
Sylvain-Charles, comte Valée (17 December 1773 – 16 August 1846), born in
Brienne-le-Château
Brienne-le-Château () is a commune in the Aube department in north-central France. It is located from the right bank of the river Aube and 26 miles northeast of Troyes.
History
It was the centre of the medieval County of Brienne, whose lo ...
, was a
Marshal of France
Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...
.
Service in the revolutionary and Napoleonic wars
Upon the outbreak of the
French Revolution, Valée enlisted in the French revolutionary army and was sent to serve in the ''Army of the Nord''. Promoted to captain in 1795 he fought in the Rhine campaign of 1799-1800 including fighting at
Hohenlinden. By1804 he was lieutenant colonel.
When the
war of the third coalition
The War of the Third Coalition () was a European conflict lasting from 1805 to 1806 and was the first conflict of the Napoleonic Wars. During the war, First French Empire, France and French client republic, its client states under Napoleon I an ...
broke out in 1805 he was the inspector general of the train of the artillery reserve of the
Grande Armée
The (; ) was the primary field army of the French Imperial Army (1804–1815), French Imperial Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Commanded by Napoleon, from 1804 to 1808 it won a series of military victories that allowed the First French Empi ...
in this role he fought at
Ulm,
Austerlitz and
Jena
Jena (; ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Germany and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 in ...
, distinguishing himself at Jena. In November 1806 Valée was made chief of staff of artillery of the Grande Armée.Valée was made colonel in a few months later along with command of the
1st Artillery Regiment which he led in the 1808 campaigning season.
In 1809, Valée was sent to
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
seeing service at the
siege of Zaragoza before being made commander of the artillery of the III Corps in
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, where he distinguished himself in the sieges of
Lleida
Lleida (, ; ; '' see below'') is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital and largest town in Segrià county, the Ponent region and the province of Lleida. Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It ...
,
Tarragona
Tarragona (, ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in Catalonia (Spain). It is the capital and largest town of Tarragonès county, the Camp de Tarragona region and the province of Tarragona. Geographically, it is located on the Costa Daurada ar ...
,
Tortosa
Tortosa (, ) is the capital of the '' comarca'' of Baix Ebre, in Catalonia, Spain.
Tortosa is located at above sea level, by the Ebro river, protected on its northern side by the mountains of the Cardó Massif, of which Buinaca, one of the hi ...
and
Valencia
Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...
. In 1811 Valée was promoted to ''général de division'' and in 1814
Napoléon
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led a series of mi ...
created him a count.
With the restoration of the
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a dynasty that originated in the Kingdom of France as a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Kingdom of Navarre, Navarre in the 16th century. A br ...
to the throne of France, Valée was made Inspector-General of the artillery. Although Napoléon upon his return from
Elba
Elba (, ; ) is a Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park, a ...
made him commander of the artillery of the 5th military division.
Under the restored Bourbons
After the failure of the
Waterloo campaign
The Waterloo campaign, also known as the Belgian campaign (15 June – 8 July 1815) was fought between the French Army of the North (France), Army of the North and two War of the Seventh Coalition, Seventh Coalition armies, an Anglo-allied arm ...
and the second restoration, Valée was retained by
Louis XVIII
Louis XVIII (Louis Stanislas Xavier; 17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824), known as the Desired (), was King of France from 1814 to 1824, except for a brief interruption during the Hundred Days in 1815. Before his reign, he spent 23 y ...
as Inspector-General of the artillery. In this position he reorganized the French artillery, implementing the "
Valée system". He was put on the non active list in September 1830.
July revolution and service in Algeria
The
July revolution
The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution (), Second French Revolution, or ("Three Glorious ays), was a second French Revolution after French Revolution, the first of 1789–99. It led to the overthrow of King Cha ...
saw another change in government in France, some years later Valée was made a
Peer of France
The Peerage of France () was a hereditary distinction within the French nobility which appeared in 1180 during the Middle Ages.
The prestigious title and position of Peer of France () was held by the greatest, highest-ranking members of the Fr ...
in 1835. In 1837 when the need arose for an experienced artillery general, Valée was reinstated on the active service list and sent to
Algeria
Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
.
He commanded the artillery in the expedition against
Constantine, and after the death of the army's commander, general
Charles-Marie Denys de Damrémont
Charles-Marie Denys, comte de Damrémont (8 February 1783 – 12 October 1837) was a French general and military governor of French Algeria. He was killed in combat during the siege of Constantine.
Early life
Charles-Marie Denys was born in Chaum ...
, Valée took over command and captured the city the following day, a feat which gained him the Marshal's baton.
Valée founded
Skikda
Skikda (; formerly Philippeville from 1838 to 1962 and Rusicade in ancient times) is a city in northeastern Algeria and a port on the Mediterranean. It is the capital of Skikda Province and Skikda District.
History
The Phoenicians and Carthagi ...
, and built the largest
Roman theatre in Algeria in the town. It was built upon the
ruin
Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate ...
s of ancient Roman and Phoenician history.
Valée was then made governor-general and in 1839 organised the
Iron Gates expedition this restarted the war between France and
Abd-el-Kader. While victorious in some minor engagements, around
Boufarik and the Mouzaïa pass he oversaw French forces occupying
Cherchell
Cherchell () is a town on Algeria's Mediterranean coast, west of Algiers. It is the seat of Cherchell District in Tipaza Province. Under the names Iol and Caesarea, it was formerly a Roman colony and the capital of the kingdoms of Numidia ...
,
Medea
In Greek mythology, Medea (; ; ) is the daughter of Aeëtes, King Aeëtes of Colchis. Medea is known in most stories as a sorceress, an accomplished "wiktionary:φαρμακεία, pharmakeía" (medicinal magic), and is often depicted as a high- ...
and
Miliana. But these did not quell the uprising and in fact only gave the French greater garrisoning requirements that complicated their task in suppressing Abd el-kader's insurgency. In 1840 Valée was replaced by
General Bugeaud, who would take a different strategy to Valéé. While Valéé had focused on subduing major population centres, focusing on large calibre artillery, Bugeaud focused on lighter forces often equipped with more mobile
mountain gun
Mountain guns are artillery pieces designed for mountain warfare and other areas where wheeled transport is not possible. They are generally capable of being taken apart to make smaller loads for transport by horses, humans, mules, tractors, or ...
s it was with such innovations in tactics that Bugeaud brought the conquest to a conclusion.
Count Valéé died in 1846 in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
.
Valéé's name is inscribed on the west pilar of the
Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile, often called simply the Arc de Triomphe, is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France, standing at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Plac ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valee, Sylvain Charles
Marshals of France
1773 births
1846 deaths
Counts of France
French military personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars
French military personnel of the Napoleonic Wars
Peers of France
Names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe
Governors general of Algeria