Gabriel Venance Rey or Antoine Gabriel Rey (24 July 1763 – 20 April 1836) was a

general officer A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED O ...

in the army of France during the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted French First Republic, France against Ki ...

. He led a division under

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

in the Italian campaign of 1796-1797. He later fought in Italy and retired from military service in 1820.

War of the First Coalition

Born on 24 July 1763, Rey joined the old royal army of

Louis XIV of France , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Versa ...

and became a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

in 1791. He was promoted

general of division Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French (Revolutionary) System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corp ...

of 17 July 1793. He fought in the

War in the Vendée The war in the Vendée (french: link=no, Guerre de Vendée) was a counter-revolution from 1793 to 1796 in the Vendée region of France during the French Revolution. The Vendée is a coastal region, located immediately south of the river Loir ...

, taking command of the ''

Army of the Coasts of Brest The Army of the Coasts of Brest (french: Armée des côtes de Brest) was a French Revolutionary Army formed on 30 April 1793 by splitting the '' Army of the Coasts'' into this army and the '' Army of the Coasts of Cherbourg''. The formation was f ...

'' from

Lazare Hoche Louis Lazare Hoche (; 24 June 1768 – 19 September 1797) was a French military leader of the French Revolutionary Wars. He won a victory over Royalist forces in Brittany. His surname is one of the names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe, on ...

on 10 September 1795. His tenure lasted until 23 December that year when he was replaced by

Gabriel Marie Joseph, comte d'Hédouville In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብ� ...

. In January 1797, his division covered the western side of

Lake Garda Lake Garda ( it, Lago di Garda or ; lmo, label=Eastern Lombard, Lach de Garda; vec, Ƚago de Garda; la, Benacus; grc, Βήνακος) is the largest lake in Italy. It is a popular holiday location in northern Italy, about halfway between ...

during the fourth

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...

attempt to raise the Siege of Mantua. Summoned to the east by Bonaparte, some of his troops marched and others crossed the lake by boat to fight at the

Battle of Rivoli The Battle of Rivoli (14–15 January 1797) was a key victory in the French campaign in Italy against Austria. Napoleon Bonaparte's 23,000 Frenchmen defeated an attack of 28,000 Austrians under General of the Artillery Jozsef Alvinczi, en ...

on 14 January. Arriving in the afternoon, Rey's soldiers helped eliminate Franz Joseph, Marquis de Lusignan's isolated Austrian column south of the main battlefield. The following day, he assisted Barthélemy Joubert in mopping up the shattered Austrian army, capturing large numbers of prisoners. His 4,156-man division included the brigades of

Joachim Murat Joachim Murat ( , also , ; it, Gioacchino Murati; 25 March 1767 – 13 October 1815) was a French military commander and statesman who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. Under the French Empire he received the ...

Louis Baraguey d'Hilliers Louis Baraguey d'Hilliers (13 August 1764 – 6 January 1813) was a French Army general who fought in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was the father of Achille Baraguey d'Hilliers, a Marshal of France, and the father-in- ...

, and Antoine Joseph Veaux.

War of the Second Coalition

Rey's portrait identifies him as commandant of the advance guard of the '' Army of Naples''.See portrait. He carried out the Siege of Gaeta with 4,000 troops in 1799.

Gaeta Gaeta (; lat, Cāiēta; Southern Laziale: ''Gaieta'') is a city in the province of Latina, in Lazio, Southern Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is from Rome and from Naples. The town has played a consp ...

's 3,600-man Neapolitan garrison surrendered to him on 5 January 1799. Gabriel Rey retired from the army in 1820 and died on 20 April 1836.

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References

* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rey, Gabriel Venance People from Millau 1763 births 1836 deaths French generals Knights of the Order of Saint Louis Commandeurs of the Légion d'honneur French military personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars Military leaders of the French Revolutionary Wars Republican military leaders of the War in the Vendée French Republican military leaders of the French Revolutionary Wars French military personnel of the Napoleonic Wars