Prince Johann Adolph of Nassau-Usingen

John Adolph of Nassau-Usingen (17 July 1740 in Biebrich – 10 December 1793 in Wiesbaden) was Count of Saarbrücken and Saarwerden and Lord of Lahr, Wiesbaden and Idstein. He served as a colonel in the French army and later in the royal Prussian army as Major-General and as chief of the Fusilier Regiment No. 47. Early life Born into an ancient House of Nassau, he was the younger son of the ruling Prince Charles of Nassau-Usingen and his wife, Princess Christine Wilhelmine of Saxe-Eisenach (1711-1740). Biography In 1749 he went to the Netherlands with his older brothers and studied at Utrecht University for three years. In 1752, he joined the French army. He achieved the rank of colonel and led the infantry regiment von Fersen. In 1758, he traded it for the cavalry regiment Nassau-Saarbrücken. During the Seven Years' War, he spent the years 1757 to 1761 fighting in Germany. He fought in the battles of Hastenbeck, Sonderhausen, Lutternberg, Bergen and Minden. He also participated in the sieges of Kassel and Wolfenbüttel and he fought at Grüneberg and Armöneburg. During the Battle of Sonderhausen, he was hit in the left shoulder.