Prince John August of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg

In 1725 he entered in the Imperial army and fought in Italy and Hungary. In the Battle of Grocka he was wounded and then spent some time in Altenburg to recover. Later he resumed his military duties and fought in the War of the Austrian Succession in Silesia, Bohemia, Bavaria and the Rhine. He eventually became Imperial Field Marshal and received his own dragoon regiment.

He lived with his family in Stadtroda, where shortly before his death he received a visit from King Frederick the Great of Prussia. He was awarded the Polish Order of the White Eagle.

In Stadtroda on 6 January 1752, Johann August married Louise Reuss of Schleiz, co-Countess of Limpurg-Gaildorf since 1734 [as her mother's only surviving child][1] (Staffelstein, 3 July 1726 – Stadtroda, 28 May 1773), widow of his younger brother Christian Wilhelm. They had four children:

• Augusta Louise Fredericka (b. Stadtroda, 30 November 1752 – d. Rudolstadt, 28 May 1805), co-Countess of Limpurg-Gaildorf (1773–1780) in succession of her mother jointly with her younger sister;[1] married on 28 November 1780 to Frederick Charles, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.
• Stillborn child (Stadtroda, 18 November 1753).
• Stillborn child (Stadtroda, 27 December 1754).
• Louise (b. Stadtroda, 9 March 1756 – d. Ludwigslust, 1 January 1808), co-Countess of Limpurg-Gaildorf (1773–1780) in succession of her mother jointly with her older sister;[1] married on 1 June 1775 to Frederick Francis I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Grand Duke since 1815). She was a direct ancestress of Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, later Prince Consort of the United Kingdom, and, through him, a direct ancestress of the present British Royal Family.

• August Beck: Johann August, Prinz von Sachsen-Gotha. In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). vol. 14, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1881, p. 376.
• Johann Samuel Ersch (Hrsg): Allgemeine Encyclopädie der Wissenschaften und Künste, 2. Sektion, Leipzig, 1842, p. 240 online [retrieved 25 September 2014].