Auguste Michel Étienne Regnaud de Saint-Jean d'Angély, later 2nd Count Regnaud de Saint-Jean d'Angély (30 July 1794 – 1 February 1870), 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) ...

, soldier and politician.

Biography

Auguste was the illegitimate son of Michel-Louis-Étienne, Count Regnaud de Saint-Jean d'Angély, and of his mistress Marie-Louise Chenié, who died shortly after his birth, he was recognised by his father some months later and adopted by the latter's wife in 1795. Regnaud served as a lieutenant in a regiment of hussars during the campaign of Saxe in 1813. He fought at the

Battle of Leipzig The Battle of Leipzig, also known as the Battle of the Nations, was fought from 16 to 19 October 1813 at Leipzig, Saxony. The Coalition armies of Austria, Prussia, Sweden, and Russia, led by Tsar Alexander I, Karl von Schwarzenberg, and G ...

, after which he became a member of Emperor

Napoleon 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 Military career ...

's personal military staff. As he had served as a personal ''officier d'ordonnance'' to the Emperor at Waterloo, he was dismissed from the army by the Restoration government with the rank of lieutenant. In 1825, he went to

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

, fought in the

war of independence Wars of national liberation, also called wars of independence or wars of liberation, are conflicts fought by nations to gain independence. The term is used in conjunction with wars against foreign powers (or at least those perceived as foreign) ...

and was in charge of the instruction of a cavalry corps in the new Greek army. In 1828, he took part in the Morea expedition of the French army as an interpreter. He was promoted to the rank of captain in 1829. During the

July Monarchy The July Monarchy (), officially the ''Kingdom of France'' (), was a liberalism, liberal constitutional monarchy in France under , starting on 9 August 1830, after the revolutionary victory of the July Revolution of 1830, and ending 26 Februar ...

, Regnaud de Saint-Jean d'Angély served as a colonel in the expedition to

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

. He was promoted to ''général de brigade'' in 1841 and to ''général de division'' in 1849. In 1848, he was elected deputy and sat on the right. In 1851, he served for a fortnight as minister of war. In 1852, he backed Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte and, as a reward, he was made a senator for life. Under the Second Empire, he went through the

Crimean Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrai ...

and Italian campaigns, and ultimately was created

in 1859 for bravery at the

Battle of Magenta The Battle of Magenta was fought on 4 June 1859 near the town of Magenta in the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia, a crown land of the Austrian Empire, during the Second Italian War of Independence. It resulted in a French-Sardinian victory under ...

Family

Marshal Regnaud de Saint-Jean d'Angély married Anne-Angélique Ruby, who bore him no children. He adopted her daughter from a previous marriage, Flore-Angélique Regnaud de Saint-Jean d'Angély. Since his father never married his mother (who died some months after the redaction of a marriage contract), Regnaud de Saint-Jean d'Angély had not been able to succeed to his title of count. Notwithstanding, Napoléon III granted him the title again in November 1864, with the special permission to pass it at his death to the husband of his adoptive daughter, Edmond Davillier. The latter took the surname "Davillier-Regnaud de Saint-Jean-d'Angély" and was confirmed in the succession of the title of count at the death of his father-in-law. However, it became extinct at his own death in 1908 since he had only a daughter from his marriage with the Marshal's stepdaughter. Marshal Regnaud de Saint-Jean d'Angély died in

Cannes Cannes (, ; , ; ) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions Internatio ...

in 1870 and was buried in the ''Hôtel des Invalides'' in Paris.

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Regnaud de Saint-Jean dAngely, Auguste 1794 births 1870 deaths Politicians from Paris Counts of the First French Empire Bonapartists Ministers of war of France Members of the 1848 Constituent Assembly Members of the National Legislative Assembly of the French Second Republic Members of Parliament for Charente-Maritime French senators of the Second Empire French general councillors Marshals of France French military personnel of the Napoleonic Wars French philhellenes in the Greek War of Independence French military personnel of the Crimean War Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Médaille militaire (France) Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus