Gervais, Karl Leontyevich

Carl Gervais was born March 23, 1787 in the family of a major of the Russian Imperial Army . At the end of the course of sciences in the 1st Cadet Corps , in 1805 he was promoted to ensign of the Velikolutsk Infantry Regiment , from which he was transferred to the Kostroma Infantry Regiment in the same year.

In 1806, Gervais set out on a campaign in Prussia , where he was in battle on September 17, and then on December 14 ( near Pultusk ). In 1807, on January 26 and 27, he participated in the general battle near Preisisch-Eylau , for the distinction in which he was awarded the Order of St. Anne of the 4th degree. In the same year he participated in battles at the village of Wolfidorf, on the Posarg River at Denin, at Heilsberg and near Friedland .

May 22, 1809 Gervais made a campaign in Galicia , reached the regiment to Bochnia, then went to Moldova , and in the campaign of 1810 against the Turks - to Wallachia and Bulgaria , the Danube crossed and participated in the blockade of the fortresses of Shumly and Ruschuk . At the end of May this year, with the rank of lieutenant, he was appointed adjutant to Lieutenant General Steingel and, taking this position, took part in the Patriotic War , having been in ten battles from September 14 at Dalen-Kirchen to November 15 when the enemy rear guard was broken up on the river Berezina . In contrast to the battle on October 7 and 8 at the Ushach River, Gervais was transferred to the Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment . In the rank of captain, he took part in a foreign campaign , fighting under the city of Elbing and blocking the fortress of Danzig .

January 1, 1816, with the rank of colonel, he was appointed commander of the Podolsky infantry regiment , whom he commanded for about eight and a half years, showing high personal and official qualities.

On August 30, 1824, he took command of the 2nd Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division, and then the 1st Brigade of the 10th Infantry Division. With her, he participated in the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1829 , crossing the Danube near the village of Satunovo , took part in the blockade and then attack of the Kyustenji fortress, and for the distinction made during its subjugation and in previous affairs, received the nominal Highest Grace; as a member of the detachment of Adjutant General Benckendorff of the 2nd, he occupied the town of Pravy and, finally, from August 10 to September 28, besieged the fortress of Varna and then entered it by occupation.

In June 1829, Gervais on the ship "Emperor Franz I" sailed from Sevastopol to Sisopol (in Eastern Rumelia ). The plague that spread at the end of the Turkish War claimed many casualties from the ranks of the Russian troops. For a detailed audit of the plague hospitals of the 6th Corps in Sisopol, Field Marshal Dibich was commanded by K. L. Gervais, who completed this dangerous assignment with complete selflessness and success. At the risk of dying among the plague sick, he visited many times and carefully examined all the infectious infirmaries and hospitals, not allowing the young officer Maleev who was with him to follow him, sparing his young life. Many riots and abuses were discovered. In addition, from August 1, 1829 to May 16, 1830, he commanded a detachment in Sisopol, from where on May 22 he returned to the Black Sea to Russia . Dibitsch thanked Gervais very well for the errand, but the latter made an enemy in the person of his corps commander General Roth , who, due to the frank and honest report of Major General Gervais about the abuses he found, received a reprimand from Count Dibic and put the strictest order immediately into order is all that concerned the sanitary condition of his corps during the plague.

Soon after, Gervais was appointed commander of the combined brigade of the 12th Infantry Division, on December 16, 1831 he was awarded the Order of St. George 4th degree for the immaculate length of service for 25 years in officer ranks (No. 4555 according to the list of Grigorovich - Stepanov) and was awarded the registered Highest Grace for excellently diligent service.

During 1832 and 1833, he consistently commanded brigades: the 3rd - 15th Infantry Division, the 3rd - 14th Infantry Division and the 1st - 11th Infantry Division. At the end of 1833 he was appointed commandant of the Tiraspol fortress, leaving the army, but remained in this position for relatively short time: with the abolition of the command command of the Tiraspol fortress, he resigned in August 1835.

Further service activities Gervais proceeded in the civilian department. At the end of 1889, he was appointed head of the Grodno Customs District, with renaming as state councilors , in 1842 - chairman of the Bialystok Treasury. When the northwestern provinces were transformed the following year, the Białystok region was abolished and the Coven province was established , he received the position of chairman of the Coven Chamber of State. A year later, on the basis of the Highest Approved Report correcting the position of the Chairman of the Prison Guardian of the Society, Senator Count Apraksin , Gervais was appointed a member of the Covene Provincial Guardian of Prisons Committee.

During this six-year period, K. L. Gervais was awarded twice monetary awards (in 1840 and 1841), and on June 18, 1845, the Highest Rescript addressed to the Minister of the Interior, he was “declared gratitude and perfect gracious grace” for the timely completion of 5- th recruitment set.

In 1850, Gervais, by request, was dismissed from service, with the former rank of major general, with a military uniform and pension. He died on February 18, 1852 in St. Petersburg , was buried at the Volkov Lutheran cemetery.

Gervais was married to the daughter of Colonel Elizabeth Alekseevna, nee Mueller, they had two daughters: Elizabeth-Louise and Catherine.

• Gervais V. Gervais, Karl Leontyevich // Russian Biographical Dictionary : in 25 volumes. - SPb. - M. , 1896-1918.
• Saitov V. Petersburg necropolis . T. 1-3. SPb., 1912
• Stepanov V.S., Grigorovich P.I. In memory of the centennial of the imperial Military Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George. (1769-1869). SPb., 1869