Johann de Kalb, to a British military officer (August 1780), as quoted in Washington and the Generals of the American Revolution (1856), by Rufus Wilmot Griswold, William Gilmore Simms, and Edward Duncan Ingraham. J.B. Lippincott, p. 271. Also quoted in "Death of Baron De Kalb" (1849), by Benjamin Franklin Ells, The Western Miscellany, Volume 1, p. 234. These were reportedly his last words.
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I thank you sir for your generous sympathy, but I die the death I always prayed for, the death of a soldier fighting for the rights of man.
— Johann de Kalb on American Revolution
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "I thank you sir for your generous sympathy, but I die the death I always prayed for, the death of a soldier fighting for the rights of man." in the context of "Johann de Kalb, to a British military officer (August 1780), as quoted in Washington and the Generals of the American Revolution (1856), by Rufus Wilmot Griswold, William Gilmore Simms, and Edward Duncan Ingraham. J.B. Lippincott, p. 271. Also quoted in "Death of Baron De Kalb" (1849), by Benjamin Franklin Ells, The Western Miscellany, Volume 1, p. 234. These were reportedly his last words." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "American Revolution" (The Fighting in 1777–1781)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Johann de Kalb
Johann von Robais, Baron de Kalb (19 June 1721 – 19 August 1780), born Johann Kalb, was a Bavarian-born French military officer who served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and was killed in action by the British during the Battle of Camden.
About Johann de Kalb
Johann von Robais, Baron de Kalb (19 June 1721 – 19 August 1780), born Johann Kalb, was a Bavarian-born French military officer who served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and was killed in action by the British during the Battle of Camden.
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