DOUGLAS, WILHELM [SSNE 3860]
Text source
Count Wilhelm Douglas (1683-1763) was a Swedish officer of the Scottish Douglas-Wittinghame line, probably a grandson of Count Robert Douglas [SSNE 2378] and son of William Douglas [SSNE 2379]. He began his military career as a cadet in French service in 1696. He continued to serve in France in the Swedish Regiment of Eric Sparre. By 1704 he had joined the Skaraborg regiment and within four years became Adjutant-General to Rehnskol in 1708. He was Captured by the Russians at Poltava in 1709. He was released and returned to Sweden in 1722 and thereafter served as a captain in the North Skane cavalry in 1722. He retired from Swedish service with the rank of Colonel in 1725 but took up a military career in the service of Holstein Gottorp where he became a Major General by 1738. Douglas married Maria Houtman van Bouchshorn in 1715 and died in 1763.
Sources: P. Englund, The Battle of Poltava: The Birth of the Russian Empire (London, 1992), Biographical Appendix, p.266; A. Lewenhaupt, Karl XII:s Officerare Biografiska anteckningar (2 vols., Stockholm, 1920), I, p.148.
Service record
- SWEDEN, FRANCE, FRANCE, ROYAL ALLEMAND, ERIK SPARRE
- Departed 1703-12-31, as LIEUTENANT
- Capacity 0FICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, SKARABORG REGIMENT, SKANE DRAGOONS
- Departed 1709-06-01, as ADJUTANT GENERAL, CAPTAIN
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, POLTAVA, RUSSIA
- Departed 1722-12-31, as OFFICER
- Capacity PRISONER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, SKANE CAVALRY
- Departed 1725-12-31, as COLONEL
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- HOLSTEIN-GOTTROP, ARMY
- Departed 1738-12-31, as MAJOR GENERAL
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY