WITTE, Ivan Osipovich (b. 1781, Paris—d. 3 July 1840) was born to a prominent noble family from the Kamenets-Podolsk gubernia; his father was the Commandant of Kamenets-Podolsk under Empress Catherine II. Witte enlisted as a cornet in the Life Guard Horse Regiment on 28 September 1792, and transferred as a staff rotmistr to the Chevalier Guard Regiment on 13 January 1800. He was elevated to colonel in 1801, and distinguished himself at Austerlitz in 1805, where he was seriously wounded in the right leg by a cannonball. After recuperating, he took a discharge in 1807 and traveled to France, where he voluntereed in the French army and took part in the 1809 Campaign against Austria. In 1810-1812, Witte served as a Russian spymaster in the Duchy of Warsaw and provided the Russian command with intelligence on the French forces and their movements.

In 1812, Witte organized and led a brigade of four regular Cossack regiments in the Ukraine. On 8 March 1813, he became chef of the 1st Ukraine Cossack Regiment and fought at Kalisch (Order of St. George, 3rd class, 6 March 1813), Lutzen, Bautzen, and Leipzig. In 1814, he took part in the actions at Laon, Craonne, and Paris.

After the war, he commanded a military settlement in the Ukraine and rose to lieutenant general on 18 May 1818. He took command of the 1st Reserve Cavalry Corps on 29 October 1823. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-1829, he became general of cavalry on 3 May 1829. Witte took part in the suppression of the Polish Uprising in 1831, for which he received an appointment as chef of the Ukraine Uhlan Regiment on 11 September 1831, and the Order of St. George (2nd class) on 30 October. The following year, he became inspector of all Russian reserve cavalry on 22 April 1832.

During his long career, Witte also received the Orders of St. Andrew the First Called with diamonds, St. Vladimir (1st class), St. Alexander of Neva with diamonds, the White Eagle, St. Anna (1st class), St. John of Jerusalem, Prussian Order of the Red Eagle and the Pour le Merite, the Swedish Order of the Sword, as well as medals inscribed “For Military Merit” and “For XXX Years of Distinguished Service.”