Henri Gatien Bertrand

Youth

Resulting from a middle-class family, Henri Gatien Bertrand is born with the Raoul castle with Chateauroux, company flat of his father, Henry Bertrand, particular Master of National Forestry Commission, subdelegated intendance of Bourges at the department of Chateauroux. The mother of Bertrand, Henriette Butcher, was the girl of an general inspector of the Bridges and Chaussées.

He is pupil at the Oratorien S of the royal Collège of the Arrow, where Descartes preceded it. The September 11th 1793, it enters as second lieutenant to the royal École of the genius of Wall in 1793. He is the major of his promotion. He leaves lieutenant, is promoted there captain the March 21st 1795 and, at twenty-two years, he replaces during nearly one year (June 1795 - April 1796) illustrates it Monge with the pulpit of Stéréotomie and descriptive geometry of the Polytechnic school, which testifies to serious capacities in mathematics.

Military career

He was used initially in the national guard as Paris. The August 10th its battalion went to the Tuileries to defend the constitutional royalty.

Second lieutenant in the War of the Pyrenees in 1795 and 1796; the following year it belonged to the embassy sent to Constantinople. It is then attached to the mission of the general Aubert of Bayet, ambassador extraordinary near the Door, in order to help the Turks to organize the defense of the Dardanelles. Afterwards many adventures, the mission arrives to Constantinople where it encounters an end not-to receive Turks.

Bertrand takes then the way of the Armée with Italy, which it reaches in 1797. It is there that it meets Bonaparte, that it follows in Egypt, where it is distinguished with the Pyramides and then receives the rank of major (commander).

He is named sub-manager of the fortifications. Slightly wounded with the head with Aboukir (July 25th 1799), its horse killed under him, the general-in-chief invites it to replace his chief of brigade and Bertrand, the wrapped head of a binding, springs with the attack of the Fort of Aboukir, takes a flag and receives a wound with the thigh. In reward, it is promoted Chef of brigade (lieutenant-colonel). The September 16th 1800, it is Brigadier general and, the March 21st 1801, director of the fortifications of Alexandria.

The First consul makes of it his Aide-de-camp the March 7th 1805. Following the Emperor, it takes part in all the great battles of the Empire: it is with Austerlitz, with Iéna, obtains the capitulation of Spandau the October 25th 1806, is with Eylau and the seat of Dantzig. It is named Major general the May 30th 1807, Count of the Empire in March 1808.

The September 16th 1808, the general count Bertrand marries, with the town hall of Ier district, Elisabeth Francoise Dillon, known as Frances or Fanny, girl of the general Arthur Dillon and a Creole of Martinique, Laure Girardin de Montgérald, small cousin of the empress Joséphine. The church wedding took place the following day with Saint-Leu at Hortense de Beauharnais.

Henri Bertrand is sent in Spain, then built the bridges of the island Lobau on the the Danube which make it possible the Large army to cross this river and to gain the Bataille of Wagram.

April 9th 1811, it succeeds Marmont as general governor of the Provinces illyriennes. It is a half-failure, Bertrand, little at ease in this new role for him, pretense to hesitate to make decisions. At the end of 1812, Napoleon must withdraw his functions to him, but it gives him the command of the 4th Large army corps. Bertrand made there not wonder. The November 18th 1813, it is named Grand Marshal of the Palate and settles with the Tuileries the 20.

After the Empire

It is quite naturally that it follows the Emperor to the isle of Elba where it exerts the functions of Minister of Interior Department and governor of the civil cases. During the Hundred Days, it is reinstalled with the Tuileries. He becomes large Marshal of the Palate and the military adviser of Napoleon for this period. It is also quite naturally that after Waterloo, it follows the Emperor to the Malmaison, then in the remainder of its tour until Sainte-Hélène.

The May 7th 1816, Bertrand was condemned to death in absentia. Bertrand returns to Paris in October 1818. Amnestied its judgment with death in absentia the October 24th 1821, triumphantly accommodated with Calais, it was divided between its grounds of Laleuf, close to Chateauroux, and its small Parisian hotel of the street of the Victoire. The Monarchie of July named it ordering polytechnic school in November 1830. Appointed elected official of the Indre, it sat on the left, and, beaten in 1834, withdrew public life.

His wife Fanny Dillon died of a Breast cancer the March 10th 1836. Its sons caused him many concern, which he flees three years with the Martinique, with the title of governor, under the pretext of exploit the plantations of Canne to sugar bequeathed by his/her mother-in-law.

Returned to France, in 1840, it gave to Louis-Philippe the sword of the Emperor, before embarking on the Belle Hen for the forwarding of the return of ashes.

It left for a long voyage to the the Caribbean and to the the United States, finally returned to die in Chateauroux the January 15th 1844, at the seventy years age.

Its burial, follow-up only by his/her Arthur son, made contrast with its ultimate destiny: the May 5th 1847, on the proposal of the colonel and deputy Bricqueville, one brought back his skin to Paris to bury it with the Invalides, with respect to Duroc. Since the transfer of ashes of Napoleon in the crypt designed by Louis Visconti, it takes care of the entry of the tomb of this Master whom it continues to serve in death.

Publications

Its sons published in 1847 the Campagnes of Egypt and Syria (2 volumes in-8 and atlas), which he had written in Sainte-Hélène, under the dictation of Napoleon.
General Bertrand, letters with Fanny 1805-1815 , annotated and presented by Suzanne of Vaissière-Orfila, Paris, Albin Michel, 1979
General Bertrand, " On the distress of the French colonies in general, the Martinique island in particular… " , Paris, Typography of Firmin Didot brothers, 1838

References

Partial source

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