Franz Alexander Espiard by Colonge

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Family coat of arms of the Espiard von Colonge

Franz Alexander Espiard von Colonge (* 1748 in Strasbourg ; † August 8, 1814 in Munich ) was a royal Bavarian officer, most recently in the rank of major general . Since 1806 he was a knight of the Military Max Joseph Order .

Life

Franz Alexander Freiherr Espiard von Colonge came from an old Alsatian noble family that had been enrolled in the Lower Alsatian knighthood for a long time . His father Jean-Alexandre Espiard de Colonge (1713-1788) last served as maréchal de camp in the royal French army. His younger brother was the future Bavarian lieutenant general Benignus Espiard von Colonge (1754-1837).

Espiard von Colonge was captain of the artillery when the French Revolution broke out in 1789 . He joined Prince Condé's corps as a major and took part in the battles against the French revolutionary troops. For his services he received the French Order of Louis . On April 28, 1800 he was accepted as a major in the Bavarian artillery and appointed director of the rifle factory. With the electoral cabinet order of June 11, 1803, Espiard von Colonge was awarded the Electoral-Bavarian Military Medal of Honor at the same time as his younger brother .

In April 1804 he was transferred to the artillery regiment as a major and fought with this unit in 1805 in the Third Coalition War against Austria . He was given command of the entire field artillery. With his support, the mountain passes near Lofer were stormed on November 2nd, 1805. He was also able to distinguish himself again in the following battles on December 2 and 3, 1805 near Iglau and Stecken. With the highest decree of March 1, 1806, Espiard von Colonge was accepted as a knight in the newly founded Military Max Joseph Order, together with his brother.

Promoted to lieutenant colonel in the artillery regiment on September 24, 1806 , he was given command of part of the Bavarian artillery during the fourth coalition war against Russia and Prussia . He fought in the corps of General Carl Philipp von Wrede and took part in the siege of Breslau . In the order of the day from General Dominique Joseph Vandamme and in the army order of January 18, 1807, Espiard von Colonge was mentioned with praise. With the extinction of the French Order of Louis, the pensions for its members also ceased. Both brothers were accepted into the Military Max Joseph Order as honorary members without income. On February 6, 1807, with the highest resolution, Franz Alexander and Benignus Espiard von Colonge were accepted as real knights in the Military Max Joseph Order because of their services during the campaign from 1806 to 1807 and a pension was granted.

In the following campaigns against Austria in 1809 and Russia in 1812, Espiard von Colonge, who had been a colonel since March 28, 1809 , was again in command of the entire Bavarian artillery. He fought with distinction in the Battle of Polotsk on August 16-18, 1812, was commended in the army order of September 16, 1812 and accepted into the French Legion of Honor with an army order of October 11, 1812 . During a Russian cavalry attack on August 18, 1812, he received several head wounds, after which he was supposed to return to Bavaria to recover. On the way back he was captured by Russian units on October 18, 1812 and was only able to return home after the armistice had been concluded.

After his captivity, he was promoted to major general and commander of the artillery regiment on December 31, 1813. Franz Alexander Espiard von Colonge died on August 8, 1814 in Munich.

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SURNAME Espiard von Colonge, Franz Alexander
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Espiard von Colonge, Franz Alexander Freiherr
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Bavarian major general
DATE OF BIRTH 1748
PLACE OF BIRTH Strasbourg
DATE OF DEATH August 8, 1814
Place of death Munich