Henri-Antoine Jardon

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Henri-Antoine Jardon (born February 3, 1768 in Verviers , † March 25, 1809 in Guimarães ) was a French général de brigade of the infantry .

Life

Jardon was the youngest of nine children of the administrative officer Henri A. Jardon and his wife Elisabeth L. Sechehaye. Enthusiastic about the ideals of the revolution , he joined the army in 1789. He was able to distinguish himself through bravery in fights in Austria and later in Belgium and quickly made a career. When the Belgian Legion was set up in Givet on April 27, 1792 , he was able to join it with the rank of captain .

He later served on General Charles-François Dumouriez's staff and was promoted to general with effect from March 23, 1794. As a result he had several commands under André Masséna and Jean-Victor Moreau and took part in campaigns a. a. to Graubünden . After the Treaty of Lunéville (November 9, 1801) he returned to France.

He turned down an offer from General Joachim Murat to join his Italian army. From 1808 he was involved in the Napoleonic Wars in Spain. From there he went to Portugal under the orders of Marshal Nicolas Jean-de-Dieu Soult . He fought u. a. near Braga (March 20, 1809) and Negrelos (March 25, 1809). In the latter Jardon fell; At the age of 41 he died on March 25, 1809 in Guimarães, where he also found his final resting place.

Honors

• June 14, 1804 Commander of the Legion of Honor
• His name can be found on the western pillar (38th column) of the triumphal arch on Place Charles-de-Gaulle ( Paris ).

literature

• David Chandler: The campaigns of Napoleon . Weidenfeld, London 1993, ISBN 0-297-81367-6 (reprint of the London 1966 edition).
• Kevin F. Kiley: Once there were titans. Napoleon's generals and their battles. 1800-1815 . Greenhill, London 2007, ISBN 978-1-85367-710-6 .
• Charles Mullié: Biography of the célébrités militaires des armées de terre et de mer de 1789 à 1850 . Poignavant, Paris 1952 (2 vols.).