Jean David STRUDEL ^{1 2 3 4 5 6}

   Another name for Jean was David.

   User ID: 56.

   General Notes:

Light Infantry Soldier of the 61st Regiment- Napoleon's Army, Immigration 7 Dec 1833 Switzerland > New Orleans LA "Issac Hicks", Farmer, Innkeeper, Liquor Mfr.

MILITARY
Letter from Ministry of War to Jean David Strudel, 4 Mar 1810, Original with Virginia Strudell, Translation James D Strudel:
"5th Division Bureau of Pensions. The Chief of the 5th Division of the Ministry of War To Monsieur Strudel [additional `l' added later], Jean David, Light Infantry Soldier in the 61st Regiment of the Line, resident in Andolsheim district of Colmar department of the Haut Rhin.
"The Minister of war charges me to announce to you, Monsieur, that, under the account that had been rendered to the Emperor and King, of your services, and Injuries, His Majesty has accorded to you, by decree of 4 March 1810 a final pension balance of one hundred and fifty francs.
"His Excellency has authorized the managing Commission of the 5th division to make the payment to you in your department, counting from the day of your return to your home.
"At the next payment that will be made to you, remit to the Commissioner of wars the letter of balance of provisional pension that was delivered to you at Strasbourg on 6 February 1810 in order that it is returned to the Minister. Seen and verified, The Chief of the Bureau, I greet you,...of the 5th Division Ministry. T.S.V.P."
"Instructions.
"To caution the military man to whom this letter is addressed, that the letter should be used as a voucher, and that counting from its date, six months are accorded to him in order to present to the Commissioner of wars of his department, with his birth certificate, the documents verifying the day that he ceased to connect his treatment of activity (if he is an officer), or those verifying the day that he returned to his home (if he is a Junior-officer or Soldier); that failure by him to present himself within six months to the Commissioner of wars, will not be allowed, unless specifically authorized by the Minister of war, after a legitimate and well verified cause.
"It is further cautioned,
"1st That he should not present himself to the paydesk of the Paymaster until after the birth certificate, blank, has been sent;
"2nd That if, because of illness, forced absence or other legitimate cause, he cannot transmit the signed documents to the Paymaster, during the course of the first month of each fixed trimester time for the payment of the pension balances, either himself, or through his authorized agent, it is to the Commissioner of wars of his department that he should exclusively address his complaint, attaching to it a certificate from the Mayor of his community, verifying the grounds which prevented him from presenting himself in time to the paydesk of the Paymaster;
"3rd That if the course of affairs obliges him to change residence,it is still to the Commissioner of wars of his department that he should address himself; "4th Finally, every request made to the Minister, when it is to the Commissioner of wars that it should be addressed, will not be answered."

Letter from Jean David Strudel to the Ministry of War:
"We Mirsel Aus Judge of peace of the Canton of Andolsheim district of Colmar Department of the Haut Rhin at the requisition of Jean David Strudel, Light Infantry Soldier of the 61st regiment of the Line and upon the affidavit of Foeirs, Jacques Jean of Colmar and Mirsel Hemerlin land surveyor of Andolsheim. We certify by those present to them that we bring that the...Jean David Strudel...5th Andolsheim on 2..November 1783, legitimate son of Jean Dietrich Strudel and Marie Susanne Nee Obrecht husband and wife, and who has served in the 5th 61st regiment of the Line since the month of...to the thirteenth until the present and who comes to obtain his pension because of those of his Injuries at the Battle of Wagram on 6 [sic] June..., is the same individual reported on the birth certificate delivered to him that day under the name of Jean David Strudelle and that it is in error that his name is written Strudelle in the letter of His Excellency Your Grace the Minister of War. In faith whose name, we have delivered to him the present notice of reputation in order to serve him and deserve that which is right and that we request it and the...were signed with the following names...of those present made and delivered at Munzenheim this seventh of April eighteen hundred ten, Hemerlin, Jsen Mirsel Aus, Jean David Strudel."

LETTER
James David STRUDELL Apr 1990:
Jean David STRUDEL Born Nov 1783 Munzenheim Alsace France. Parents Jean Dietrich STRUDEL and Marie Susanne OBRECHT.
61st Regiment Napoleon's Army 1809 Wounded at Battle of Wagram Austria.
Living Munzenheim France Abt 1810.
Married Madeleine MEYER Abt 1813 Alsace France.
Innkeeper Illhausern France Abt 1815-1833.
Immigrates Alsace >St Louis Missouri Abt 1833 [actually 7 Dec 1833].
Liquor Manufacturing Business St Louis 1833-1858.
Died 10 Nov 1858 St Louis Missouri.

IMMIGRATION
Suppl Index to Pass Lists Vessels Arv Atlantic & Gulf Coast Ports (Excl NY) 1820-1874 (St Louis Main Libr 929.173 Microfilm #334 Roll #168 Pg 19):
J STRUDEL Age 50, Sex M, Occ Farmer, Nation Switzerland, Last Perm Res Switzerland, Dest US, Port of Entry New Orleans LA, Name of Vessel "Isaac Hicks", Date 7 Dec 1833.
929.173 Microfilm #259 Roll #12- "Isaac Hicks" 7 Dec 1833- Not Found.

BIRTH CERTIFICATE
Illhausern Alsace Birth Certificate
20 Dec 1813 No 23:
In the year one thousand eight hundred thirteen, the 20th of December at five o'clock in the morning was born Marie Susanne Strudel, daughter of Jean David Strudel, inn-keeper, and of Madeleine Meyer, his wife...

24 May 1815
In the year one thousand eight hundred fifteen, the 24th of May was born at Illhausern, Charles Strudel, son of Jean David Strudel, inn-keeper, and of Madeleine Meyer, his wife...

CENSUS
1850 US Census Missouri St Louis St Louis County
Index MOS7a5201102 Ref 312 Reel 4152 Ward 2 Pg 188:
David STRUDEL 67M Liquor Manufact Born France, Charles 35M Born France, Maria 37F Born France, John MATT 29M Carpenter Born Germany, John KELLER 9M Attd School Born MO, Mary MATT 7F Attd School Born MO, Mina 5F Attd School Born MO, William 3M Born MO.

LETTER
James David STRUDELL Letter Apr 1990 "Alsace"
"The Strudels were Alsatians: the German French or the French Germans. As Unger (1989) points out, the Alsatians have switched nationalities five times in 120 years, and `even today, the French call them French when they behave and German when they don't.' Alsace is roughly defined as the region extending down from the Vosges Mountains on the west to the Rhine River on the east: to the south rests Switzerland; Wurttemberg and Baden sit across the Rhine; the Pfalz is to the north; and Lorraine to the west. Alsace is often considered in two sectors: the north, Bas Rhine, dominated by the city of Strasbourg; and the south, Haut-Rhin or Upper Rhine, dominated by the city of Colmar. It was in rural cantons near Colmar that the Strudels lived prior to their departure for America.
"Alsace has been predominantly under French rule since the 1500s. Although part of France, Alsatian culture- the architecture, cooking and language- often has reflected stronger German roots. Most Alsatian place names are German: Munzenheim, Andolsheim, Illhausern. (Some place name spellings have changed over the years: Munzenheim to Munzenheim, Illhausern to Illhaeusern, for example). These names, however, are given a French pronunciation, which for one thing tends to shift accents from the first syllable to the second. Thus, Stras-bourg' instead of Strass'-burg, and Stru-del' instead of Stru'-del. The fact that the Strudels, once in St. Louis, took German spouses, in one indication of the family's rather typical Alsatian/German bond. According to Leuilliot (1959), at the time the Strudels left Alsace, German was still clearly the dominant language in daily use.
"One of the major events in the history of Alsace was the French Revolution which, more than any other event in Alsatian history (with the possible exception of Hitler's invasion), helped to solidify the Frenchness of Alsace. The village of Munzenheim, for example, was dominated by Wurttemberg up until the Revolution. Alsace experienced the same political and social upheavals in the Revolution as the rest of France, which led into the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. According to the `Encyclopedie de l'Alsace', this period rests in the collective memory of Alsatians as a period of grandeur and prosperity, of which the memory is passed from generation to generation."

James David STRUDELL Letter Apr 1990 "In and Out of Napoleon's Army" "...Jean David Strudel ["David"] served in Napoleon's Grand Army in 1809. This knowledge comes from two old documents brought over to St. Louis when the family left Alsace: a March 1810 letter from the French Ministry of War to David, and an April 1810 letter from David to the Ministry of War...
"In 1808, Napoleon was largely consumed by the war in the Iberian Peninsula. A threat to his empire in Germany in spring 1809, however, hastened his return to the north. The Archduke Charles had massed an Austrian army and invaded French ally Bavaria. New army conscripts had been called up in France, and when Napoleon assembled his troops in Bavaria in April 1809, `half the French had never seen battle' (Connelly 1987). Alsace was an area of heavy French conscription during the Napoleonic Wars (L'Huillier 1947), and Jean David Strudel, then 26 years old, may have been among the new French conscripts for the war with Austria...
"Jean David's 1810 documents identify him as a `voltigeur' - a light infantry, skirmisher, or rifleman, type of soldier - the 61st Regiment of the Line. Pelet (1826) details the French army divisions in 1809. The 61st Regiment, as of 1 June, formed part of Morand's 1st Division of the 3rd Army Corps, which was under the command of one of Napoleon's veterans, Marshall Davout. By tracking the route of Morand's division in 1809, one may also track the route of voltiegeur Jean David Strudel.
"When Napoleon's army first met the Archduke Charles' army in late April, south of the Danube in Bavaria, Morand's division had been temporarily transferred from the 3rd Army Corps to Marshall Lannes' 2nd Army Corps. Morand's division played an important role in the Bavarian battles: a rout of Austrian General Hiller's forces at Abensberg-Arnhofen on 20 April; pursuit of Hiller south to Landshut; and then a return north to help overcome the Archduke Charles' main army at Eggmuhl on 23 April. In these three days, Morand's division marched more than 100 km, in addition to the time spent in the two battles. From Eggmuhl, Napoleon's army marched on and seized Vienna without resistance on 13 May. Davout's corps experienced little fighting during the next 50 or so days, during which they were quartered outside Vienna. Due to the Austrians' success in destroying the French army bridges over the Danube, the 3rd Army Corps was unable to join the Battle of Aspern-Essling on 21-22 May, when the French were driven back from a beachhead on the north side of the Danube.
"On the night of 4-5 July 1809, Napoleon launched a second major crossing of the Danube, during violent storms. This time Davout's forces took part, and ended up playing a major role in the ensuing Battle of Wagram. Davout's corps anchored the right of the French line, and on 6 July his infantry crossed Russbach Brook to seize the town of Markgrafneusiedl. Morand's division was on the right flank of Dabout's forces that morning, and advanced up to bluff in a closely fought struggle with the Austrian troops of Rosenberg (Vigier 1898). From Neusiedl, Davout's troops pushed the Austrian left flank westward toward the town of Wagram, in what ultimately was the decisive action in the French victory. Jean David Strudel was injured in the battle- exactly how and when is not known- but a guess might be during the heavy fighting that took place on the French right flank around Neusiedl. Blond (1979) illustrates a scene evacuating the wounded on 7 July, following the Battle of Wagram; David may have witnessed a scene similar to this. (Note that David's April 1810 letter dates the Battle of Wagram as 6 June- this is an error on his part.)
"At the time, Wagram was one of the largest battles ever fought in Europe, with 300,000 troops combined, and massive casualties on both the French and Austrian sides. The battle was followed by an armistice, and then, three months later, a peace treaty.
"David's injuries led to a military discharge and a pension from the Ministry of War. In one of the finest pieces of bureaucratese...the Ministry explained the procedures for obtaining payment...David had to submitboth his birth certificate and military discharge papers to the Commissioner of Wars. This he apparently did. His 7 April 1810 letter to the Ministry arose out of confusion over the spelling of his surname...Someone (presumably after 1896) added a second `L' to all the `Strudel's in the 1810 letters. It seems that David's birth certificate was spelled `Strudelle'. The ministry, therefore, in its March 1810 letter to David had spelled his name `Strudelle'. Worried that because of the misspelling, he might not receive his francs, David rounded up a judge and a land surveyor from his canton of Andolsheim, as well as a third fellow from Colmar, and signed a letter requesting the Ministry to correct the spelling from `Strudelle' to `Strudel'...If David wrote [and mailed] the letter, why does the family still have it, instead of the French government?...Either the Strudelle/Strudel problem was resolved and David never had to send the letter, or, more likely, is a copy for his own records.
"Besides shedding light on his military record, David's 7 April 1810 letter is important in that it names his parents, Jean Dietrich Strudel and Marie Susanne Obrecht. It also names what is probably his place of residence: Munzenheim, a small farm village in the canton of Andolsheim."

BOOKS
The Story of Civilization, Will and Riel Durant, Part XI, The Age of Napoleon, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1975, Chap IX, The Mortal Realm 1807-11, Part V, Fouche Tallyrandand Austria, 1809, p231-232:
"Austria was doing her share [to hasten Napoleon's fall]. The whole country, from rich to poor seemed eager for an attempt to free itself from the hard peace that Napoleon had laid upon it. Only Emperor Francis I hesitated, protesting that the appropriations for the army were bankrupting the state. Talleyrand sent encouraging words: the Grand Army was mired in Spain, French public opinion was strongly opposed to war, Napoleon's position was precarious. Metternich, hitherto hesitant, argued that the time had come for Austria to strike. Napoleon warned the Austrian government that if it continued to arm he would have no choice but to raise another army at whatever cost...Napoleon summoned two divisions from Spain, called up 100,000 conscripts, and ordered and received 100,000 troops from the Rhine Confederation, which feared for its life if Austria should overcome France; by April, 1809, Napoleon had 310,000 men under his command...On April 12 England signed a new alliance with Austria, pledging fresh subsidies. On April 13 Napoleon left Paris for Strasbourg, after announcing to his worried palace staff, `In two months I shall compell Austria to disarm.' On April 17 he reached his main army at Donauworth on the Danube, and gave final orders for the deployment of his forces.
"The French won some minor engagements at Abensberg and Landshut (April 19 and 20). At Eckmuhl (April 22) Marshal Davout led an irresistible attack upon Archduke Karl Ludwig's left wing while Napoleon's own divisions assaulted the center; after losing 30,000 men Karl retreated into Bohemia. Napoleon marched on to Vienna, which he entered on May 12 after a difficult and bravely contested crossing to the right bank of the Danube, there three thousand feet wide. In the meantime Karl reorganized his forces and brought them back to the left bank of the river at Essling. Napoleon tried to recross it hoping to defeat the Archduke in a decisive engagement. But the Danube was in a rising flood, which swept away the principal bridges; part of the French army and much of the ammunition had to be left behind; and on May 22 Napoleon's 60,000 men found themselves embattled with 115,000 Austrian troops. After losing 20,000 men- the beloved Lannes among them- the Emperor ordered the remaining 40,000 to recross the Danube by whatever means they could find. The Austrian had lost 23,000, but the encounter was accepted throughout Europe as a disastrous defeat for Napoleon. Prussia and Russia watched the sequel eagerly, ready, at any further encouragement, to pounce upon the troublesome upstart who had so long eluded the lords of feudalism...
"After the repulse at Essling, Napoleon, reinforced in troops and artillery, had new bridges built across the Danube, and strongly fortified, as camp and arsenal, the island of Lobay, situated in the river only 360 feet from the left bank. On July 4 he bade his army cross again. Seeing himself outnumbered, Karl Ludwig retreated north; Napoleon pursued him, and at Wagram 187,000 Frenchmen and allies met 136,000 Austrians and allies in one of the bloodiest battles in history. The Austrians fought well, and were at times near victory; but Napoleon's superiority in manpower and tactics turned the tide, and after two days (July 5-6, 1809) of competitive homicide Karl, having lost 50,000 men, ordered a retreat. Napoleon had lost 34,000, but had 153,000 left, while Karl had only 86,000; the odds were now two to one. The despondent Archduke asked for a truce, which Napoleon was glad to give...
"On October 14 they signed the Treaty of Schonbrunn, dictated by France in the royal palace of her ancient Hapsburg foes. Austria ceded the Innviertel and Salzburg to the Bavaria that she had so often invaded. Part of Galicia went to Russia, part of it to the grand duchy of Warsaw in partial return of territory taken by Austria in the partitions of Poland. Fiume, Istria, Trieste, Venezia, part of Croatia, most of Carinthia and Carniola were taken by France. Altogether Austria lost 3,500,000 taxable souls, and had to pay an indemnity of 85 million francs. napoleon took all this as his due, and six months later he capped his spoils by getting an Austrian archduchess as his bride."

   Events:

1. Immigration; 7 Dec 1833, New Orleans, Orleans, Louisiana, USA. ⁷ "Isaac Hicks", Switzerland > St Louis.

   Marriage Information:

Jean married Madeleine MEYER before 1813 in , Alsace, France. (Madeleine MEYER was born about 1782 in , Alsace, France ⁸, christened in Otterwiller, , France and died in 1821 in Otterwiller, , France ⁸.)