Gaspard Gourgaud

Gaspard Gourgaud , born with Versailles the November 14th 1783, is a French soldier.

Wire of a musician of the vault of Louis XVI and nephew of famous the Dugazon; raise Polytechnic school in 1799, then raises second lieutenant with the school of artillery of Châlons. It entered in 1802, as lieutenant as a second with 7th of artillery to foot, and passed in 1803 lieutenant to the 6th artillery regiment to horse, and became, in August 1804, assistance-of-camp of the general Foucher.

In the countryside of 1805, it was with Ulm, the Prise of Vienna and the Passage of the Danube. In this last business, it was announced by remarkable milked audacity: benefitting from the disorder that the Passage of the bridge of Thabo R had thrown in the Austrian army, he sprang towards the enemy artillery park and seized some. It fought then with Austerlitz, where it was wounded; with Iéna, with Prentzlau, Pultusk, where it accepted the cross of honor; with Ostrołęka where it was promoted captain, and with the Bataille of Friedland.

II passed then in Spain, was distinguished with the Siège from Saragossa, joined the Large army and took share at the days of Abensberg, of Eckmüùhl, Ratisbon, Essling and Wagram.

It is in 1811 that the Gourgaud captain was attached to the person of the Emperor as aide-de-camp: he had this favor with the intelligence with which he had just achieved the recognition of the place of Dantzig. From this time, it did not leave any more the Emperor. In the Countryside of Russia, its zeal and its activity, to ensure the service of its weapon, were more remarkable: wounded with Smolensk, it fought with Valentina and the Bataille of Moskowa. With Moscow it had the happiness, which remainder arised several times in its career, to preserve the days of Napoleon i: following a meticulous exploration of the the Kremlin, he discovered an enormous powder mass (400 thousands), that the fire was about to reach, and succeeds in preventing this terrible explosion. In reward of this signal service, it was created baron.

At the time of the Retirement of Russia, its devotion does not weaken a moment: twice it passed the Bérézina to the stroke, before the construction of the bridges, to go to recognize the position of the enemy. Returned in France, it came to give an account of the situation of the remains of the French troops to the Emperor, who appointed immediately it and first aide-de-camp major. Several important missions were entrusted to him in the Campagne of 1813 and were achieved with the high satisfaction of the Emperor. Its control with the Bataille of Dresden was worth to him the cross of officer of the Légion of honor; it was still announced to the Bataille of Leipzig, the Bataille of Hanau, and carried out with a great strength the orders given by the Emperor to ensure the retirement of the army.

The baron Gourgaud followed Napoleon in the Campagne of 1814. With Brienne, it saved the life to him: a party of Cossacks had just surprised the Emperor; already one of them had its lance directed against him, when Gourgaud cut down it of a blow of gun. It was with Champubert, was wounded with Montmirail, was still with Nangis, Montereau, and collapsed the Russians of the position of Étoutevelles. This feat of arms made name it commander of the Legion of honor. It seized the suburb of Rheims, to the head of a battery and of two battalions of infantry, and entered the first the city.

It separated from the Emperor only at the time when this last left Fontainebleau, the April 20th. Consequently it made its tender with the government and was, like all the officers of the kingdom, indicated to belong to the Bodyguards. But the Emperor lni had left while leaving the sword which it carried to the Pyramides: it was enough to make it get rid of. At the time of the return of the isle of Elba, the baron Gourgaud hastened to go near the Emperor; it follow-in its last countryside; gave to Fleurus new evidence of bravery which made it name general and assistance-of-camp. At the last time of the Battle of Waterloo, it belonged to the group of generals who surrounded Napoleon. “ Gourgaud, exclaimed the Emperor by showing some given up parts, make draw. ” They were the last blows of gun of the battle.

Returned in Paris with the Emperor, it accompanied it in Rochefort and was selected to carry to the Regent the letter by which Napoleon claimed the hospitality of the England. Not having been able to unload, it joined the Emperor, who indicated it to follow it to Sainte-Hélène. It shared this exile during three years; but of the difficulties which have occurred between him and the Count de Montholon, brought its return in Europe. Striped roles of the army, and banished after the Second Restoration, France was closed to him, it went to England, went to expose to the brought together sovereigns with Aachen all the odious rigors deployed against the prisoner of Grey waxbill, and returned to France only in 1821. Left in non-activity, it dealt with the publication of various works; it made appear in 1823, with Mr. de Montholon, the Mémoires of Napoleon with Sainte-Hélène , 18 volumes; in 1825, a Examen criticizes history of the Large army , Count de Ségur; and in 1827, a Refutation of calumnies of the life of Napoleon , by Walter Scott. Already, in 1820, it had published a Relation of the countryside of 1815 .

After the Revolution of 1830, the Gourgaud general given in activity, became successively ordering artillery of Paris and Vincennes, assistance-of-camp of the King in 1832; lieutenant-general in 1835; commander-in-chief of artillery of the Armed with North in 1839; chair committee of artillery and general inspector of this weapon. The government charged it in 1841 with the armament with the forts and fortifications with Paris. This same year, it was high with peerage. The Gourgaud general had been designated by the King, in 1840, to go to attend in Sainte-Hélène, the exhumation of the remainders of the Emperor; mission which it achieves with a religious zeal.

The Gourgaud general collected the confidences of Napoleon with Saint-Helene, in particular the wish to move away the military sites from the borders. This precaution was taken only after the defeat of 1871, with the creation of arms factories in the center of France.

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