POW in Russia 1812

[dennisruhl]

My GGG grandfather Michel (Michael) Streiff was born in 1794 according to Russian censuses of 1834 and 1850/1857. He was supposedly from Holbach, Moselle, France but I'm not sure of his specific connection to the city (born there or lived there). He was likely conscripted and ended up in the French invasion of Russia in 1812. He was captured or deserted and ended up a prisoner of the Russians. He was settled in a German village on the Volga, Jagodnaja Poljana. He did not return home. Instead he farmed, married, and had a family and died there in 1850. In the military records on this site, there are an amazing number of Michel Streiffs, but not mine. Any ideas?

[wdemaesschalck]

Do you know the name of his father and mother ?
William

[dennisruhl]

I do not know parent's names. I was hoping to find someone born in 1794 named Michel Streiff in a regiment that went to Russia in 1812 and who never returned. No luck so far.

[wdemaesschalck]

I found in the archives of the Ministry of Defense of France four Michel Streiff, born in the Moselle region. But not with the birthdates you give. One Michel is registered as a deserter.
Several soldiers "deserted" on July 9, 1815. Most likely, they had heard that Napoleon was finally defeated on June 18, 1815 in Waterloo. They knew the war was over. No wonder they wanted to build a new life in a new country.

[dennisruhl]

He was left behind in Russia in 1812 and stayed. He was ethnic German and settled in an ethnic German village near the Volga that was founded in 1767.

I think I found my family. There is a second Holbach next to Lachambre and Vahl-Ebersing, Moselle. The French Michel was born in 1794 in Vahl-Ebersing. My Russian Michel was also born in 1794, from Holbach and his first son is Franz. My French Michel's father is Francois. I think that's it.

What I was really looking for was his military record which needs more work.

[wdemaesschalck]

Here is the link to French military archives click here to view