Marie-Victor-Nicolas de Faÿ, Marquis de La Tour-Maubourg (22 May 1768 – 11 November 1850) was a French

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

commander under

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for "ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

before rising to prominence during the

First French Empire The First French Empire, officially the French Republic, then the French Empire (; Latin: ) after 1809, also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Eu ...

. Under the

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

, he served as a

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

and

parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

arian; after being created a

Marquis A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman wi ...

, he was also briefly in

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

Minister of War A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

between 1819 and 1821.

Early years and family

Of aristocratic descent, his father was Claude-Florimond de Faÿ,

comte ''Comte'' is the French, Catalan and Occitan form of the word 'count' (Latin: ''comes''); ''comté'' is the Gallo-Romance form of the word 'county' (Latin: ''comitatus''). Comte or Comté may refer to: * A count in French, from Latin ''comes'' * A ...

de Coisse (1712–1790) and his mother was Marie-Françoise (1712–1793), daughter of Nicolas de Vachon, marquis de Belmont. De Faÿ joined the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...

as a '' Sous-lieutenant'' in the

Gardes du Corps A ''Garde du Corps'' (French for lifeguard) is a military unit, formed of guards. A ''Garde du Corps'' was first established in France in 1445. From the 17th century onwards, the term was used in several German states and also, for example, in ...

. He was promoted

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

of the 3rd Chasseurs-à-Cheval Regiment, 5 February 1792, before serving at

Philippeville Philippeville (; wa, Flipveye) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Namur, Belgium. The Philippeville municipality includes the former municipalities of Fagnolle, Franchimont, Jamagne, Jamiolle, Merlemont, Ne ...

, Grisvelle and

Maubeuge Maubeuge (; historical nl, Mabuse or nl, Malbode; pcd, Maubeuche) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is situated on both banks of the Sambre (here canalized), east of Valenciennes and about from the Belgian border ...

. In August 1792, he was captured by the

Austrians , pop = 8–8.5 million , regions = 7,427,759 , region1 = , pop1 = 684,184 , ref1 = , region2 = , pop2 = 345,620 , ref2 = , region3 = , pop3 = 197,990 , ref3 ...

Rochefort Rochefort () may refer to: Places France * Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, in the Charente-Maritime department ** Arsenal de Rochefort, a former naval base and dockyard * Rochefort, Savoie in the Savoie department * Rochefort-du-Gard, in the Ga ...

, being taken prisoner with

Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (, ), was a French aristocrat, freemasonry, freemason and military officer who fought in the Ameri ...

. However, his release was quickly negotiated while his brother was eventually released only after the Treaty of

Campo-Formio The Treaty of Campo Formio (today Campoformido) was signed on 17 October 1797 (26 Vendémiaire VI) by Napoleon Bonaparte and Count Philipp von Cobenzl as representatives of the French Republic and the Austrian monarchy, respectively. The treaty ...

in 1797. De Faÿ then became an '' émigré'' living in

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

and

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

. In 1804 at

Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city and a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, pro ...

, Colonel de Faÿ married Pétronille van Rijssel (''later styled'' marquise de La Tour-Maubourg), who predeceased him on 17 July 1844. His elder brother,

Charles César de Fay de La Tour-Maubourg Marie-Charles-César de Faÿ, comte de la Tour-Maubourg (11 February 1757, at La Motte-de-Galaure, Drôme – 28 April 1831, in Paris) was a French soldier and politician during the French Revolution and the First French Empire. His father was Claud ...

was also a French Army general, and his younger brother,

Juste-Charles de la Tour-Maubourg Juste-Charles de Faÿ de la Tour-Maubourg (1774–1846) was a French aristocrat and fighter in the French Revolution. Revolution He was captured at Rochefort, Belgium, with his brothers, and Lafayette, and imprisoned by the Austrians, but was so ...

was married to Anastasie de La Fayette (1777–1863).

Egypt

At the end of 1799 de Faÿ returned to France and was posted to

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

by the

First Consul The Consulate (french: Le Consulat) was the top-level Government of France from the fall of the Directory in the coup of 18 Brumaire on 10 November 1799 until the start of the Napoleonic Empire on 18 May 1804. By extension, the term ''The Con ...

. There he served as '' Aide-de-Camp'' to General Jean Baptiste Kléber, who both received head wounds at

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

caused by an incendiary- device, 13 March 1801. After Kléber's assassination he was appointed AdC to General Jacques-Francois Menou.

Campaigns of 1805–1807

De Faÿ was present at the

Battle of Austerlitz The Battle of Austerlitz (2 December 1805/11 Frimaire An XIV FRC), also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of the most important and decisive engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle occurred near the town of Austerlitz in ...

and served in Germany under General

Édouard Jean Baptiste Milhaud Édouard Jean-Baptiste, comte Milhaud (10 July 1766 – 10 December 1833) was a French politician and ''Général de Division''. He is considered one of the best generals of cavalry of Napoleon's army. French Revolutionary wars Born in Arpaj ...

, commanding the 22nd Chasseurs-à-Cheval Regiment, part of Marshal Joachim Murat's Reserve Cavalry Corps; shortly afterwards, on

24 December Events Pre-1600 * 502 – Chinese emperor Xiao Yan names Xiao Tong his heir designate. * 640 – Pope John IV is elected, several months after his predecessor's death. * 759 – Tang dynasty poet Du Fu departs for Chengdu, wher ...

1805, he was appointed

Brigadier-General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

. He then served in the

War of the Fourth Coalition The Fourth Coalition fought against Napoleon's French Empire and were defeated in a war spanning 1806–1807. The main coalition partners were Prussia and Russia with Saxony, Sweden, and Great Britain also contributing. Excluding Prussia, s ...

during the Prussia and Poland campaigns, and fought at

Jena Jena () is a German city 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 inhabitants, while the city itself has a popu ...

. He was then seconded to the 3rd Dragoon Division under General Carrière de Beaumont's command. He was promoted '' Général de division'' on 14 May 1807 and commanded the 1st Dragoon Division at the

Battle of Heilsberg The Battle of Heilsberg took place on 10 June 1807, during the Napoleonic Wars. Overview On 24 May 1807, the Siege of Danzig (1807), Siege of Danzig ended when Kingdom of Prussia, Prussian General Friedrich Adolf, Count von Kalckreuth capitul ...

; he suffered battle wounds at Friedland, where his division was supporting the right flank of

Marshal Victor Claude-Victor Perrin, 1st Duke of Belluno (7 December 1764 – 1 March 1841) was a French soldier and military commander who served during both the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was made a Marshal of the Empire i ...

I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to: France * 1st Army Corps (France) * I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Arm ...

Spain and Russia

In 1808, de Faÿ commanded the cavalry of the

Armée du Midi The Army of the Midi (''Armée du Midi'') was a unit of the French army, stationed in the Midi region and created by royal decree of Louis XVI on 13 April 1792. The first leader of the army was Jacques Bernard d'Anselme. References 1792 e ...

under Marshals Jean-Baptiste Bessières, Claude Victor and Jean de Dieu Soult in the Spanish

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...

. He served at the Fall of Madrid, and at the battles of Uclés, Cuenca,

Medellín Medellín ( or ), officially the Municipality of Medellín ( es, Municipio de Medellín), is the second-largest city in Colombia, after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia. It is located in the Aburrá Valley, a central re ...

, Talavera, Ocana, Gebora,

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

Albuera La Albuera is a village southeast of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. it had a population of c. 2,000 inhabitants. History It was scene of the Battle of Albuera (16 May 1811) between Spanish, Portuguese and British troops under William Carr Beresf ...

, Usagre,

Elvas Elvas () is a Portuguese municipality, former episcopal city and frontier fortress of easternmost central Portugal, located in the district of Portalegre in Alentejo. It is situated about east of Lisbon, and about west of the Spanish fortress ...

, being wounded at

Villafranca Villafranca (Basque: ''Alesbes'') is a town and municipality located in the province and the autonomous community (Comunidad Foral) of Navarre, northern Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo ...

; one of his dispatches was intercepted and deciphered by the British. In May 1808, de Faÿ was created a

Baron de l'Empire As Emperor of the French, Napoleon I created titles of nobility to institute a stable elite in the First French Empire, after the instability resulting from the French Revolution. Like many others, both before and since, Napoleon found that t ...

in addition to his ancient family titles: they were

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

s of Coisse in

. Baron de Faÿ de La Tour-Maubourg was appointed General commanding the IV Cavalry Corps for Napoleon's March on Moscow. He was wounded at the

Battle of Borodino The Battle of Borodino (). took place near the village of Borodino on during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. The ' won the battle against the Imperial Russian Army but failed to gain a decisive victory and suffered tremendous losses. Napoleon ...

, was noted for his distinguished and gallant service at Mozhaysk leading France's Sacred Squadron, and having survived the retreat, later commanded the I Cavalry Corps at Bautzen,

Reichenbach Reichenbach may refer to: Places Austria * Reichenbach (Litschau), a part of Litschau * Reichenbach (Rappottenstein), a part of Rappottenstein Germany * Reichenbach (Oberlausitz), in Niederschlesischer Oberlausitzkreis district, Saxony * Rei ...

Goldberg Goldberg or Goldberger may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Goldberg Ensemble, a British string ensemble * ''Goldberg Variations'', a set of 30 keyboard variations by Johann Sebastian Bach * ''The Goldbergs (broadcast series)'', American radio ...

, Lutzen, and

Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth larg ...

. At Wachau, during the

Battle of Leipzig The Battle of Leipzig (french: Bataille de Leipsick; german: Völkerschlacht bei Leipzig, ); sv, Slaget vid Leipzig), also known as the Battle of the Nations (french: Bataille des Nations; russian: Битва народов, translit=Bitva ...

, Baron de Faÿ's 1st Cavalry Corps along with

François Étienne de Kellermann François Étienne de Kellermann, 2nd Duke of Valmy (4 August 1770 – 2 June 1835) was a French cavalry general noted for his daring and skillful exploits during the Napoleonic Wars. He was the son of François Christophe de Kellermann and the fa ...

's 3rd Cavalry Corps and the Empress' Dragoons charged the center of Eugen von Württemberg's line; the Duke of Württemberg's Imperial Russian Guards then counter-attacked, stabilizing their position. He lost a leg from the knee, famously stating when his valet wept upon sight of his injury: "What are you crying about, man, you have one less boot to polish". The amputation was administered by the celebrated French Army surgeon,

Baron Dominique-Jean Larrey Baron Dominique Jean Larrey (; 8 July 1766 – 25 July 1842) was a French surgeon and military doctor, who distinguished himself in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. An important innovator in battlefield medicine and triage, ...

, who noted in his memoirs:

"he 'de Faÿ''was hit by a small caliber ball which smashed his right knee to pieces, a serious wound which required amputation below the thigh, requested by the casualty himself: I immediately practised it under enemy fire. It was completed in less than three minutes".

Restoration of the Monarchy

With the restoration of the Bourbons he swore allegiance to

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. He spent twenty-three years in ...

and his loyalty to the king during the

Hundred Days The Hundred Days (french: les Cent-Jours ), also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition, marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on20 March 1815 and the second restoration ...

was rewarded by being created a ''

Pair de France The Peerage of France (french: Pairie de France) was a hereditary distinction within the French nobility which appeared in 1180 in the Middle Ages. The prestigious title and position of Peer of France (french: Pair de France, links=no) was ...

'', 1814 and advanced as

in 1817. De Faÿ served in several diplomatic posts, including appointment as Ambassador to London in 1819, where he corresponded with Lord Castlereagh. He was briefly

(November 1819 – December 1821), and Governor of

Les Invalides The Hôtel des Invalides ( en, "house of invalids"), commonly called Les Invalides (), is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as ...

(December 1821), as well as sitting on the Tribunal which sentenced the French Marshal Prince Michel Ney to death. In August 1831, he commenced negotiations with the Belgians (his wife's family was Flemish) regarding frontier forts, before the British intervened.

Honours and titles

Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...

de l'Empire * Crown of a Marquis of France

de France * Ordre Imperial de la Reunion Chevalier ribbon

Grand-croix, Ordre de la Réunion * Legion Honneur GC ribbon

Grand-croix,

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

Ordre Royal et Militaire de Saint-Louis Chevalier ribbon

Grand-croix,

Ordre de Saint-Louis The Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis (french: Ordre Royal et Militaire de Saint-Louis) is a dynastic order of chivalry founded 5 April 1693 by King Louis XIV, named after Saint Louis (King Louis IX of France). It was intended as a rewar ...

Chevalier, Ordre de Malte * Ordre du Saint-Esprit Chevalier ribbon

Chevalier, Ordre du Saint-Esprit.

External links

Terry J. Senior, "The Top Twenty French Cavalry Commanders: #11. General Marie-Victor-Nicolas de Faÿ de La Tour-Maubourg"''General Marie-Victor-Nicolas de Faÿ de La Tour-Maubourg'', VirtualArcNational Portrait Gallery, London''NPG D15780, Marie Victor Nicolas de Faÿ de La Tour-Maubourg'', National Portrait Gallery, London''Napoleon and the Grand Army in Russia, Or A Critical Examination of the Work of Count Ph. de Ségur'', Gaspard Gourgaud''History of the Expedition to Russia, Undertaken by the Emperor Napoleon in the Year 1812'', Philippe-Paul SégurBiographie des célébrités militaires des armées de terre et de mer de 1789 à 1850

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:La Tour-Maubourg, Marie Victor De Fay, Marquis De 1768 births 1850 deaths People from Drôme People of the French Revolution French commanders of the Napoleonic Wars French generals Cavalry commanders French Ministers of War 19th-century French diplomats Politicians of the Bourbon Restoration Barons of the First French Empire French marquesses Members of the Chamber of Peers of the Bourbon Restoration Peers of France Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Louis Recipients of the Legion of Honour Knights of Malta Ambassadors of France to the United Kingdom Names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe