He was known as the Old Stutterheim to distinguish him from his younger brother, Otto Ludwig (1718–1780), also a lieutenant general in Frederick the Great's army.

As such, he went to the First Silesian War and at the Battle of Mollwitz, Stutterheim demonstrated his command abilities and a keen sense of the battlefield.

Always ready to encourage initiative in his officers, Frederick awarded him the Order of Pour le Mérite, and gave him a position at the cathedral in Cammin, and a captaincy in a company in the Regiment La Motte zur Fuss.

He also made the last campaign, in 1762, under Prince Henry; In the Battle of Freiberg, on 29 October 29, he commanded the left wing of the attacking line.

[1] Shortly before his death, Frederick wrote a short poem, Alt Stutterheim Ihr könnt versichert seyn daß Euer Schicksal keinen bessern Händen als den meinigen anvertraut sein kann, Eure Dienste bleiben meinem Herzen unvergeßlich.

You can be assured that your fate can not be entrusted to better hands than mine, your services will remain unforgettable to my heart.He died on 26 August 1783 in Königsberg; his name is memorialized on the Equestrian statue of Frederick the Great.