Henri-Gatien Bertrand

Henri-Gatien Bertrand

Henri-Gatien, comte Bertrand (born March 28, 1773 near Châteauroux , Département Indre , France ; † January 31, 1844 ibid) was a French Général de division , Grand maréchal du palais and one of Napoleon's closest confidants .

Life

Henri-Gatien Bertrand came from a respected family and joined the Paris National Guard during the Revolution and then the Engineer Corps. He served 1795–96 in the Pyrenees and Italian armies and took part in the expedition to Egypt . Napoleon became better known here as head of the fortifications of Alexandria , and was promoted to Général de brigade . In 1797 he was assigned to the mission of General Aubert du Bayet . After showing great bravery in the Battle of Austerlitz , the Emperor appointed him adjutant general and later count in 1805.

In 1806, as Général de division, Bertrand managed to surrender the Spandau Citadel and distinguished himself in the Battle of Friedland in 1807 . In July 1809 he made a significant contribution to the victory in the Battle of Wagram through the Lobau bridges he built . In 1812 he took part in the Russian campaign . In 1813 he commanded the Reserve or IV Army Corps in the battles near Großgörschen , Bautzen , Großbeeren and Dennewitz . On October 3, he did not succeed in preventing Yorck's Elbe crossing near Wartenburg . In the Battle of the Nations near Leipzig on October 16 and 18, he protected the road to Thuringia in Lindenau , then covered the retreat to the Rhine and, after the battle of Hanau, the Rhine crossing at Mainz . After Duroc's death, the emperor appointed him Oberhofmarschall ( Grand maréchal du palais ).

In 1814 he accompanied the emperor to Elba , was his confidante during the Hundred Days , fought at his side at Waterloo , followed him with his family to St. Helena and stayed there until Napoleon's death. Although he was sentenced to death in Paris in 1816 , he was not extradited from England and in 1821 by Louis XVIII. rehabilitated on his return to France .

After the July Revolution he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies and joined the Liberal Party here. In 1834 he retired to his estate near Châteauroux. In 1840 he and Prince Joinville were sent to St. Helena to pick up the remains of Napoleon. Busy with the preparations for the publication of Napoleon's memoirs, he died on January 31, 1844 in Châteauroux.

Honors

His name is entered on the triumphal arch in Paris in the 14th column. To mark the transformation of Paris Invalides to the grave lay Napoleon Bertrand in 1847 there reburied .