. Thereupon the Irishman was commanded to march towards the Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, source ...
and join his 13,500-strong contingent with the forces of Eugene of Savoy
Prince Eugene Francis of Savoy–Carignano, (18 October 1663 – 21 April 1736) better known as Prince Eugene, was a field marshal in the army of the Holy Roman Empire and of the Austrian Habsburg dynasty during the 17th and 18th centuries. He ...
. To that end his corps advanced into Germany and, meeting the Austrians on 16 August, returned to winter quarters in Moravia
Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
The ...
with exemplary discipline. In 1743 he commanded Russian forces at the Siege of Gdańsk in which French and Polish forces were defeated. Lacy led the Russians in two other decisive battles of the conflict, Wisiczin and Busawitza. In the latter battle, he was outnumbered ten to one but nevertheless prevailed. For this victory, he was awarded Order of the White Eagle. After Busawitza Lacy was ordered to reinforce the Austrians at Mannheim. however, when he reached Mannheim peace had been declared. Lacy was received by Emperor Charles and Viennese society. On his return from Vienna, he was met by a courier from St Petersburg who delivered to him his patent honouring him as Field Marshal.
With the patent of Field Marshal was the news that Russia was at war with Turkey and Lacy was ordered at once to capture Azov Fortress. This he did despite being wounded in the fray. Von Münnich, who was Lacy's rival had been campaigning in the Crimea but with little success, after Azov Lacy was ordered to capture Crimea. Lacy bridged the Sea of Azov
The Sea of Azov ( Crimean Tatar: ''Azaq deñizi''; russian: Азовское море, Azovskoye more; uk, Азовське море, Azovs'ke more) is a sea in Eastern Europe connected to the Black Sea by the narrow (about ) Strait of Ker ...
at a narrow point near Perekop. Within four days, aided by favourable winds and tide, his entire army crossed it and began marching on Arabat. The Russians met the Khan's much larger Crimean army and routed them in two battles, on 12 and 14 June. In 1738, Lacy's corps again landed in Crimea and took the fortress of Çufut Qale near the Khan's capital, Bakhchisaray
Bakhchysarai ( crh, Bağçasaray, italic=yes; russian: Бахчисара́й; ua, Бахчисара́й; tr, Bahçesaray) is a town in Crimea, a territory recognized by a majority of countries as part of Ukraine and annexed by Russia as the ...
. For his success in Poland and Crimea Lacy was awarded the Order of St. Andrew.
As soon as peace had been restored, Lacy was reinstated as the Governor of Livland, while Emperor Charles VI
Charles VI (german: Karl; la, Carolus; 1 October 1685 – 20 October 1740) was Holy Roman Emperor and ruler of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy from 1711 until his death, succeeding his elder brother, Joseph I. He unsuccessfully claimed the thron ...
conferred on him the title of an imperial count. His indifference to politics prevented his downfall following Anna's death, when other foreign commanders, most notably von Münnich, fell into disgrace and were expelled from active service.
Service under Empress Elizabeth
In December 1741 Elizabeth seized power. Lacy was roused from bed in the early hours of the morning in a test of his loyalty. He was not aware if the men sent to him were from Elizabeth or Grand Duchess Anna. Lacy was asked what party he was of, Anne or Elizabeth, Lacy answered "Of the party of the reigning Empress." A period of unrest followed and Lacy was called upon to restore order. Most of what was known as the German Faction fell out of favour at this stage. The restoration of order in St Petersburg was largely down to the prompt actions of Lacy.
When the Russo-Swedish War
Wars between Russia and Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> ...
broke out in 1741, the government of Anna Leopoldovna
Anna Leopoldovna (russian: А́нна Леопо́льдовна; 18 December 1718 – 19 March 1746), born Elisabeth Katharina Christine von Mecklenburg-Schwerin and also known as Anna Carlovna (А́нна Ка́рловна), was regent of R ...
appointed him Commander-in-Chief as the most experienced among Russian generals. Lacy quickly struck against Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...
and won his last brilliant victory at Lappeenranta (August 1741). Lacy's force, however, was poorly supplied and he was forced to withdraw to St Petersburg. The following year he rallied his forces and proceeded to capture Hamina
Hamina (; sv, Fredrikshamn, , Sweden ) is a town and a municipality of Finland. It is located approximately east of the country's capital Helsinki, in the Kymenlaakso region, and formerly the province of Southern Finland. The municipality's pop ...
, Porvoo
Porvoo (; sv, Borgå ; la, Borgoa) is a city and a municipality in the Uusimaa region of Finland, situated on the southern coast about east of the city border of Helsinki and about from the city centre. Porvoo was one of the six medieva ...
and Hämeenlinna
Hämeenlinna (; sv, Tavastehus; krl, Hämienlinna; la, Tavastum or ''Croneburgum'') is a city and municipality of about inhabitants in the heart of the historical province of Tavastia and the modern province of Kanta-Häme in the south of ...
, by August encircling more than 17,000 Swedes near Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...
and effectively bringing the hostilities to an end.
The war over, Lacy withdrew to Riga
Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the ...
and resumed the command of the Russian forces stationed in Livland
Livonia ( liv, Līvõmō, et, Liivimaa, fi, Liivinmaa, German and Scandinavian languages: ', archaic German: ''Liefland'', nl, Lijfland, Latvian and lt, Livonija, pl, Inflanty, archaic English: ''Livland'', ''Liwlandia''; russian: Ли ...
. He administered what is now Northern Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
and Southern Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, an ...
until his death on 30 April 1751 in Riga
Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the ...
. His son Franz Moritz von Lacy had entered the Austrian service in 1743 and became one of the most successful imperial commanders of the 18th century.
Marriage and children
Count Peter married Baltic German noblewoman Maret Philippine ("Martha") von Funcken from Liezere, widow of the young Count Hannes Kristof Frölich (d 1710), and daughter of general Remmert von Funcken, lord of Liezere, and his second wife baroness Helena Üksküla. They had 5 daughters and 2 sons.
One son was Count Franz Moritz von Lacy
Franz Moritz Graf von Lacy ( en, Francis Maurice de Lacy; russian: Борис Петрович Ласси, tr. ; 21 October 1725 – 24 November 1801) was a Baltic German-born Austrian military leader, he was the son of Count Peter von Lacy ...
, the famous Austrian field marshal who was also a Count of the Holy Roman Empire.
Nothing is known about the other, supposedly older, son and in some references, he is incorrectly attributed with accolades that belong to his father Count Peter and/or his brother Count Franz.
Ancestry
Orders
* Order of St. Andrew
* Order of St. Alexander Nevsky granted 1725 during Coronation ceremonies of the Czarina, Catherine I
*Order of the White Eagle (Poland)
The Order of the White Eagle ( pl, Order Orła Białego) is Poland's highest order awarded to both civilians and the military for their merits. It was officially instituted on 1 November 1705 by Augustus II the Strong, King of Poland and Electo ...
See also
*Irish military diaspora
The Irish military diaspora refers to the many people of either Irish birth or extraction (see Irish diaspora) who have served in overseas military forces, regardless of rank, duration of service, or success.
Many overseas military units were pr ...
* Irish regiments
References
Sources
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lacy, Peter
1678 births
1751 deaths
Irish generals
Military personnel from County Limerick
Russian nobility
Field marshals of Russia
Russian military personnel of the War of the Polish Succession
Emigrants from the Kingdom of Ireland to the Russian Empire
Wild Geese (soldiers)
Irish soldiers in the French Army
Irish soldiers in the Austrian Army
Irish soldiers in the army of James II of England
17th-century Irish people
18th-century Irish people
Irish people of French descent
18th-century military personnel from the Russian Empire
People of the Russo-Swedish War (1741–1743)