Antoine Charles Louis de Lasalle
Antoine Charles Louis de Lasalle (born May 10, 1775 in Metz , Moselle department , † July 6, 1809 in the Battle of Wagram ) was a French cavalry general during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars . He is better known today under the name "The Hussar General". He is considered the greatest general of the light cavalry of his time.
Childhood and youth
Antoine Charles Louis de Lasalle was born in Metz on May 10, 1775. His parents, Pierre Nicolas de Lasalle d'Augny, an officer in the French royal army, and Suzanne Dupuy de la Gaule, belonged to the lower nobility.
His military interest was shown early on. At the age of eleven he entered the Regiment d'infanterie d'Alsace .
During the Revolution he was on May 25, 1791 Sous-lieutenant in the 24 e régiment de cavalerie (24th cavalry regiment). Until then it was a privilege of the nobility to become an officer. But this was abolished in 1792 by the revolution. Since he was noble, he lost his command. But he remained loyal to France and traveled to Paris, where he joined the Section des Piques battalion, which belonged to the National Guard . In 1793 he voluntarily joined the "Armée du Nord" in the 23 e régiment de chasseurs à cheval ( hunters on horseback ). By attacking and capturing an opposing battery at the head of some chasseurs during a battle, a superior noticed him and wanted to promote him, but Lasalle declined, as this promotion would distance him from his men.
Italian campaign
On March 10, 1795, Lasalle was promoted to lieutenant and became adjutant to General François-Christophe Kellermann . On May 6, 1795 he was posted to the Italian Army and promoted to Capitaine on November 7, 1796 . During the Battle of Vicenza on December 17, 1796, at the head of 18 horsemen, he attacked 100 Austrian hussars and put them to flight.
Since he scouted for Napoleon behind the Austrian lines and was able to obtain information, he was promoted to Chef d'escadron on January 6, 1797 .
Egypt campaign
After the Italian campaign was over, Lasalle switched to the Orient Army. With her he took part in the Battle of the Pyramids on July 21, 1798 . There he cut off the Mamluks ' retreat. For this he was appointed by Napoleon to command the "22 e demi-brigade de chasseurs à cheval". Then he was subordinate to Louis Charles Antoine Desaix and fought on August 11, 1798 in the Battle of Salalieh. In the Battle of Rémedieh he saved General Louis-Nicolas Davout . Shortly afterwards he attacked the leader of the Mamluks Osman Bey and forced the enemy to flee. He then fought at Samanhout and Gehmi and was finally sent to Lower Egypt, where he secured communications.
Upon his return to France, he was appointed commander of the 10 e régiment de hussards in 1800 and at an unknown date was promoted to the general de brigade .
On December 30, 1806 he was promoted to Général de division .
Death in the battle of Wagram
Lasalle fell on July 6, 1809 on the second day of the battle of Wagram during a cavalry attack against the center of the Austrian troops.
Honors
His bust was placed in the Battle Gallery of the Palace of Versailles , which opened in 1837 .
literature
- Marcel Dupont: Le général (Antoine-Charles-Louis de) Lasalle. Berger-Levrault, Paris 1929.
Web links
- Lasalle on flg.org
- Antoine Charles Louis, comte de Lasalle (1775–1809) on napoleon-monuments.eu (French)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Lasalle, Antoine Charles Louis de |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French general |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 10, 1775 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Metz |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 6, 1809 |
| Place of death | Battle of Wagram |