Armand Alexandre Castagny ( Vannes 30 November 1807 – 13 November 1900 Belle Île) was a French general.

Military life

Beginning of his military career

As a lieutenant, Armand Alexander de Castagny was at the French siege of

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

in 1832. He later served in

Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...

. During the Second Empire, he fought in all of the Napoleonic Wars. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel at the start of the Easter Wars; he became a colonel of light infantry and he participated at the attack on Crimea in the Battle of Chernaya. He was awarded numerous distinctions and decorations after this conflict. As a Brigade General in Italy, he was given the second regiment of

Zouave The Zouaves were a class of light infantry regiments of the French Army serving between 1830 and 1962 and linked to French North Africa; as well as some units of other countries modelled upon them. The zouaves were among the most decorated unit ...

s and the Foreign Legion. During the

Battle of Magenta The Battle of Magenta was fought on 4 June 1859 during the Second Italian War of Independence, resulting in a French-Sardinian victory under Napoleon III against the Austrians under Marshal Ferencz Gyulai. It took place near the town of Magenta ...

he was with General Espinasse, who died by his side.

In Mexico

In Mexico he served in the siege of Puebla. he also marched towards

Monterrey Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is anchor ...

, then through the

Sierra Madre Oriental The Sierra Madre Oriental () is a mountain range in northeastern Mexico. The Sierra Madre Oriental is part of the American Cordillera, a chain of mountain ranges (cordillera) that consists of an almost continuous sequence of mountain ranges that f ...

towards Mazatlán. Having become general of division (1864),

Maximilian I Maximilian I may refer to: *Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, reigned 1486/93–1519 *Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria, reigned 1597–1651 *Maximilian I, Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1636-1689) *Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, reigned 1795� ...

put him in charge of the "Great Command of the Northwest" and was sent as a forlorn hope troop to Sonora and Sinaloa. He burned the city of

San Sebastián San Sebastian, officially known as Donostia–San Sebastián (names in both local languages: ''Donostia'' () and ''San Sebastián'' ()) is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality located in the Basque Country (autonomous community), B ...

and shot the rebel

Nicolás Romero Nicolás Romero (born in Nopala, Hidalgo, 6 December 1827; died in Mexico City, 11 March 1865) was a Mexican military figure. He had agricultural and textile businesses in what is the modern-day state of Hidalgo. Upon the outbreak of the Reform Wa ...

and his companions.

In Europe

In 1870, Castagny became Commander of a division of the 3rd Corps of Infantry. At Forbach, in the midst of Frossard's mistakes and Bazaine's inaction, he was the one who fought to free the 2nd corps. He was locked up in Metz with the Army of the Rhine, and showed cold-bloodedness and courage at the

Battle of Borny–Colombey The Battle of Borny–Colombey or the Battle of Colombey-Nouilly took place on 14 August 1870 as part of the Franco-Prussian War. During the battle the escape route of the French army under François Bazaine was blocked when the French encoun ...

, where he was seriously wounded. After returning from captivity, Castagny was assigned to the second section of the General Staff in France in 1872 and then retired in 1878. He retired first to the region of Nantes and then to Paris, before moving definitely to a hotel room in Belle-Île-en-Mer.

Death

He died in 1900 in his bed, in his hometown of Vannes ( Morbihan) at the age of 93, after a 43-year military career.

Military distinctions

Knight of the Order of the Legion of Honor (October 21, 1838); Officer (April 11, 1850); Commander (June 12, 1856); Grand Officer (August 15, 1860).

Commemorative medal of the 1859 Italian Campaign The Commemorative medal of the 1859 Italian Campaign (french: Médaille commémorative de la campagne d'Italie de 1859) was a French commemorative medal established by Napoleon III, following the 1859 French campaign in Italy during the Second I ...

(October 18, 1859).

Commemorative medal of the Mexico Expedition The Commemorative medal of the Mexico Expedition (french: Médaille commémorative de l'expédition du Mexique) was a French commemorative campaign medal established by decree of French emperor Napoleon III on 29 August 1863 to recognize milita ...

(April 21, 1864). Knight-Companion of the Order of the Bath (April 26, 1856). Crimea Medal (December 31, 1856). Commander of the Order of the Medjidie (March 1856). Medal of Military Valor of Sardinia (January 15, 1857) Commander of the

Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus ( it, Ordine dei Santi Maurizio e Lazzaro) (abbreviated OSSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the wo ...

(February 29, 1860). Grand Cross of the Order of Our Lady of Guadalupe (April 10, 1866).

References

* Caraës Jean-François, ''Le général de Castagny (1807–1900), servir dans l'armée française sous le second empire'', Paris, L'Harmattan, collection "Chemins de la mémoire", 2000. {{DEFAULTSORT:Castagny, Armand Alexandre de 1807 births 1900 deaths People from Vannes French generals French military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War