Charles Frederick Henningsen (1815 – 14 June 1877) was a Belgian-American writer,

mercenary A mercenary is a private individual who joins an armed conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any other official military. Mercenaries fight for money or other forms of payment rather t ...

filibuster A filibuster is a political procedure in which one or more members of a legislative body prolong debate on proposed legislation so as to delay or entirely prevent a decision. It is sometimes referred to as "talking a bill to death" or "talking ...

, and

munitions Ammunition, also known as ammo, is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. The term includes both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines), and the component parts of ...

expert. He participated in

revolutions In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elemen ...

and

civil wars A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.James Fearon"Iraq' ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

Circassia Circassia ( ), also known as Zichia, was a country and a historical region in . It spanned the western coastal portions of the North Caucasus, along the northeastern shore of the Black Sea. Circassia was conquered by the Russian Empire during ...

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...

, and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Early life

Henningsen was born in

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

. His father was John Henningsen (1775–1859), a native of

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

, and his mother was Louisa Burke (1789–1842), an Irish heiress. However, being adventurous in his youth, he revered

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...

in both literature and adventure, and so idealized British nobility in his actions. The family lived in Brussels from at least the time of his birth until the onset of the

Belgian Revolution The Belgian Revolution (, ) was a conflict which led to the secession of the southern provinces (mainly the former Southern Netherlands) from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the establishment of an independent Kingdom of Belgium. The ...

, fleeing due to their pro-Dutch sympathies. The family fled first to Paris, then to London. One of his sisters was Josephine Amelie de Henningsen (1822–1904), a member of the Missionary Sisters of the Assumption, who established the order in South Africa in 1849.

Spain

He fought in the

First Carlist War The First Carlist War was a civil war in Spain from 1833 to 1840, the first of three Carlist Wars. It was fought between two factions over the succession to the throne and the nature of the Monarchy of Spain, Spanish monarchy: the conservative a ...

, after entering as a volunteer in the service of

Don Carlos ''Don Carlos'' is an 1867 five-act grand opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi to a French-language libretto by Joseph Méry and Camille du Locle, based on the 1787 play '' Don Karlos, Infant von Spanien'' (''Don Carlos, Infante of Spain'') by Fried ...

in 1834. Henningsen rose to be captain of bodyguard to the

Carlist Carlism (; ; ; ) is a Traditionalism (Spain), Traditionalist and Legitimist political movement in Spain aimed at establishing an alternative branch of the Bourbon dynasty, one descended from Infante Carlos María Isidro of Spain, Don Carlos, ...

general

Tomás de Zumalacárregui Tomás de Zumalacárregui e Imaz (Basque language, Basque: Tomas Zumalakarregi Imatz; 29 December 178824 June 1835), known among his troops as "Uncle Tomás", was a Spaniards, Spanish Basques, Basque officer who led the Carlism, Carlist faction ...

. After the signing of the

Lord Eliot Convention The Lord Eliot Convention, or simply the Eliot Convention or Eliot Treaty (), was an April 1835 agreement brokered by Edward Eliot, 3rd Earl of St Germans between the two opposing sides of Spain's First Carlist War. It had as its aim not to end th ...

in April 1835, at which he was present, 19th Century´s military history in the Basque Country, Zumalakarregi Museum, archived on 4 September 2006 fro
the original
/ref> Henningsen returned to England.George Ripley, ''The New American Cyclopaedia'' (1860: D. Appleton and Company), 79. However, Henningsen soon returned to Spain with the rank of lieutenant-colonel and joined the Carlist expedition that threatened

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

from

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...

. He fought at the Battle of Villar de los Navarros (24 August 1837), a Carlist victory, earning the rank of colonel. He headed the Carlist

lancers A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by India, Egypt, China, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the M ...

and was attacked outside of Madrid by Liberal ( Isabeline) forces. He led a column against these forces, capturing the outer fortifications of Madrid. He held them for several hours, until notified that Don Carlos could send him no reinforcements. Historic Congressional Cemetery, archived on 7 September 2008 fro
the original
/ref> However, he was subsequently taken prisoner, and released on parole. He did not serve again in this war. He later recorded his experiences in Spain in the boo
''The Most Striking Events of a Twelvemonth's Campaign with Zumalacarregui''
which he dedicated to Lord Eliot. The work created controversy in Britain because it glorified Zumalacárregui and supported the Carlist position.

Russia and Hungary

Henningsen subsequently fought against the

Russian army The Russian Ground Forces (), also known as the Russian Army in English, are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, ...

during the

Russian-Circassian War The Russo-Circassian War, also known as the Russian invasion of Circassia, was the 101-year-long invasion of Circassia by the Russian Empire. The conflict started in 1763 ( O.S.) with Russia assuming authority in Circassia, followed by Circa ...

, and wrote up a military report on Russia, also later writing the book ''Revelations of Russia''. This was translated into French by Cyprien Robert and published in Paris (3 vols. 1845). He then became involved in the revolution in Hungary led by

Lajos Kossuth Lajos Kossuth de Udvard et Kossuthfalva (; ; ; ; 19 September 1802 – 20 March 1894) was a Hungarian nobleman, lawyer, journalist, politician, statesman and governor-president of the Kingdom of Hungary during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, r ...

, and was also involved in the planning of the military campaign against enemy

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ** Austria-Hungary ** Austria ...

forces. He proposed a military plan of campaign that was well received by Richard Debaufre Guyon and other leaders; as a result, Henningsen was to be appointed military and civil commander of the fortress of

Komárom Komárom (Hungarian: ; or ; , later ; ) is a city in Hungary on the south bank of the Danube in Komárom-Esztergom County. Komárom fortress played an important role in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 and many contemporary English sources r ...

(Komorn). However, the Hungarian Revolution was suppressed, and Henningsen later visited Kossuth at

Kütahya Kütahya (; historically, Cotyaeum or Kotyaion; Ancient Greek, Greek: Κοτύαιον) is a city in western Turkey which lies on the Porsuk River, at 969 metres above sea level. It is the seat of Kütahya Province and Kütahya District. In 19 ...

in 1850, where the Hungarian leader had been detained. He then traveled from

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

, and then crossed the

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...

to Italy.

Nicaragua

In 1852, Henningsen travelled to the United States shortly after Kossuth arrived in that country. He remained in the United States as a representative of Hungarian interests. He served under

William Walker William Walker may refer to: Arts * William Walker (engraver) (1791–1867), mezzotint engraver of portrait of Robert Burns * William Sidney Walker (1795–1846), English Shakespearean critic * William Walker (composer) (1809–1875), American Bap ...

in Nicaragua from October 1856, and was appointed major-general, commanding Walker's artillery. He was responsible for burning Granada, at that time the capital of Nicaragua, during the early hours of November 23, 1856. During this incident, he was in Granada with 419 men under orders from Walker to set the city on fire. The next day he was surrounded by some 2,800 Central American troops, fighting his way to

Lake Nicaragua Lake Nicaragua or Cocibolca or Granada (, , or ) is a freshwater lake in Nicaragua. Of tectonic origin and with an area of , it is the largest fresh water lake in Central America, the List of lakes by area, 19th largest lake in the world (by are ...

for twenty two days with a loss of 272 killed, wounded, deserters, and captured. Nothing of the city was left but a smoking ruin; when He withdrew, he left an inscription on a lance reading, in Spanish, ''Aquí fue Granada'' ("Here was Granada"). At the lake, he was joined by a reinforcement of 170 men, and escaped by breaking the siege of the allied Central American forces. On 1 May 1857 Henningsen, along with Walker, surrendered to Commander

Charles Henry Davis Charles Henry Davis ( – ) was a Autodidacticism, self-educated American astronomer and Rear admiral (United States), rear admiral of the United States Navy. While working for the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, United States Coast ...

of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

and was repatriated.

United States

He became a

citizen of the United States Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constit ...

and was married to a niece of John M. Berrien, U.S. Senator from

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

. Henningsen continued to pursue filibuster schemes and fought in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

for the

Confederacy A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

for a year, being made colonel (while still addressed as "General"), and frequently had command of the defenses of

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

. He was involved in the

Battle of Elizabeth City The Battle of Elizabeth City of the American Civil War was fought in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Roanoke Island. It took place on 10 February 1862, on the Pasquotank River near Elizabeth City, North Carolina, Elizabeth City, North C ...

. His wife, Wilhelmina "Willy" Henningsen (1820-1880) opened and operated a hospital (the Henningsen Hospital) in Richmond until 1863, when its operations were consolidated with the Louisiana Hospital. She was noted for the kindness and tenderness to the wounded and afflicted soldiers. After the war he took up his residence in Washington, D.C., and was involved in the movement to liberate

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

from Spanish rule. During his declining years, he lived in straitened circumstances, but was supported by friends such as Colonel

Albert Pike Albert Pike (December 29, 1809April 2, 1891) was an American author, poet, orator, editor, lawyer, jurist and Confederate States Army general who served as an List of justices of the Arkansas Supreme Court, associate justice of the Arkansas Supr ...

Death

His 1877

obituary An obituary (wikt:obit#Etymology 2, obit for short) is an Article (publishing), article about a recently death, deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as Article (publishing), news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on p ...

in ''The Evening Star'' described him as a "man of striking appearance, being tall, erect, and soldier-like in his bearing. He was gentleman of scholarly attainments, and spoke the French, Spanish, Russian, German, and Italian languages with the fluency of a native." Another source states that "he died in 1877 without ever winning any of the causes for which he fought." He is mentioned in

Ernesto Cardenal Ernesto Cardenal Martínez (20 January 1925 – 1 March 2020) was a Nicaraguan Catholic priest, poet, and politician. He was a liberation theologian and the founder of the primitivist art community in the Solentiname Islands, where he lived fo ...

's poem ''Con Walker en Nicaragua'' ("With Walker in Nicaragua"): :''And then came that Englishman, C. F. Henningsen,'' :''who'd fought against the Czar and in Spain and for the independence of Hungary.''With Walker in Nicaragua

Writings and munitions expertise

Henningsen's specialty was

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

, but he also wrote about the improvement of

small arms A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and operated by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see legal definitions). The first firearms originate ...

, and superintended the development of the first

Minié rifle The Minié rifle was a rifled musket used by the infantry of a number of countries in the mid-19th century. A version was adopted in 1849 following the invention of the Minié ball in 1847 by the French Army captain Claude-Étienne Minié of t ...

s in the United States. His works include: *''The Last of the Sophias: A Poem'' (London, 1831) *''Scenes from the Belgian Revolution'' (London, 1832) *''The Siege of Missalonghi'' (London, 1832) *''The Most Striking Events of a Twelvemonth's Campaign with Zumalacarregui in Navarre and the Basque Provinces'', 2 vols. (London: John Murray, 1836) – translated into Spanish, German, and French *"St. Petersburg and Its Inhabitants", ''The New Monthly Magazine and Humorist'', vol. 69 (October 1843): 241-59 *"The Emperor Nicholas, His Nobles, Serfs, and Servants", ''

The New Monthly Magazine ''The New Monthly Magazine'' was a British monthly magazine published from 1814 to 1884. It was founded by Henry Colburn and published by him through to 1845. History Colburn and Frederic Shoberl established ''The New Monthly Magazine and Uni ...

'', vol. 70 (April 1844): 477-93 *"The Emperor Nicholas, His Nobles, Serfs, and Servants" (concluded), ''The New Monthly Magazine'', vol. 71 (June 1844): 216-31 *''Revelations of Russia: or the Emperor Nicholas and His Empire in 1844''. By one who has seen and describes., 2 vols. (London: Henry Colburn, 1844) – translated into French and German *''The White Slave; or, The Russian Peasant Girl''. By the author of "Revelations of Russia." 3 Vols. (Henry Colburn, 1845) *''Revelations of Russia in 1846''. By an English resident. Third edition, 2 vols. (Henry Colburn, 1846) – translated into German *''Eastern Europe and The Emperor Nicholas''. By the author of "Revelations of Russia;" "The White Slave." 3 Vols. (London: T.C. Newby, 1846) – also translated into German *''Sixty Years Hence: A Novel''. By the author of "The White Slave," etc., 3 vols. (T.C. Newby, 1847) *''Analogies and Contrasts; or, Comparative Sketches of France and England''. By the author of "Revelations of Russia." (London, 1848) *''The National Defenses''. By the author of "The Revelations of Russia," etc. (T.C. Newby, 1848) *''Kossuth and "The Times"''. By the author of "The Revelations of Russia" (London, 1851) *''The Past and Future of Hungary'', by C.F. Henningsen, Secretary to Governor Louis Kossuth, author of "Twelve Months' Campaign with Zumalacarregui," "Revelations of Russia," "Eastern Europe," etc. (Cincinnati: E. Morgan, 1852)

References

External links

Henningsen
at ''

The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction ''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' (''SFE'') is an English language reference work on science fiction, first published in 1979. It has won the Hugo Award, Hugo, Locus Award, Locus and BSFA Award, British SF Awards. Two print editions appea ...

'' (3rd ed., online) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Henningsen, Charles Frederick 1815 births 1877 deaths Foreign Confederate military personnel Carlists American mercenaries Belgian mercenaries Military personnel of the First Carlist War People of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 Confederate States Army officers 19th century in Nicaragua English biographers English emigrants to the United States English people of Danish descent English mercenaries English people of Swedish descent