BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES.
ABOVILLE (Auguste-Marie), artillery major, Officer of the
Legion of Honor, was born in Fère on April 12, 1776. He
entered into the service as an artillery student in 1792, and became
captain at the end of 1793; afterwards, almost at once like other
nobles was suspended in his functions, then reinstated in his rank
the same year. He distinguished himself in the campaigns of
the revolution with the armies of the North, the Rhine and
Italy
. Appointed artillery major of the Guard on December 15, 1808,
he entered the Austrian campaign in this capacity, where he had an
arm carried away at
Wagram on July 6 of the same year; named brigadier general three
days after, then commandant of the
School of
Fère, ultimately he held the honor of Peer of
France.
ARRIGHI, born in
Corsica, embraced the military profession early. In 1805, he
obtained the command of a regiment of dragoons, which he led to the
combat of Wertingen, where he demonstrated extraordinary valor; he
had a horse killed under him and fell in the midst of enemies whom
he threw back with saber blows; his soldiers saved his life. At
Austerlitz, he was awarded the decoration of Commander of the Legion
of Honor. On May 19, 1806, it was made colonel of the regiment
of the dragoons of the Guard; a little later named brigadier general
and Duke of Padua, he took part in the campaign of 1807, and moreover,
was distinguished at the battles of
Wagram and
Leipzig. In 1815, Napoleon created him a Peer.
BESSIÈRES, Duke of Istrie, Marshal of the Empire,
one of the Colonel-Generals of the Guard, born in 1769 in
Pressau (Lot), took up service in the Legion of the
Pyrenees on November 1, 1792. His courage and his talents distinguished
him in his first campaigns, and he promptly came to the rank of major
in the Army of Italy. With the engagements of La Favorita and
Rivoli, he deserved the greatest praises, and proved that he was
worthy to occupy an eminent rank in the army. During the campaign
of
Egypt
, he commanded the company of the Guides of the General in Chief,
and did not cease justifying, in the face of the enemy, the high
opinion that his first arms had conceived of him; the rank of brigadier
general became the reward of his services in this campaign. On
the decisive day of Marengo, Bessières, at the front of his
brigade, gloriously avenged the death of Desaix. At the Battle
of Austerlitz, at the head of the cavalry of the Guard, he fell on
the Russian Imperial Guard with an impetuosity that made any resistance
useless, took its artillery from them and made captive those who
managed to escape the carnage. In this memorable campaign,
the successes that he obtained proved how worthy he was to command
the elite of our brave men. On May 1, 1813, the day before
the Battle of Lutzen, Bessières, wanting to reconnoiter the
plain, advanced on the sides of the tirailleurs, when he was struck
by a ball horizontally, which carried away his wrist, drove into
his chest and left him dead on the spot. Such a disastrous
loss was hidden from our troops, because it could have discouraged
them: it is said that everyone regretted the death of the famous
marshal.
BARDIN (Étienne-Alexander, Baron), born in
Paris. Son of the famous painter who was the follower of David, after
having devoted his first years to the art, which made his father
illustrious, he embraced the cause of freedom and left in 1792, as
a recruit, with one of the battalions of Loirel. His
courage advanced him quickly. He was proposed by Napoleon,
on December 16, 1811, as Colonel of the Pupils of the Guard, and
was named in 1813 Commander of the Legion of Honor, after the battle
of
Dresden, where he was distinguished at the head of a division of
the Young Guard.
BERTHEZÈNE (the Baron), born in
Provence, was distinguished, as of his youth in soldiering. In 1807
he was a major of the 65th Regiment of Line. In
1811, he was named adjutant-general for the corps of grenadiers of
the Guard. Today General Berthezène is a Peer of France. He
had been a governor of
Algeria
after 1830.
BOINOD (Jean-Daniel-Matthieu), was born on
October 20, 1756 in Vevey, Canton of Vaud (
Switzerland
). He followed the occupation of printer and publisher and
when he entered the service, in August 1792, he was made quartermaster-treasurer
in the Legion of Allobroges. Provisional commissioner of war
(commissaire des guerres), 25 brumaire year II, and
employed at the siege of
Toulon, where the artillery service was entrusted to him. It
is there that his relationship with Napoleon started and an intimacy
was established between them, which resisted all the tests of time. The
government named Boinod commissioner of war 17-vendémaire
year IV, and attached him to the Army of Italy, where he deployed
such intelligence and probity that the general in chief gave him
a gratuity of 100,000 fr., in assignats (paper money), it
is true; but Boinod, whose disinterest equaled his patriotism, refused. Twenty-four
years later, Napoleon took account of his delicacy, by bequeathing
100,000 fr. to him by his third codicil of April 24, 1821. Boinod
took part in the campaign of year VIII, with the Army of Italy, in
the capacity of chief ordainer (ordonnateur en
chef). When, under the terms of the decree of the Consuls,
the people were consulted whether Napoleon Bonaparte would be named
Consul for Life, Boinod, because of the inflexibility of his principles,
protested by a negative vote; he was the only one in the old Army
of Italy who did so. The First Consul did not take any
offense, and 12-vendémaire year XII, he employed him with
the cavalry of the camps established on the ocean coast. Napoleon
further displayed his lack of concern for this act of opposition,
in 1804, by integrating this citizen in the list of the members of
the Legion of Honor. Boinod made the campaigns of year XIV, with
the Grand Army, and had, on June 21, 1806, inspected the 2nd Corps,
in the Frioul. Next on September 17, the Emperor attached him
to the Ministry of War of the
Kingdom of
Italy, named him Knight of the Iron Crown and Officer of the Legion
of Honor. Boinod accepted, on March 15, 1808, an important
mission in
Dalmatia, a mission he discharged with the greatest success. Named
on April 19 the same year Reviewing Inspector of the Army of Italy,
the Prince Viceroy, by decree of May 15, 1809, entrusted to him the
position of general superintendent of the army in
Germany
. Chief Inspector, by Imperial decree of January 20, 1810,
Boinod continued to be used in the Army of Italy. When the
misfortunes of 1812, 1813 and 1814 weighed on
France
; when he who had filled the universe with his name had become the
object of the ingratitude of all and the cowardly treason of some,
Boinod, who had protested against the establishment of the Empire,
ran to stand beside his benefactor and of his friend. Renouncing
his position, understanding his future, he went to
Switzerland
, establishing his family there, crossed
Italy
, embarked at Plombino and unloaded at the
Island of
Elba. As soon as Napoleon learned of the arrival from Boinod,
he sent someone to find him and hastened to receive him. The
following day, an order-of-the-day notified the troops that Boinod
was charged with being Chief of Administrative Services for the
Island of
Elba. Stripped of control of the Corps of Inspectors of Reviews,
by Royal Decree of December 13, 1814, Boinod returned to
France
with the Emperor, in March 1815, and was named Inspector in Chief
of Reviews of the Imperial Guard. Stripped of control of the
army again, after the second abdication of Napoleon, he was however
allowed to retire, by special decision of the King, April 16, 1817,
and was obliged, to make a living for his family, to accept a modest
employment as special agent for management of food of Paris, which
he obtained on May 1, 1818. During the twelve years that he
carried out these functions, he brought to this service improvement,
which produced important savings for the State. After the revolution
of July, nominated President of the Commission of the Former military
civil servants, by Royal Decision of August 14, he gave his resignation
as Director of Subsistence, and on December 31 next, again his rank
as a military superintendent within active cadre; on April 20, 1831,
he was named Commander of the Legion of Honor, and allowed a definitive
retirement on May 27, 1832. After having provided a long and
honorable career, this man, cut in the cloth of the old, died in
Paris on May 28, 1842. The Corps of the Superintendent raised
a modest tomb at the cemetery of the Mount-Parnassus, and devoted
to him a bronze medal representing his features, with this inscription: “He
had the distinction of honor to be mentioned in the will of Napoleon.”
CHASTEL (Louis-Pierre, Baron), born in Veigi, near
Carouge, in Savoy, on April 29, 1774, was a major with the 24th Regiment
of Dragoons, when he was named second major of the horse grenadiers
of the Guard. In 1805, following the Battle of Austerlitz,
he was created an Officer of the Legion of Honor, he made the campaign
of Russia in 1812, and was particularly distinguished at the Battle
of the Moscowa: Chastel was quoted with praise in several bulletins.
CHRISTIANI (Charles-Joseph, Baron), major commanding
the 2nd Regiment of Foot Grenadiers; born February 27,
1772, serving a long time with distinction, and was particularly
noted on February 28, 1814, at the combat of Gué-à-Trim
(Tresmes), on left bank of Thêrouane. At Mount-Saint-Jean,
he was at the head of 2nd Regiment of Grenadiers of the
Guard.
COLBERT (Édouard, Baron), Lieutenant General,
commanding the red lancers of the Guard. After having served with
distinction over several years, and having merited his rise to the
rank of brigadier general, he covered himself with glory in the campaign
of 1809, against
Austria
, in particular at the combat of Amstetten, on May 4. He contributed
strongly to the gains at the Battle of Raab, where he was
decorated with the Legion of Honor, and gathered new laurels on the
day of Moscowa; later, he seized the considerable magazines of Willecka and
Sorcha, and was named as commander of the light horse lancers
of the Guard, which he led, in 1813, at
Bautzen. He was again distinguished, in 1814, at Montmirail
and Craonne. On November 28, 1813, he was elevated to the rank
of division general. On the day of Mount-Saint-Jean, General
Colbert was wounded and his regiment almost destroyed.
CORBINEAU (Jean-Baptiste, Count), born in Marchiennes
(Nord) on August 1, 1776, embraced a military career at the
beginning of the revolution. Captain of the horse chasseurs
of the Guard at Eylau, he was named squadron head on the battlefield. In
Spain
, at the Battle of Burgos, in 1808, he obtained the rank of major;
at
Wagram, in 1809, he showed a heroic courage, was wounded and named
general. It was he who, in 1812 and at the time of the disastrous
retirement from
Russia
, found a passage at Beresina that saved part of the French Army. This
important service led to being named general of division and aide-de-camp
of Napoleon: it was in this capacity that he made the campaign of
Saxony. In 1813, he was with Vandamme at the Kulm affair: he
maneuvered skillfully and saved his division. In the defense
of our territory, in 1814, he fought the Prussians and Russians at
Rheims, and this city was retaken. He was distinguished at
Montmirail, and returned in his functions of aide-de-camp of Napoleon,
in the campaign of
Belgium
in, 1815.
CURIAL (Philibert-Jean-Baptist, Count), born
at Saint-Pierre-d’Albigny, in
Savoy, on April 21, 1774. Soldier and intrepid officer, he
became major in 1799, during the campaign of
Egypt
. Colonel of the 88th Regiment of Line in 1804,
he was distinguished at the Battle of Austerlitz, and was named Commandant
of the Legion of Honor. In 1805, colonel-major of the foot
chasseurs of the Guard, it was not long before being made general. He
was distinguished at Eylau and Friedland. Commanding the tirailleurs
of the Guard in 1809, he was noted on the 21st and May
22nd, at the combat of Gross-Aspern and the Battle of
Essling. General of division in 1810, he commanded the chasseurs
of the Guard during the campaigns of 1812, and was charged, in April
1813, with the organization of the twelve regiments of the Young
Guard, formed in Mainz; he commanded these same (units) in Saxony,
and was mentioned again at the Battle of Wachau, where he took twelve
hundred prisoners, among whom was General Meerfeld; he also contributed
to the gains at the Battle of Hanau against the Bavarians. Curial,
known for his intrepidity, places himself in the first rank among
the generals of the Guard.
DALHMANN, Brigadier General, Colonel of the Horse
Chasseurs of the Guard. His life was only one continuous of
triumph; his death was that of a hero. At the bloody Battle
of Eylau, in the general charge, which decided the victory, Dalhmann
perished at the head of his regiment.
DAVOUST (Louis-Nicolas), Marshal of France, Duke of
Auerstaëdt, Prince of Eckmühl; born in Annoux on May 10,
1770, he studied at the Military Academy of Paris. Entered
the military profession in 1785, with the rank of second lieutenant
in the Champagne Regiment, he soon moved on to command a battalion
of the Yonne, and was noted in the Army of North for his brilliant
conduct. His numerous and important services merited his successive
promotions through all the ranks, up to that of brigadier general.
He was employed in the Army of the Moselle, attended the blockade
of
Luxembourg
, and joined then the Army of the Rhine, where Pichegru employed
him with the defense of Montaign (GdD defending
Mannheim). Made captive at the surrender of this town, Davoust
was exchanged a few months after, and was, with the army of Moreau,
at the crossing of the
Rhine, on April 20, 1797. There, Davoust was distinguished
in the bloody combats of Diersheim, of Hounau, of Kentzig and
of Halasch. After the conclusion of peace, he pinned
his fortune to Bonaparte, and followed him to
Egypt
, where he commanded, under the orders of Desaix, the division, which
penetrated into Upper Egypt, and was particularly distinguished at
Gizeh and
Zion; he saved to some extent the flotilla, which brought provisions
to the French Army. At Samanhout, he charged at the
head of the cavalry a considerable number of Arabs, and put them
to flight; then he covered himself with glory at the battles of
Thebes, of Kéné, of Abouhamana, of Esney,
of Cophtos, and contributed strongly to the glorious day of
Aboukir. Returning to
France
in 1800, and made division general, Davoust obtained command of the
grenadiers of the Consular Guard, was named Marshal of France in
1804, and one of the general majors of the Guard. In 1805,
he commanded one of divisions of the Camp of Bologna. Called
to
Germany
in 1805, he was distinguished at
Ulm and
Austerlitz. In 1807, at
Jena, where he commanded the right wing of the army, he demonstrated
extraordinary valor and had his clothes riddled with musket balls;
but he directed his army corps with so much of skill in the
village of
Auerstaëdt, that his movements were considered the principal
reason for victory. Napoleon remembered his satisfaction with
these events by conferring upon him the title of Duke of Auerstaëdt. Davoust
entered
Berlin at the head of his troops, and penetrated deep into
Poland
. At Eylau, at Heilsberg, Friedland, he continued to add to
his military reputation. The campaign of
Austria
, of 1809, provided him with new occasions for his courage to shine. Davoust
had one of the most beautiful parts in the victory of Eckmühl,
whose name, attached to a principality, was then decreed to him by
the Emperor; then he seized one of the islands of the Danube, in
front of Presbourg, which taken, was a prelude to, at Guzersdorff,
the famous battle of Wagram. During the campaign of
Russia
, in 1812, he was in charge of the command of the First Corps. On
July 23, he beat Prince Bagration at
Mogilev, and deployed his usual valor at the Battle of Moscowa, where
he was wounded and had two horses killed under him. Davoust
reached the apex of his military reputation by the beautiful defense
of
Hamburg, in 1814, where he successively resisted the repeated attacks
of the Swedes, the Prussians and the Russians. After the disasters
of Mount-Saint-Jean, Davoust received the general command of the
army under the walls of
Paris; but his efforts to reorganize it were not crowned with success,
owing to spending too much time on his administrative duties, perhaps
he signed with too much precipitation the capitulation from which
more advantages could have been obtained. He withdrew then to the
left bank of the
Loire, and caused the disbanding of the entire army to the authority
of the King. Davoust died under the Restoration.
DOGUERREAU (Louis, Baron), born in Dreux on July 11,
1777; student of the artillery school, he was employed in 1795 with
the Army of the Rhine in the capacity of lieutenant, then as captain,
in 1799, with the Army of Egypt; and was wounded at the siege of
Saint-Jean d' Acre. Becoming a battalion head in 1803, his
coolness and his bravery made him obtain, in 1806, the rank of major
in artillery of the Guard. In 1807, he was named colonel and
chief of staff of artillery to the army corps of General Sébastiani,
and made the campaign of
Spain
; he was distinguished at the battles of Talavera, of La Reina and
of Almonacid. In 1813, he made the campaign of
Saxony as colonel of horse artillery of the Guard, and proved again
how worthy he was to command it.
DORSENNE. He entered a military career at seventeen years. Born
of a father who had passed his life in combat against the enemies
of his country, he felt the thirst for glory early: also his first
steps were marked by brilliant deeds which elevated him in a short
time from the rank of private to that of general; each advance which
he obtained was the reward for some act of intrepidity; in a word,
he could justify the opinion that the Emperor held of him, and proved,
in all the circumstances of his life, that he could command of the
officers who Napoleon chose to belong to his old Guard. The
Marshal Oudinot, wounded at the Battle of Essling, was obliged to
give up his command: Dorsenne, who commanded the foot grenadiers
and chasseurs of the Guard, accepted the order to join his regiments
with the crack corps of combined grenadiers, deprived
momentarily of their valorous chief. In this battle, Dorsenne
had two horses killed under him; one of them, while falling, fell
back on him resulting in a contusion to the head, which thereafter,
was to deprive the army of one of its most brave champions. Returned
to
Paris, after the peace of
Vienna, he was sent to
Spain
with twenty thousand soldiers: Napoleon, having identified
the need to have Marshal Bessières near him, had not found
a more able or worthier man than Dorsenne to replace him. This
one completed what his predecessor had so gloriously begun: he retook
all the towns which had been lost, purged the country of the bands
of guerrillas who infested it, and took positions such, that the
English army, to avoid its destruction, had no other option but to
withdraw promptly to their processions in Portugal. It was
following this brilliant campaign that the beautiful Dorsenne,
as he was then known in the army, was obliged to undergo the trepan
operation, from which he did not survive.
DROUOT (Antoine, Count), was born in
Nancy on January 11, 1774. At sixteen years, he was considered
able to be admitted among the numbers of the artillery officers and
was exempted to spend two years at the school of application. Drouot
stayed with this arm in all the campaigns of the revolution, and
in particular that of
Egypt
. Many exploits, featuring an astonishing bravery, marked each
moment of his career. In 1809, he was named major of the foot
artillery of the Guard. Brigadier general, he was notable everywhere
he was present; imperturbable, cold-blooded, the acuity of his glance,
led to his being called near Napoleon in the capacity of aide-de-camp,
on March 7, 1813. On May 2 at the battle the Battle of Lutzen,
he gave new evidence of his bravery, while charging at the gallop
with the light artillery of the Guard; moreover he was noted the
28th at the affair of
Bautzen, and was promoted to the rank of general of division on September
3, 1813. At Wachau, on October 3, attacked by the enemy cavalry,
in very superior numbers, he ordered to the gunners to form their
pieces in square, and loaded with grapeshot. His orders were carried
out with such precision that in one moment the enemy was put to rout. Drouot
did not show less valor at
Hanau. After the Treaty of Fontainebleau, he wanted to share
in the exile of which he had shared the victories: he followed Napoleon
to the Isle of Elba and was a military governor of this principality. In
May 1815, he commanded the advanced guard of Napoleon, who marched
on
Paris. At Mount-Saint-Jean, he proved that one could obtain
a triumph even when given defeat, rejoining the army at Laon, and
obtaining the command of the Guard, that he only left with its dismissal. Included
in the ordinance of July 21, he was made captive, and appeared at
the Council of War in April 1816. Marshal Macdonald, assigned
as his witness, recounted to the audience a bright truth of the general’s
conduct. Discharged by a judgment, General Drouot withdrew himself
to his birthplace.
DUPONT (Xavier-Alexandre-Joseph), Captain with the
1st Regiment of the Voltigeurs of the Imperial Guard,
was born in
Mons on September 19, 1774. Entered the Legion of Béthune on
April 12, 1792, there was named second lieutenant, after having remained
in the lower ranks for ten months. He was successively a part
of the Army of North, those of Sambre-and-Meuse, of
Italy
, of the Rhine, of
Germany
, of
Spain
, and finally of the Grand Army. He was a captain with the
25th Regiment of Tirailleurs when he entered, in this
capacity, the 1st Regiment of the Voltigeurs of the Guard,
on June 8, 1809. Dupont was gloriously distinguished on several
occasions, among them, at Tretta, where he dispersed, with
some men, an insurrection of peasants; at the retirement of Trebbia,
where, with a small number of soldiers, he pushed through with his
withdrawal a squadron of Chasseurs of Bussy (émigrés),
which was prepared to harass the rear of the regiment; at Novi, where,
being on patrol and encircled by enemy cavalry, he got clear and
managed to save, while carrying on his shoulders, a soldier whom
he did not want to lose. Dupont was killed in
Russia
, from a shot received at the taking of
Smolensk, on August 25, 1812; he had been named a member of the Legion
of Honor on April 24, 1807.
DUROSNEL (Antoine-Jean, Count), born in Paris on November
9, 1771, gained most of his military reputation with General d’Harville,
which took up this strong young person as an aide-de-camp. A
decided taste for the military career, a heroic courage and constant
studies justified his rapid advancement. At
Austerlitz, he displayed extraordinary valor, and was elevated to
the rank brigadier general; at
Jena, he charged the enemy with so much intrepidity, that it determined
the defeat of the Prussians. In the campaign of 1809, he became general
of division; he was thought dead at Essling, where he was seriously
wounded and made captive. In 1813, he was governor of
Dresden. General Durosnel was aide-de-camp of the Emperor for
a long time.
FRIANT (Louis, Count), Lieutenant General; born in
Morlincourt (
Somme), commanding the foot grenadiers. In 1781, Friant took
up service in the regiment of the French guards, and was named corporal
of grenadiers; shortly afterwards, non commissioned-officer-instructor,
he preserved this rank over seven years, and left the army on February
7, 1787. In 1789, Friant again took up service as a non commissioned
officer, and after soon became an adjutant major of the section of
the Arsenal: he refused the command of the 9th battalion
of
Paris, which was offered to him, and only accepted it when it was
necessary to go to the frontier. Friant took part in campaign
of
Egypt
, and was distinguished at all the brilliant actions which took place
in this campaign, and in particular at the battles of
Heliopolis, of Belbeys, of Boulacq and of
Cairo. On March 8, 1801, he received the landing of the English
army in
Aboukir
Bay, disputed the ground to them step by step, made his retirement
on
Alexandria, and only gave up this town after a siege of six months. On
his return to
France
, Friant was named general of division and inspector general of the
infantry. Employed in the grand army, during the campaign of
1805, he strongly contributed to the beautiful day of
Austerlitz, where he had four horses killed under him, and was constantly
at the height of the fray. Napoleon, to demonstrate his satisfaction
with the singular services that he had contributed in the course
of this campaign, named him Grand-Eagle of the Legion of Honor, and
gave him an endowment of 20,000 fr. On October 14, 1806,
Friant contributed with his division to the
Jena victory, and covered himself with glory at the battle of Eylau
and that of Tann. In 1812, he became commandant of the
grenadiers of the Guard, and took part in the campaign of
Russia
in this capacity; he fought with distinction at
Smolensk, was wounded at the Battle of Moscowa, and was noted at
Dresden, at Wachau and at
Leipzig. He took a beautiful part at the bloody action of
Hanau, and demonstrated extraordinary valor during the campaign of
1814, in particular at Montmirail and Champ-Aubert. In 1815,
Friant still commanded the grenadiers of the Guard, and guided our
old phalanxes at Fleurus and Mount-Saint-Jean, where he was himself
seriously wounded.
GROS (Louis), Brigadier General, Colonel-Major of
the foot chasseurs of the Guard, born in Carassonne on May 3, 1767. At
eighteen years old, he began his service and was a sergeant in 1790;
his courage advanced him promptly. In 1793, he was named captain
on the battlefield. Gros was particularly distinguished in
the armies of
Italy
, of the Pyrenees, of
England
, of
Holland and the
Rhine; in the year XII, he was allowed in the Guard, and it was at
the head of the foot chasseurs that he made all the campaigns of
the Grand Army. His military talents and his bravery were pointed
out mainly on the immortal days of
Austerlitz, of
Jena, of Eylau, and Friedland. While placing him at the head
of the regiment of the foot chasseurs of his Guard, Napoleon appointed
him Baron and Commandant of the Legion of Honor; he was also Knight
of the Iron Crown and Maximillian of Bavaria. Gros died
under the Restoration.
HARLET (Louis, Baron), born on August 15, 1772. His
bravery and his talents allowed his being entrusted with a regiment
during the campaign of
Russia
. Named brigadier general in 1813, he increased his military
reputation in this rank. In 1815, Napoleon placed him at the
head of one of the regiments of foot grenadiers of the Guard.
HULIN (Pierre-Auguste, Count), born in
Geneva on September 6, 1758. Captain of a company of chasseurs
of the barriers, Hulin was soon battalion head; he went to the Army
of Italy, where he made his first campaigns under General Bonaparte,
in the capacity of adjutant general. He commanded the Chateau
of Milan in 1797 and 1798. Becoming general of division, Hulin
accepted the command of grenadiers of the Consular Guard, in 1803. He
was distinguished during the glorious campaign of
Austria
, in 1805, and was selected to command the city of
Vienna. He still made the campaign of 1806, and was named commandant
of
Berlin. Returning to
France
, he obtained the command of the 1st Military Division
(Paris), where he remained up to about 1814. General Hulin
died blind and at a very-advanced age.
JANIN (Claude, Baron), born in Chambéry in
1775, served for a long time in the Guard, and was detached to the
Viceroy of Italy, in Milan, to organize the guard of the prince. During
the campaign of
Russia
, he commanded a platoon of elite gendarmes of the Guard; in 1814,
he was made brigadier general, and in 1815, Peer of France.
KRASINSKI (Vincent, Count), Polish General, was chamberlain
of Napoleon, and Colonel of the First Regiment of Light Horse Lancers
of the Guard. He was distinguished especially in the campaign
of 1812, by taking part in all the combats, which the Poles made
on the Russians. In 1813, he was named brigadier general, and
general of division in 1814.
LALLEMAND (Dominique, Baron), born in
Metz, strongly embraced the military profession at a young age; he
advanced due to his intrepidity and his talents; he had arrived at
the rank of brigadier general of artillery at the time of the abdication
of Napoleon. In 1815, appointed lieutenant general, he fought
at Mount-Saint-Jean at the head of the artillery of the Guard, and
returned then under the walls of
Paris with the Guard, which he followed beyond the
Loire. (See in Book XV, the Chapter entitled: The Guard after
Waterloo, Brigands of the
Loire and the Field of Asylum.)
LARIBOISSIÈRE (The Count). His great
talents and his courage quickly raised him to the rank of brigadier
general; in 1806, he demonstrated extraordinary valor during the
campaign of
Poland
, and obtained the rank of general of division commanding the artillery
at the siege of
Danzig. In 1809, at the head of the artillery of the guard,
he stopped the Austrians at Essling, and dispersed them at
Wagram. In 1812, he had organized the immense artillery, which
thundered at
Moscow with such terrible detonations that had not disturbed those
plains since the day of
Poltava and then remained in those plains. General Lariboissière,
died on December 29, 1812, on the banks of
Niemen, having experienced the pain of the loss of his son, killed
at the Battle of Moscowa.
LARREY (Dominique-Jean, Baron), born in Bodeau, close
to Baguères, in 1766, an excellent medical student and devoted
entirely to the surgical art. In 1798, he accompanied General
Bonaparte to
Egypt
; as chief surgeon of the French Army, or often seen on foot in the
breech paused to treat wounds, in the midst of the greatest dangers. He
made medical observations in these regions, which he published in
1803. There is a report by him on the amputations of the limbs
following the gunshot wounds, and a very-esteemed memoir of military
surgery. Larrey rendered services to the army such that it
is impossible for us to enumerate here: also it honors us to say
he took part in all the campaigns of Grand Army in the capacity of
Surgeon in Chief of the Guard, and of the military hospital of Gros-Caillou. Only
one word will be enough to praise him: while speaking about him,
the Emperor said, at Sainte-Helena: “He is the most virtuous
man that I never have met."
LAURISTON (Jacques-Alexandre-Bernard-Law, Count),
was born on February 1, 1768, and embraced the military career early. He
was employed in the artillery and there obtained a fast advancement,
as he had as much talent as he had courage. Becoming aide-de-camp
of Napoleon, he was entrusted with important missions; he was welcomed
with enthusiasm by the people of
London, where he was sent in 1801 to carry the ratification of the
Peace of Amiens. At
Wagram, he decided the victory while making the center of the Austrian
army lose one mile of ground, their rout involving the two wings. After
being employed as Ambassador in
Russia
, General Lauriston took part in the campaign of Saxony and was distinguished
at Koenigswartha, at Weissig and at
Bautzen. He entered in Breslau on June 1, crushed the Russians
on August 18 at Liebenichen, crossed the Bober the 21st,
and obtained new successes at Jauer and Wachau; after having shown
the same valor at Leipzig, he was turned back on the bridge located
between this city and the suburb of Lindenau: the way cut, he fell
into the Elster with his horse, was made prisoner and taken to Berlin. Lauriston
died Minister for the House of the King Louis XVIII.
LEFÈVRE-DESNOUETTES (Charles, Count), born
in
Paris on December 14, 1775, enrolled at the beginning of the revolution
and arrived successively at the first ranks of the army. At
Austerlitz, he demonstrated extraordinary valor, and was promoted
to the rank of brigadier general. Many successes had already
marked his marches in the fields of
Spain
, in 1808, where he was seriously wounded and made captive. Napoleon,
by blaming the impetuosity, which sometimes made him forget the laws
of prudence, rewarded him at this place for this intrepidity, which
although likewise a fault, made him keep producing new triumphs. After
his exchange, he was named general of division, and was called in
1809 to command of the horse chasseurs of the Guard. Returning
to
Spain
in 1811, he was again noted at Figueras. In 1812, Napoleon
carried him away to
Russia
; he was always close to him in the retirement, and took part in
his dangers. In the campaign of
Saxony, he strongly contributed to the success at the Battle of Bautzen,
and seized, on August 19, the mountains of Georgenthal. In
1814, at Brienne, he received several lance blows and a blow of a
bayonet. He escorted Napoleon up to the place of his embarkation
for the
Island of
Elba. His valor shone with a new gloss at Mount-Saint-Jean.
LETORT (The Baron). His valor
and his talents placed him at the head of the Dragoons of the Guard,
during the formation of this corps in 1806. In 1809, he led
a squadron of this regiment in
Spain
, and was noted at the Battle of Burgos. During the campaign
of
Russia
, he had frequent occasions to be singled out, and was particularly
distinguished at the combat of Malojaroslawetz, the 24th and
25th of October, 1812. At Wachau, in 1813, he executed
the boldest and most decisive charges, at the head of the dragoons
and lancers of the Guard; he had a horse killed under him at
Hanau, where he was wounded.
MICHEL (Pierre, Baron), born in Pointre (the Jura). At
Austerlitz, he deployed with such valor, at the head of the 40th Regiment
of Line, of which he was a major, that he was judged suitable to
cross over with the same rank to the grenadiers of the Guard. At
Eylau, he was made Colonel of the Legion of Honor; shortly after
he was named general. In 1812 and 1813, the campaigns of
Russia
and
Saxony offered many occasions for him to support his reputation of
bravery. In 1814, he was wounded at Montmirail, and was named
general of division on the battlefield. In 1815, he took up
arms again, and found, at the Battle of Waterloo, on June 18, a glorious
death, worthy of his bravery: it was he who pronounced these sublimes
words, allotted in error to General Cambronne: “The Guard dies
and does not give in.” (See on this subject the account that
we made of this day, as well as the notes affixed at the bottom of
pages 660 and 661.)
MORLAND (F. - L.), Colonel of the Horse Chasseurs
of the Guard; born in Souilly (
Meuse) on August 11, 1771, entered into the service in 1791 as a
simple chasseur. His merit advanced him quickly up to the rank
of major. In the year XI, he was allowed into the horse chasseurs
of the Guard, where he found new occasions to be recognized. He
was a major of this regiment when Napoleon appointed him colonel,
to replace Prince Eugene, called to the throne of
Italy
. Morland successfully took part in all the campaigns from
1792 to the year III, at the affair of Sprimont. On the memorable
day of
Austerlitz, at the head of the Horse Chasseurs of the Guard, he charged
the artillery of the Russian Imperial Guard, and took it; but in
this brilliant deed, Morland was killed by blow of grapeshot. On
March 7, 1805, a funeral service was celebrated in his honor in the
metropolitan
church of
Paris.
MORTIER (Édouard-Casimir-Joseph, Duke of Trèvise),
born in Cambrai in 1768, entered the service in 1792, as lieutenant
of carabiniers, and soon worked from the capacity of captain to the
head a company of volunteers of his department. The Battles
of Jemappes, of Neerwinden, of Sellemberg, offered the occasion
for him to show his valor; and the day of Hondschoote credited him
with the rank of adjutant general. At the blockade of Maubeuge, he
was wounded by a blow of grapeshot; still fought at Mons, at Brussels,
at Leuven, at Fleurus; went on to Maastricht with the corps of General
Kléber, directed the attack of Fort Saint-Pierre; and was
then in the crossing of the Neuwied, under the command of Marceau. In
1796, General Lefebvre, who commanded the advanced-guard of the Army
of the Sambre-and-Meuse, consigned to him his advanced posts. At
the Battle of Freidburg, he was the one who forced the passage of
the Nidda; and at Wildendorf, a few days after he covered himself
in glory by crushing the enemy. During this campaign, Gressau,
Germandeu,
Schweinfurt, and many other important posts, were removed by Mortier:
at the combat of Ilsfeld, his conduct was above any praise. After
the Peace of Campo-Formio, he refused the rank of brigadier general
for command of the 23rd Regiment of Cavalry; but with
the opening of the campaign of 1799, he was called to the Army of
the
Danube, with the title of brigadier general, commanding the advanced
posts. On the day of Liptingen, he obtained a brilliant success. Passing
to the Helvetian (Swiss) Army, he took the command of a division,
which was distinguished at the combat of Mutten and with all those
which led up to the capture of
Zurich: he directed, with General Klein, the attack on this city
on left bank. At Sargans, at Treias, Tamius, new exploits increased
the military glory, which he had already acquired. Mortier
was then named commander of the 2nd Division of the Army
of the
Danube, which he left at the end of the some months, to pass to that
of 15th and the 16th military divisions. In
1803, he was in charge of the command of the army intended to seize
the Electorate of Hanover. This expedition ended in the Convention
of Sublingen. On returning to
Paris, Napoleon named him one of the four Colonel-Generals of the
Consular Guard, and entrusting to him the command of artillery and
the seamen. In 1804, Mortier was made Marshal of the Empire,
and preserved his rank in the Guard; in September of the same year,
he was placed at the head of a division of the Grand Army, commanded
by the Emperor in person. In this memorable campaign, Mortier
descended the left bank of the Danube, cut the communications of
the Russian Army with Moravia, and defended at the famous combat
of Dürrenstein, where, with a body of four thousand men, he
beat the Russian army, under the orders of Kutusov, more than thirty
thousand soldiers strong. During the following campaigns, we
can cite the numerous days which were glorious for the Marshal, those
of
Jena, Eylau and Friedland. Sent to Spain in 1808, he commanded the
5th Corps, was distinguished at the siege of Saragossa,
in February 1809; winning the Battle of Oçana in November,
assisted the operations of Marshal Soult against Badajoz, was charged
with the siege of Cadiz, and still battled the Spaniards, on February
19, 1811, at the Battle of Gebora. In 1812, Mortier was distinguished
in
Russia
in a very particular way, and left
Moscow last, after having made blown up the Kremlin. In 1813,
he defended Frankfurt, where he reorganized the Young Guard, of which
he had the command during all the campaign of Saxony; he fought at
Lutzen, at
Dresden, at Wachau,
Leipzig and
Hanau. In 1814, he delayed for a long time the march of the
allied armies on the capital, and ceased fighting only when all means
of resistance had become impossible. Marshal Mortier, that
the bullets and the grapeshot had respected so many times on hard
fought battlefields of Europe, died in
Paris on July 20, 1835, victim of the Fieschi attack.
MOUTON-DUVERNET. Full of talent and
bravery, it is at the point of his sword that he would conquer all
his ranks.
Germany
,
Prussia
,
Poland
, were his theatres of glory. In
Spain
, it commanded a body of the Young Guard, and showed extraordinary
valor. He was a colonel in 1807 and general of division in
1813. At the affair of Uclés, in Spain, General Mouton-Duvernet,
then colonel of a regiment of the Young Guard, after seizing the
town of Uclés, defended by eight thousand men, joining together
some dragoons and pursing the enemy; he arrived in front of a column
of four thousand men, pierced the center, and captured a flag after
having killed the officer who carried it. During this time,
the 1st Regiment and the remainder of the division arrived,
and the four thousand men laid their arms down. At Mount-Saint-Jean,
in 1815, he increased his beautiful military reputation further,
and to the regret of his many admirers he found on the battlefield
the only death of which he was worthy.
ORDENER (The Count) took part in all the wars of the
revolution; as a private, he would rise successively up to the rank
of brigadier general. In 1803, he was sent to
Portugal
, then appointed commandant of
Brest, and came, in 1804, to be placed at the head of the horse grenadiers
of the Guard. He led them to at
Austerlitz, and it is under his orders that they carried out those
brilliant and decisive charges, which could decide the success of
the day. This campaign merited Ordener the rank of general
of division. His services, as many as they were honorable,
were rewarded by his admission to the Senate and his nomination as
governor for the Chateau of Compiegne, where he died in 1811, struck
down by an attack of apoplexy.
ORNANO (The Count), born in Corsica in 1784, commanded
a battalion of chasseurs of this island during the campaign of 1805,
and was named officer of the Legion of Honor after the battle of
Austerlitz, where he was distinguished. After the campaign,
he was named as the commandant of the dragoons of the Guard, and
went as their head in 1806 to 1807. He followed Marshal Ney
to
Spain
, and constantly was noted for his brilliant deeds there. On
June 26, 1809, he faced much artillery at the crossing of the Navia,
and took four pieces of cannon at the combat of El Tormes. Named
brigadier general, he passed into
Russia
. From his conduct at Ostrovno and Moscowa, he was raised to
the rank of general of division, and took part, in this capacity,
the campaigns of Saxony and
France
, during which he would support his brilliant reputation.
PETIT (Jean-Martin, Baron), born on July 22, 1772. Already
remarkable for his many services, he was distinguished in the expedition
of
Egypt
, as aide-de-camp of General Friant; Petit was particularly noted
during the campaign of 1806, against the Prussians and the Russians;
and on June 28, 1813, he was elevated to the grade of brigadier general
and that of Commander of the Legion of Honor. Petit, in the
Guard, made the campaign of
France
: it was he who Napoleon embraced, at
Fontainebleau, when he read his good-byes to the Guard, before leaving
for the Island Elba. At Mount-Saint-Jean, Petit commanded,
in the capacity of major, the lst Regiment of Foot Grenadiers,
and it was at the head of these brave men that he supported and protected
the retirement gloriously. General Petit is today a Peer of
France and commandant of the Home of the Invalides.
POUL LA COSTE (Joseph-Victor), grenadier lieutenant
of the Old Guard, Chevalier of the Legion of Honor; born in Mézin
(Lot-et-Garonne) on July 21, 1791, entered the Imperial Military
School of Saint-Cyr at the age of eighteen years. He left in
March 1811, as second lieutenant in the 15th Regiment
of Light Infantry and made the campaign of
Germany
immediately, under the command of Marshal Davoust. Promoted, on September
2, 1812, to the rank of first lieutenant in the company of carabiniers
of the same regiment, Poul La Coste made the campaign of
Russia
. After the evacuation of
Moscow, the Friant division, to which this regiment belonged formed
part of the advanced-guard constantly and preserved this perilous
station until October 18, in front of Kalouga. Though hardly
twenty-three years old, but bringing together the necessary qualities
to enter the Guard, Poul La Coste was incorporated, on January 22,
1813, in the 1st Regiment of Grenadiers of the Old Guard
with the rank of captain, and successively attended all the battles
of the campaign of France. He was present at the good-byes
of Napoleon at
Fontainebleau, after being named himself as Chevalier of the Legion
of Honor a few days before (April 2, 1814). At the beginning
of the Emperor’s stay on the Island of Elba, Poul La Coste
was included, on the following July 1, in the organization of the
grenadiers of France which went to form the garrison in Metz; and
on the return of Napoleon to Paris (March 20, 1815, he entered, on
May 21), in the 4th Grenadier Regiment of the Old Guard,
reconstituted on April 8 of the same year, and made the campaign
of Belgium. Poul La Coste, who commanded the first company
of the first battalion at Fleurus, was seriously wounded by a ball,
which plowed through his two thighs. In the next August, disbanded
as all his brave men comrades in arms, Poul La Coste returned to
his home; but there, an object of all the vexations that those of
the new order of things had in that the spirit of reaction which
called them brigands of the Loire, in order to remove himself
from ceaseless persecutions of which he was the object, Poul La Coste
entered the Legion of the Lot-et-Garonne, with his rank of captain,
and definitively left the army with a pension which his brilliant
services had been earned him. Today, Poul La Coste lives withdrawn
in its birthplace.
ROGUET (Francois, Count), born in Toulouse on November
12, 1770, entered the service in 1789, and earned, by brilliant actions,
the rank of brigadier general. In 1808, in
Spain
, he was distinguished at the siege of
Bilbao and
Santander; in 1810, he destroyed a considerable gathering of insurrectionists
at Jaugnas. His exploits against the Army of Galicia,
whose progress he stopped, earned him the rank of general of division,
to which he was elevated on June 24, 1811. In 1812, he commanded
a division of the Grand Army, in
Russia
; and, after the retirement, he was charged with gathering and reorganizing
the Old Guard. It fought on the days of
Dresden,
Leipzig, Wachau and
Hanau. At the time of the attempt made by the English on
Antwerp, in 1814, Roguet, at the head of five battalions, crushed
them and making them experience a considerable loss. In 1815,
he commanded the Foot Grenadiers of the Guard, and partook in the
glory of these valorous soldiers, in this glorious and disastrous
campaign.
SAINT-SULPICE (Raimond-Gaspard de Banard,
Count), born in the
Piedmont. He entered the service very young and quickly
rose to the higher ranks; his talents and his courage placed him
at the head of the regiment of dragoons of the Guard. The campaigns
of 1805 and 1806 offered him a large number of occasions to make
his valor shine, in particular at the Battle of Eylau, where he was
wounded. Raised to the rank of general of division in 1807,
Saint-Sulpice was named Governor of the Chateau of Fontainebleau
in 1810. In 1813, he commanded the 4th Regiment
of the Guards of Honor.
SORBIER (Jean-Barthèlemy, Count), born
on November 17, 1762 in Paris, performed excellently in his studies
at the Military Academy of Paris, from where he left lieutenant in
1783; captain in 1791, he was an adjutant general in 1793. In
1805, he commanded three divisions at the Battle of Austerlitz, where
the artillery took so glorious a part. After this campaign,
he was sent to
Dalmatia; he took an active part in the Battle of Wagram, in 1809,
as brigadier general. His services earned him, in 1811, the
rank of general of division. In 1812, he commanded as Head
of Artillery of the Guard, and was distinguished on the fields of
Smolensk and Moscowa: in 1813, Wachau, Leipsick,
Hanau, were mainly days of glory for him.
SOULT (Jean-Dieu), Duke of Dalmatia, Marshal
of France, Grand Ribbon of the Legion of Honor, commandant of the
Foot Chasseurs of the Imperial Guard; born at Saint-Amand (Taru). In
1769, soldier in the Regiment of the King, infantry; in 1792, instructor
of the National battalions in the Upper Rhine; and, in 1793, captain
of these same volunteers, Soult was named, by the representatives
of the people, adjutant general of the Army of Moselle, where he
was noted for his intrepidity: one owes him credit for the Battle
of Fleurus. With the army of Sambre-and-Meuse, he demonstrated
his valor at the combat of Attenkirken and Kleinnister, where he
took five hundred prisoners. With the Army of Mainz, at the combat
of Hoskirch, he held on all the day with two squadrons and four companies,
the repeated attacks of five thousand men. At Freidburg, his
advanced guard resisted a column of twenty-five thousand Austrians. At
Stockach, he attacked three times Prince Charles, who was with the
head of all the Austrian forces; Soult, on this occasion, carried
out a retirement where he deployed with a high degree his strategic
talents. Made general of division to the Army of the Danube,
he added to his fame the combat of Schwitz, of
Lucerne, of Frauenfeld, Andelsjugen and Adlik, and
strongly contributed to the victory of
Zurich. After the crossing of the Lints, Soult chased
Suvorov, and ejected the Russians on right bank of the
Rhine. In Cadibona, he seized the flag of the 97th demi-brigade
and sprang on the point where the Austrians made the most progress. This
action rallied all the French troops, and decided the victory in
our favor. During the campaign of
Italy
, daily combat still added to his glory. After the victory
of Marengo, Soult was initially charged to subject the
Piedmont, where he would seized Tarente, Otranto and Brindes,
and left the Army of Italy to come to take the command of the chasseurs
of the Consular Guard. Marshal of
France
in 1804, he commanded in 1805 one of the Grand Army corps, seized
the
bridge of
Donawert, and contributed considerably to the surrender of
Ulm. He regained mastery of
Augsburg and Memmingen, and commanded the French right wing at the
Battle of Austerlitz. In 1806, he took
Bayreuth, Hoff and
Plauen, and decided the success at the Battle of Jena. In Grossen he
crushed twelve thousand Prussians, and began the
Magdeburg blockade. In 1807, Soult seized the
bridge of
Bergfried, and demonstrated extraordinary valor at Eylau: he took
a great part in the victory of Heilsberg. In 1808, his entry
in
Spain
was marked by many successful the actions at Gamonal, at
Burgos, at Espinosa, at Nancilla and Coruña made him
feared and respected by the Spaniards and the English. In
Portugal
, he was still victorious at Juzo, Allariz, Osogne,
at
Monterey, at Chavez, Draya; he directed the operations of
the memorable battles in front of
Oporto, where he seized two hundred guns. It also seized Olivenza;
and at
Badajoz, with eighteen thousand French, he withstood the shock of
an army thirty-three thousand men, English as well as Portuguese
and Spanish. At Baza and Cullas, he showed an extraordinary
skill. In 1813, he commanded the center of the French Army
at the Battle of Bautzen; and more particularly was noted at that
of Wurtchen. In 1814, he again took command of the Army of
Spain, and evacuated this country by disputing the ground step by
step: this retirement is remarkable for the combats of Bassussarry
and Laustêrénia. Lastly, the Battle of Toulouse
put the crown on his reputation as a grand captain: there, eighteen
thousand French disputed the victory for fourteen hours with an army
of one hundred thousand English, Portuguese and Spaniards, commanded
by Lord Wellington. In short, Marshal Soult is certainly one
of the most famous representatives of French glory, under the Republic,
Consulate, the Empire, the Restoration and the Government of July.
VIGNEAUX, Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, made the
campaigns of
Germany
in the capacity of a vélite of the foot grenadiers of the
Guard, and those of
Spain
and
Russia
as lieutenant-adjutant-major to the 4th Regiment of Tirailleurs
(Young Guard). He lives today withdrawn to Lanojon (
Gironde).
WALTHER (H.-J., Count). The
Imperial Guard counted few brave men soldiers such as him; Walther
was always with the advanced guard during twenty years of ceaseless
wars, and received honorable wounds: his blood ran at
Austerlitz, Eylau, Friedland, etc. etc., and always his exploits
astonished the army. In 1812, he made the campaign of
Russia
at the head of horse grenadiers of the Guard; he charged and cut
to bits the Bavarians at the Battle of Hanau. The pain of seeing
his fatherland about to be invaded by foreigners, fatigue from his
campaigns and his many wounds led Walther to the tomb towards the
end of 1813.
