Military Register - Infantry Regiment No. 8¶
Etienne was a soldier in Infantry Regiment No. 8 (von Hacke) as Stephan Cabos under Company Commander Major Alexander Wilhelm von Arnim
In 1770 v. Arnim was transferred as captain and company commander to the Infantry Regiment "von Hacke" No. 8 and participated in the Bavarian War of Succession in 1778/79. In 1781 Arnim was appointed as major and initially became commander of the 1st Battalion, and in 1783 commander of the 2nd Battalion. Arnim had been married since 1772 to Albertine Gräfin von Küssow ( October 26, 1753 in Megow; † September 11, 1829 in Gerswalde).*
Document Information¶
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Regiment | Infanterieregiment Nr. 8 (von Hacke) |
| Founded | 1679 |
| Location | Stettin |
| Company | Major Alexander Wilhelm von Arnim |
| Soldier | Stephan Cabos |
| Service Period | ca. 1772-1780 |
Infantry Regiment No. 8¶
Infantry Regiment No. 8, also known as "Regiment von Hacke", was one of the traditional regiments of the Old Prussian Army. It was founded in 1679 and was stationed in the garrison town of Stettin.
Company Commander Major von Arnim¶
Stephan Cabos served in the company of Major Alexander Wilhelm von Arnim. The von Arnims were an old Prussian noble family with a long military tradition.
The Bavarian War of Succession (1778-1779)¶
"The Potato War"¶
In the summer of 1778, Frederick the Great mobilized his troops against Austria. After the extinction of the Bavarian Wittelsbach line, Emperor Joseph II had claimed Lower Bavaria and the Upper Palatinate.
On July 5, 1778, 80,000 Prussian and Saxon soldiers marched into Bohemia - among them Stephan Cabos with Infantry Regiment No. 8.
The campaign developed into a peculiar non-war:
- Severe logistical problems on both sides
- The soldiers fed themselves mainly on confiscated potatoes
- Hardly any combat operations
The conflict mockingly went down in history as the "Potato War" (Kartoffelkrieg). In Austria it was ridiculed as "Zwetschgenrummel" (Plum Fuss).
Peace of Teschen¶
On May 13, 1779, the Peace of Teschen ended the war. The church records of the garrison church in Stettin note:
"Nach Gott sey Lob und Ehre glücklich wieder hergestelltem Frieden und Zurückkunft der Regimenter."
[After God be praise and honor for the happily restored peace and return of the regiments.]
The Children During the Campaign¶
While Stephan Cabos was in the field, his family remained in Stettin. The church records note: "Getaufte während der Campagne im Jahre 1778 u 1779" [Baptized during the campaign in the years 1778 and 1779] - the families of the soldiers remained behind in the garrison.
At this time, the couple already had four children:
- Johann Carl Abraham (born November 29, 1772)
- Friedrich Ludwig Abraham Isaac (born April 27, 1774)
- Franz Alexander George Carl (born January 29, 1776)
- Henriette Charlotte Sophie (born December 29, 1777)
Godparents from Higher Circles¶
Noteworthy are the godparents of the children - among them:
- Major von Wrangel
- Major von Arnim (the company commander)
- Frau Lieutenant von Braunschweig
These noble godparents show that Stephan Cabos, despite his simple soldier status, maintained connections to higher circles.