Pierre Watier

Pierre Wathier de Saint-Alphonse

Pierre Watier (also Wathier) comte de Saint-Alphonse (born September 4, 1770 in Laon , † February 3, 1846 in Paris ) was a Général de division of the French army .

Life

He joined a cavalry regiment as a sous-lieutenant in 1792 and, after participating in the first campaigns of the First Coalition War with the "Armée du Nord" and the Armée du Rhin, was promoted to chief d'escadron and to the staff of General Lasalle offset. Then Watier was promoted to chief de brigade and appointed commander of the 4 ^e régiment de dragons (4th Dragoon Regiment).

In 1800 he was in the War of the Second Coalition in the Division of General Barbou used during the campaign in Germany. Here he received a personal commendation after the battle near Adorf on December 18. Once again he distinguished himself in the battle of Ulm when, on October 7, 1805, at the head of 200 dragoons, he blocked the path of an enemy corps and repulsed it. During the battle of dürenstein he fell into Austrian captivity . After his exchange, Napoleon made him one of his adjutants . Because of his services in the Battle of Austerlitz , he was promoted to Général de brigade on December 24, 1805 .

In the Fourth Coalition War Watier fought in the battle of Jena and Auerstedt and distinguished himself again in the battle near Saalfeld , where he led a cavalry attack. This earned him a mention in the Bulletin de la Grande Armée . On May 14, 1807, after the Peace of Tilsit , he was appointed commander of the Legion of Honor .

In 1808 Watier fought in the Spanish War of Independence , where he contributed to the success at Burgos . On October 25, 1808, detachments of the army of Général Castaños occupied Viana and Lerín . The Marechal de France , Moncey saw himself threatened in some of his positions and ordered the brigades of Generals Mabert and Razot - including the cavalry of General Watier to attack the offensive movement of the Spaniards and push them back to their starting positions. The Spaniards, who initially attacked with vigor, were stopped and repulsed. Lerin was retaken and 1200 Spaniards of the occupation had to lay down their arms.

On August 8, 1811, Watier was promoted to Général de division, and appointed "comte de l'Empire" (Imperial Count). Then he returned to France to take part in the campaign to Russia . After the withdrawal of the Grande Armée and the associated fighting , Wartier did not lay down his sword until 1814 after the surrender of Paris. During the first restoration , King Louis XVIII awarded him . the Ordre royal et militaire de Saint-Louis . After Napoleon's return during the reign of the Hundred Days , he gave him command of the "5 ^e division de cavalerie" (5th Cavalry Division) of the Northern Army, with which he went to the battle of Waterloo .

After the end of the empire and the beginning of the second restoration, he was without command and was initially placed on half pay. Then he was employed by the royal administration, where he was given the post of "Inspecteur-général" (inspector general) of the gendarmerie . In May 1812 he was appointed Grand-Officier of the Legion of Honor. Eventually, he retired and moved to his castle, Château de Vimer in the Orne department . There he suffered a stroke on February 2, 1840 and died in Paris on February 3, 1846.

In 1811 he married the sister of the future Minister of the Navy, Ange René Armand de Mackau , who was one of the ladies-in-waiting of the Empress Joséphine .

His name was immortalized in the Arc de Triomphe . He is as WATHIER in the 12th column on the east pillar at the bottom.

Awards

• Commander of the Legion of Honor
• Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor
• Knight of the Ordre royal et militaire de Saint-Louis

literature

• Charles Mullié "Biography of the célébrités militaires des armées de terre et de mer de 1789 à 1850" - Poignavant et Cie 1852