Pierre Marie Barthelemy Ferino

Pierre Marie Barthelemy Ferino , born with Craveggia, in the Valley Vigezzo, the August 23rd 1747, was wire of a warrant officer of the regiment of Bender, Bernardo Ferino; it served very-young person in this body, and made the Guerre Seven Year old. Entered with the service in 1768, it obtained in 1779 the master's certificate.

Ten years later, an injustice made towards him, and the explosion of the French revolution, of which it shared the principles, determined it to come in France. It was then 42 years old.

The 1792, it was named lieutenant-colonel of above the legion of Biron, which took the name of hunters of the Rhine , and left with its regiment the December 13rd 1792 for the army the general Custine.

Named Brigadier general in December of the same year and Major general the August 23rd 1793, it was relieved some time afterwards, to have said the Duc of Rovigo in his Mémoires , remarks too rigorously the discipline by the troops which were under its orders: strange cause of dismissal for a general; also he saw himself soon reinstated in his functions.

In year IV, it was employed with the Armée with the Rhine-and-Moselle, ordered by Moreau. Thermidor 20, Férino division, strong of 23 battalions and 17 squadrons, which formed one the third of the army, after having crossed the mountains of the Black Forest, had seized Lindau and Bregenz, on the Lac of Constancy, and had advanced by Stobach, with 16 battalions and 14 squadrons, on Memmingen.

In Bregentz, one took 5 mortars, 4 Couleuvrine S, 22 parts of gun and 40.000 bags of oats, barley and flour. It was in this day that Férino had, with the body of Condé, an extremely sharp business; one fought with eagerness, but the good provisions made by Férino gave the victory to the Republicans. During the Retirement of Bavaria, after being remained only with its division during forty-eight days, it joined the army corps without to have lost only one of its guns, and taking along with him of the prisoners.

From return in France after this immortal countryside, Férino accepted the order of the general Hoche to go on Paris with its troops, in order to support the projects of the Directoire. Férino opposed an order of the Minister for the war. This feature made him honor; he wanted to fight the enemies of the fatherland well, but to be not made an instrument of discord and civil war.

The 9 ventôse year VIII, it ordered the first division of the Armée with Mainz to the orders of the general Jourdan. Into germinal, Férino division went on Neustadt, and was placed so as to prohibit with the enemy the entry of the valley of this name; but the 14, the Austrians having attacked with advantage, Férino operated its retirement with order on Freiburg and Neuf-Brisach.

Napoleon Bonaparte, gave to Férino, immediately after the 18 brumaire, the command of the 8th military division. It purged the Département of Ardeche brigands of which it was infested, service which was worth to him on behalf of Berthier, Minister for the war, the most flattering praises.

Named in year XII, member and large officer of Legion-in Honneur the 19 frimaire and 25 meadow, he became senator the 16 pluviôse year XIII. Napoleon gave him the senatorery of Florence, then appointed it governor of the town of Antwerp and did it Count of the Empire in 1808.

In 1813, it was charged with the organization of the national guards of the Holland, and adhered in 1814 to the acts of the Senate.

Maintained by Louis XVIII in all his honors and its ranks, Férino accepted moreover the Croix of Saint-Louis.

In an audience which it obtained from the king the June 17th 1814, it had with this monarch a conversation which deserves to become historical:

“I see with great pleasure, tells him the king, such a good general, such an advisable man, though you refused to be useful to me in an important economic situation, and that you even disobeyed your general-in-chief. ”

Férino testifying all the surprise which a similar reproach caused him, the king hastened to add:

“do you remember, general, the order which was given to you with ***, per M ***, assistance-of-camp of Moreau, to make make with your division a movement in front of the Austrians? you refused to carry out it.

- Yes, Lord; but this order was given to me of sharp voice and appeared besides completely contrary to me with the first rules of the art of warfare. I answered the assistance-of-camp that I would not carry out the movement with less than one strict order of the hand even of Moreau.

- Its assistance-of-camp returned near you, took again Louis XVIII, with the formal injunction to take the prescribed positions, and you refused to obey.

- That is true, Lord, and I admire at which point Your Majesty knows and remembers such particular details; but the Moreau general wanted to never give this written order, and in the position that it was to me enjoint to take, fate of division, that I ordered was compromised so much so that I looked like a duty of not obtempérer; because a general who had been of agreement with the Austrians for denies to make beat, had not prescribed me other measurements.

- You guessed, said Louis XVIII, I were of agreement with Moreau; it was with me since year IV. ”

Férino died in Paris the June 28th 1816. Its name is engraved on the Triumphal arch of the Star, east coast.

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