Jean-François-Madeleine de Gentil (8March 178929March 1852) was a French officer who participated to the

French conquest of Algeria The French conquest of Algeria (; ) took place between 1830 and 1903. In 1827, an argument between Hussein Dey, the ruler of the Regency of Algiers, and the French consul (representative), consul escalated into a blockade, following which the Jul ...

Family

Jean-François Gentil is the son of Louis-Français de Gentil who was squire and lord of Artaise-le-Vivier, and was a former officer in the 1st Infantry Regiment. His mother is the named Alexisse-Edmée de Meaux d'Armonville whom his father married and from whom he had nine children. His father emigrated to France during the year 1792 with three of his sons, including Jean-François Gentil, with whom he campaigned in the

Armée des Émigrés The Armée des Émigrés ( English: ''Army of the Émigrés'') were counter-revolutionary armies raised outside France by and out of royalist émigrés, with the aim of overthrowing the First French Republic and restoring the monarchy. These we ...

Military training

Jean-François Gentil was admitted to the

École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr The École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr (, , abbr. ESM) is a French military academy, and is often referred to as Saint-Cyr (). It is located in Coëtquidan in Guer, Morbihan, Brittany. Its motto is ''Ils s'instruisent pour vaincre'', litera ...

on 29 December 1808, from which he left on 27 July 1809 as a Sub-lieutenant in the "1er régiment de chasseurs-conscrits", which then became the "3e régiment de voltigeurs de la Garde impériale" of the "Jeune Garde".

Military campaigns in Europe

Campaign and siege of Germany and Austria (1809)

As a sub-lieutenant in the "1er régiment de chasseurs-conscrits", he took part in the 1809 military campaign in Germany.

Campaign of Napoleon I in Spain (1810–1811)

The sub-lieutenant that he was then in the same regiment also participated in the two military campaigns of 1810 and 1811 during the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...

. Thus, after his return from

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

, Gentil then reinforced the army corps that roamed the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...

, and he distinguished himself at the Siege of Astorga in the

Kingdom of León The Kingdom of León was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in 910 when the Christian princes of Kingdom of Asturias, Asturias along the Bay of Biscay, northern coast of the peninsula ...

from 21 March 1810. Gentil therefore took part in this siege that history considers one of the finest feats of arms of the Spanish Civil War.

First military promotion

On 6 December 1811, he was appointed as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

officer in the "Régiment des flanqueurs-chasseurs" of the "Jeune garde". On 15 December of the same year, he became lieutenant adjutant-major of the "1er régiment de voltigeurs" of the same weapon.

French invasion of Russia (1812)

Lieutenant Jean-François Gentil was part with the "1st regiment of voltigeurs" of the

military campaign A military campaign is large-scale long-duration significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of interrelated military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war. The term derives from th ...

of 1812 in Russia. His feet froze during the fighting, and he lost the big toe of his right foot and two phalanges of two other fingers.

German campaign of 1813

After being promoted to the rank of Adjutant Major on 8 April 1813, he then took part in the

German campaign of 1813 The German campaign () was fought in 1813. Members of the Sixth Coalition, including the German states of Austria and Prussia, plus Russia and Sweden, fought a series of battles in Germany against the French Emperor Napoleon, his marshals, and th ...

. He distinguished himself by his bravery and his fight in the

Battle of Dresden The Battle of Dresden (26–27 August 1813) was a major engagement of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle took place around the city of Dresden in modern-day Germany. With the recent addition of Austria, the Sixth Coalition felt emboldened in t ...

, where he was shot in the left arm. As a reward for his heroic conduct on this day of 26 August 1813, he received as a gratuity the medal of the cross of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

Campaign in north-east France (1814)

Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier-Campagne de France

Captain Gentil actively participated in the French campaign led by the

Sixth Coalition Sixth is the ordinal form of the number six. * The Sixth Amendment, to the U.S. Constitution * A keg of beer, equal to 5 U.S. gallons or barrel * The fraction A fraction (from , "broken") represents a part of a whole or, more generally, ...

against the

First French Empire The First French Empire or French Empire (; ), also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It lasted from ...

, which took place from late December 1813 to April 1814. While

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 ...

was trying to stop the invasion of France and keep his throne, Captain Gentil was shot in the head in the

Épinal Épinal (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in northeastern France and the prefecture of the Vosges (department), Vosges Departments of France, department. Geography The commune has a land area of . It is situated on the river Moselle, so ...

affair dated 11 January 1814.

Hundred Days (1815)

During the reorganization of the French Army, he was incorporated with his rank of captain in the 3rd line infantry regiment. It was then that in the

Hundred Days The Hundred Days ( ), 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 of King Louis XVIII o ...

period during 1815, he passed to the 4th regiment of voltigeurs of the new and young imperial guard. He actively participated with this regiment in the campaign of the Army of the North during the spring of 1815.

First transitional phase (1815–1816)

The captain Gentil was dismissed and put on non-working leave on 22 September 22, 1815 for a period of a whole year. The following year when the departmental legions were created in France, Gentil was admitted as captain of the Eure legion on 20 November 1816.

Garde royale (1819)

In 1819, Marshal

Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr, 1st Marquis of Gouvion-Saint-Cyr (; 13 April 1764 – 17 March 1830) was a French military leader of the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was a made a Marshal of the Empire in 1812 by Empero ...

wanted to modify the organization and the military spirit of the French royal guard. He then appointed Captain Gentil with several former officers of the Empire to be incorporated into this corps. This is how Gentil passed with his rank of captain in the 4th regiment of the royal guard.

Second transitional phase (1828–1832)

Captain Gentil was included in the Royal Guard's dismissal list and was put on leave pay in 1828. He was not recalled to military activity until 8 November 1832 when he was appointed as battalion commander in the 49th line infantry regiment.

French conquest of Algeria (1832–1847)

Promoted to the rank of

Maréchal de camp ''Maréchal de camp'' (sometimes incorrectly translated as field marshal) was a general officer rank used by the French Army until 1848. The rank originated from the older rank of sergeant major general ( French: ''sergent-major général'') ...

, General Gentil was appointed at the beginning of 1844 to command the military subdivision and the territory of

Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...

in Mitidja. This is how he took part in February 1846 in the expedition against the tribes of Khachna Massif within

Kabylia Kabylia or Kabylie (; in Kabyle: Tamurt n leqbayel; in Tifinagh: ⵜⴰⵎⵓⵔⵜ ⵏ ⵍⴻⵇⴱⴰⵢⴻⵍ; ), meaning "Land of the Tribes" is a mountainous coastal region in northern Algeria and the homeland of the Kabyle people. It is ...

and contributed powerfully to the success of the murderous fight of Ouarez-Eddin, which resulted in obtaining the submission of the Flissa tribe.

Promotion to the rank of Major General (1848)

Jean-François Gentil was promoted to the rank of major general on 17 August 1848.

Awards

Jean-François Gentil was decorated with several medals during his military career, including: * Knight of the ''

Order of Saint Louis The Royal and Military Order of 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 reward for exceptional officers, notable as the fi ...

''. * Officer of the ''

'' by decree dated 13 April 1846. * Officer of the '' Order of Leopold'' by Belgian royal decree dated 10 July 1847.

Death

General Gentil died in the city of Paris on 29 March 1852 at the age of 63 and was buried in one of his cemeteries. The cause of his sudden death was due to the fact that he succumbed to an

apoplexy Apoplexy () refers to the rupture of an internal organ and the associated symptoms. Informally or metaphorically, the term ''apoplexy'' is associated with being furious, especially as "apoplectic". Historically, it described what is now known as a ...

in his family home.

Bibliography

* * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gentil, Jean-François 1789 births 1852 deaths People from Saint-Cyr-l'École French Army officers French Algeria 1830s in Algeria Order of Saint Louis recipients Knights of the Order of Saint Louis Recipients of the Order of Leopold II Grand Officers of the Order of Leopold II Grand Officers of the Legion of Honour