general officer A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted French First Republic, France against Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Habsb ...

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

French Royal Army The French Royal Army () was the principal land force of the Kingdom of France. It served the Bourbon dynasty from the reign of Louis XIV in the mid-17th century to that of Charles X in the 19th, with an interlude from 1792 to 1814 and another du ...

Vendée Vendée () is a department in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France, on the Atlantic coast. In 2019, it had a population of 685,442.Adjutant General on two army staffs. In 1798 he was promoted to general of brigade for distinguished actions in Italy. In 1800, Musnier led a brigade at Marengo. After a period of relative inactivity in which he was promoted to

general of division Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French Revolutionary System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corps ...

, he was sent to command a division in Spain. He fought under

Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey (or Jannot de Moncey), 1st duc de Conegliano (31 July 1754 – 20 April 1842) was a French military officer and a prominent commander in the French Revolutionary Wars and later a Marshal of the Empire during the Napo ...

and

Jean-Andoche Junot Jean-Andoche Junot, Duke of Abrantes (; 25 September 1771 – 29 July 1813) was a French military officer who served in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He is best known for leading the French invasion of Portugal in 1807. ...

. In 1809

Louis Gabriel Suchet Louis-Gabriel Suchet, duc d' Albuféra (; 2 March 1770 – 3 January 1826), was a French Marshal of the Empire and one of the most successful commanders of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He is regarded as one of the greatest ...

took command of the corps and led it to a remarkable string of victories. During this period Musnier commanded his division in numerous engagements. In January 1814, he transferred to eastern France to fight the Austrians who were on the verge of capturing

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

. He carried out a successful bluff until reinforcements arrived to drive the Austrians away. In March he led a division at

Mâcon Mâcon (), historically Anglicization, anglicised as Mascon, is a city in east-central France. It is the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Saône-et-Loire in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Mâcon is home t ...

and Limonest. Because he rallied to

Napoleon Bonaparte 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 ...

during 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 ...

, he was retired from the army except for a brief period in 1831–1832. His surname is one of the

Names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe The following is a list of the 660 names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe, in Paris. Most of them represent generals who served during the French First Republic (1792–1804) and the First French Empire (1804–1815). Underlined names signify t ...

.

Revolution

Born on 18 January 1766 at Longueville, France, Musnier entered the military school of Paris on 22 August 1780 as a gentleman

cadet A cadet is a student or trainee within various organisations, primarily in military contexts where individuals undergo training to become commissioned officers. However, several civilian organisations, including civil aviation groups, maritime ...

. On 4 January 1781 he was promoted to sous-lieutenant. He joined the ''Piémont'' Regiment on 22 December 1782. He was elevated in rank to second lieutenant on 10 August 1788, adjutant-major on 15 September 1791, and

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

on 1 March 1792. Musnier became an aide-de-camp to General Alexis Magallon de Lamorlière of the

Army of the Rhine An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

in July 1792. The following year, he was assigned to the Army of the West to fight the

War in the Vendée The War in the Vendée () was a counter-revolutionary insurrection that took place in the Vendée region of French First Republic, France from 1793 to 1796, during the French Revolution. The Vendée is a coastal region, located immediately so ...

. On 27 March 1795 he was named

chef de bataillon () is the seniormost non-commissioned officer rank in France and other Francophone countries. Unlike most other countries which use the old European rank system, France uses as its lowest ranking senior officer. While the rank functions of '' ...

(major) of the 1st Battalion of the 106th Line Infantry Demi Brigade.Mullié (1852), ''Musnier'' Musnier became

chef de brigade ''Chef de brigade'' ( English: Brigade chief) was a French military rank. It was used as the equivalent of the rank of major in the French Royal Army's artillery units and colonel in the French Revolutionary Army. Before the revolution ''Chef ...

(colonel) of the 187th Line Demi Brigade on 5 September 1795. He transferred on 25 June 1796 to command the 60th Line Demi Brigade.Broughton, ''Musnier'' He was named Adjutant General on 18 July 1796. In this capacity, he carried out the functions of the

chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

for the

Army of the North The Army of the North (), contemporaneously called Army of Peru (), was one of the armies deployed by the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata in the Spanish American wars of independence. Its objective was freeing the Argentine Northwest a ...

and the Army of Batavia until July 1798. Musnier joined the Army of Italy on 18 October 1798 and performed notable service in the capture of

Novara Novara (; Novarese Lombard, Novarese: ) is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont (Italy), Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With 101,916 inhabitants (on 1 January 2021), it is the second most populous ...

on 5 December 1798. He was rewarded for this action by promotion to general of brigade on 17 December 1798. He was posted to the division of Jean Boudet for

Napoleon Bonaparte 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 1800 campaign in Italy. At the

Battle of Marengo The Battle of Marengo was fought on 14 June 1800 between French forces under the First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte and Austrian forces near the city of Alessandria, in Piedmont, Italy. Near the end of the day, the French overcame General ...

on 14 June 1800 his brigade consisted of the 9th Light and 30th Line Infantry Demi Brigades. Under the overall direction of Louis Desaix, Boudet's troops arrived late in the afternoon. French soldiers defeated earlier in the day took heart and rallied behind Boudet's fresh troops. Led by the 9th Light, the new French line pushed back the Austrians of the ''Michael Wallis'' Infantry Regiment Nr. 11, but recoiled when Austrian chief of staff Anton von Zach sent a brigade of crack grenadiers into the fight. Soon afterward, Desaix led Boudet's division in a general attack. With perfect timing, the French unleashed a ferocious bombardment of the grenadiers just as François Etienne de Kellermann's heavy cavalrymen charged into their flank. Although Desaix was killed, the grenadier brigade was broken and Zach was captured. Subsequently, the Austrians withdrew from the field, conceding defeat. Still in the Army of Italy, Musnier fought at the Battle of Pozzolo on 25 December 1800. He was deactivated on 23 September 1801, but assigned to command the 15th Military Division on 14 November that year.

Empire

Invasion of Spain

Musnier became a Member of the

Légion d'Honneur 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 ...

on 11 December 1803 and a Commander of the Légion on 14 June 1804. He was promoted to

general of division Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French Revolutionary System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corps ...

on 1 February 1805. The year 1807 found him employed in coast defence in France. At this time Napoleon made the unwise decision to seize Spain by force and expel King Charles IV and his royal family. Using various pretexts, he introduced 70,000 French troops into Spain. On 16 February 1808, the French armies seized control of a number of important places and soon afterward sent the Spanish ruling family to be detained in France. On 2 May 1808, Spain exploded in revolt against the French occupation forces, initiating 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 ...

. Among the first French forces in Spain, Musnier commanded the 1st Division in the 24,430-strong corps of

Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...

Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey (or Jannot de Moncey), 1st duc de Conegliano (31 July 1754 – 20 April 1842) was a French military officer and a prominent commander in the French Revolutionary Wars and later a Marshal of the Empire during the Napo ...

. His division numbered 9,700 soldiers in 17 battalions. Ordered to put down the insurrection in

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 ...

, Moncey reached that city on 26 June 1808 with 9,000 troops. Two days later, he assaulted the city in the Battle of Valencia. Repulsed with 1,000 casualties, Moncey abandoned the effort and fell back toward

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

in early July. On 1 August, the French evacuated Madrid and withdrew behind the

Ebro The Ebro (Spanish and Basque ; , , ) is a river of the north and northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, in Spain. It rises in Cantabria and flows , almost entirely in an east-southeast direction. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea, forming a de ...

River in northeast Spain. For Napoleon's second invasion of Spain, Moncey's command was renamed the

III Corps III or iii may refer to: Companies * Information International, Inc., a computer technology company * Innovative Interfaces, Inc., a library-software company * 3i, formerly Investors in Industry, a British investment company Other uses * I ...

and reinforced to a strength of 37,690 men. Musnier led the 2nd Division. In the

first Siege of Zaragoza The 1808 siege of Zaragoza (also called Saragossa) was a bloody struggle in the Peninsular War. A French army under General Lefebvre-Desnouettes and subsequently commanded by General Jean-Antoine Verdier besieged, repeatedly stormed, and ...

during the summer of 1808, the French attackers had been defeated. On 19 December 1808, Moncey began the

second Siege of Zaragoza The siege of Zaragoza was the French capture of the Spanish city of Zaragoza (also known as Saragossa) in 1809 during the Peninsular War. It was particularly noted for its brutality. The city was heavily outnumbered against the French. Ho ...

. For the effort, the marshal massed 38,000 infantry, 3,000 artillerists and sappers, 3,500 cavalry, and 144 guns. The French were opposed by 34,000 Spanish regulars, 10,000 militia, and 160 guns. Musnier's 3,544-man 2nd Division comprised three battalions each of the French 114th and 115th Line Infantry Regiments, and two battalions of the Polish 1st

Legion of the Vistula The Legion of the Vistula () was a combined arms legion of the French Imperial Army which served in the Napoleonic Wars. Raised in 1807, the legion served in the Peninsular War, French invasion of Russia and War of the Sixth Coalition before be ...

. The city had to be taken house by house against desperate resistance. After losing 10,000 soldiers killed, wounded, or died of disease, the French captured the city on 20 February 1809. The Spanish suffered even heavier losses, including 34,000 civilians dead, mostly from disease.

Fighting in Aragon

The III Corps, now under General of Division

Jean-Andoche Junot Jean-Andoche Junot, Duke of Abrantes (; 25 September 1771 – 29 July 1813) was a French military officer who served in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He is best known for leading the French invasion of Portugal in 1807. ...

, overran the southern part of

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...

after the fall of Zaragoza. However, Spanish guerillas became active again, forcing the French to abandon some districts. Since war with Austria was imminent, Napoleon withdrew half of Aragon's occupation forces. At this time, Junot was replaced in command by General of Division

Louis Gabriel Suchet Louis-Gabriel Suchet, duc d' Albuféra (; 2 March 1770 – 3 January 1826), was a French Marshal of the Empire and one of the most successful commanders of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He is regarded as one of the greatest ...

. A Spanish army under General

Joaquín Blake y Joyes Joaquín or Joaquin is a male given name, the Spanish version of Joachim. Given name * Joaquín (footballer, born 1956) (Joaquín Alonso González), Spanish football midfielder * Joaquín (footballer, born 1981) (Joaquín Sánchez Rodríguez) ...

appeared and threatened French control of Aragon. Suchet attacked the Spanish army in the Battle of Alcañiz on 23 May 1809. The French army had 7,292 infantry in 14 battalions, 526 cavalry in six squadrons, and 18 guns. Blake's force was made up of 8,101-foot soldiers, 445 horsemen, and 19 artillery pieces. Musnier's 2nd Division included the same units as at Zaragoza plus one battalion of the 121st Line. General of Division Anne-Gilbert Laval's 1st Division only mustered four battalions.Smith (1998), 311 Blake deployed his troops on high ground in front of

Alcañiz Alcañiz () is a town and municipality of Teruel province in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. The town is located on the banks of the river Guadalope. Alcañiz is the unofficial capital of the Lower Aragon historical region. It lies ...

. Laval probed the Spanish right flank, then Suchet ordered Musnier to attack Blake's center. Musnier formed the five battalions of the 114th Line and the 1st Vistula Legion into a massive 2,600-man column and launched it at Blake's line. All 19 Spanish guns played on this formation and musketry as well. Under this fire, the French and Poles were halted and then fled. Suchet, who was wounded, immediately withdrew from the field. The III Corps suffered 800 casualties, while Blake counted only 300 killed and wounded. The defeat caused Suchet to abandon much of Aragon, while Blake was swamped by 25,000 new recruits, most of whom he could not supply with weapons. After his victory, Blake advanced on Zaragoza with 20,000 men divided into three divisions. He advanced down the

Huerva River The Huerva River is a river in Aragon, Spain. It is a tributary of the Ebro. Its mean annual discharge is only . Course This long river rises in the Sierra de Cucalón, near Fonfría in the Jiloca Comarca. Flowing northwestwards near Lagueru ...

with one division on the right bank and two divisions on the left bank. Leaving Laval and a 2,000-man brigade to observe the Spanish right bank division, Suchet confronted Blake in the Battle of María on 15 June 1809. The French general deployed Musnier on his right and General of Brigade Pierre-Joseph Habert's 1st Division brigade on his left. Suchet expected some troops to arrive later in the day and planned to stall for time. Blake struck at Musnier's division but the 114th Line beat back the attack with help from a Polish lancer regiment. Suchet ordered a counterattack but the combat was halted by a hail storm. At length, the French reinforcements arrived and Suchet launched Habert and Pierre Watier's cavalry at Blake's right wing. The Spanish line crumbled, but Blake was able to withdraw in relatively good order, though he lost 16 of his 25 guns.Gates (2002), 164 The French and Poles lost 700 or 800 casualties out of 10,000 infantry, 800 cavalry, and 12 guns. The Spanish suffered losses of 1,000 killed, 3,000 to 4,000 wounded, and hundreds captured out of 14,000-foot soldiers and 1,000 horsemen. Musnier's division was the same as at Zaragoza, with the addition of one battalion of the 2nd Reserve Legion. On 18 June 1809, Blake made a stand in the Battle of Belchite. The Spanish army formed on some hills in front of the town of Belchite. Suchet paid no attention to Blake's center while sending Musnier to attack the Spanish left and Habert to assault the right. Musnier's troops made some progress, driving back Blake's left wing. Just as Habert struck on the other flank, a lucky hit blew up the Spanish ammunition stores. At this, Blake's men panicked and fled the field. Suchet left Musnier to watch Blake's force and returned to Zaragoza to restore order in Aragon. The Spanish lost 2,000 casualties out of 11,000 infantry and 870 cavalry, plus all nine of their artillery pieces. French losses were only 200 killed and wounded. Musnier spent the rest of the year pacifying the southern part of Aragon. He scored a few successes but the guerillas learned to avoid major concentrations of French troops. In January 1810, the 23,140-man III Corps was organized into three infantry divisions under Laval, Musnier, and Habert, and a cavalry brigade under General of Brigade André Joseph Boussart. With 11 battalions and 7,173 effectives, Musnier's 2nd Division was the largest formation in the corps. Suchet planned to operate against

Mequinenza Mequinenza () or Mequinensa () is a town and municipality of the province of Zaragoza, in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It is located beside the river Segre, close to its confluence with the river Ebro between the Mequinenza Dam a ...

and

Lérida Lleida (, ; ; ''#Name, see below'') is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital and largest town in Segrià, Segrià county, the Ponent, Ponent region and the province of Lleida. Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Cent ...

. Instead, King

Joseph Bonaparte Joseph Bonaparte (born Giuseppe di Buonaparte, ; ; ; 7 January 176828 July 1844) was a French statesman, lawyer, diplomat and older brother of Napoleon Bonaparte. During the Napoleonic Wars, the latter made him King of Naples (1806–1808), an ...

ordered him to advance against

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 ...

. Because Joseph's forces were in the process of overrunning

Andalusia Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomou ...

against spotty resistance, the king believed that the Spanish armies were in a state of collapse. Reluctantly, Suchet set out for Valencia and reached there on 6 March. He found its Spanish defenders full of fight and found it necessary to abandon the futile mission four days later. Back in Aragon, Suchet spent some time suppressing guerillas before moving against Lérida. He arrived before the city on 15 April. After finding that General Henry O'Donnell was marching to the city's relief, Suchet took Musnier's division and went looking for the hostile army. The two forces missed each other and Musnier returned to the vicinity of Lérida on the night of 22 April. The next morning, Miguel Ibarrola Gonzáles encountered Jean Isidore Harispe's small covering force east of Lérida. Harispe called for help and when Musnier showed up with his division, Ibarrola quickly fell back to the hamlet of Margalef with Musnier in aggressive pursuit. In the Battle of Margalef, as the Spanish troops faced Musnier's infantry, the 13th

Cuirassier A cuirassier ( ; ; ) was a cavalryman equipped with a cuirass, sword, and pistols. Cuirassiers first appeared in mid-to-late 16th century Europe as a result of armoured cavalry, such as man-at-arms, men-at-arms and demi-lancers discarding their ...

Regiment charged into their flank. Ibarrola's formations were cut to pieces. When O'Donnell appeared with a second division, the French heavy cavalrymen overran his rear guard. Out of 5,500-foot soldiers and 500 horsemen, the French reported only 100 casualties, all from the cuirassiers. O'Donnell lost 500 men killed and wounded plus 2,000 soldiers and three guns captured out of a total of 7,000 infantry, 300 cavalry, and six guns. In addition to the heavy cavalry, Musnier's force included three battalions each of the 114th and 115th Line, two battalions of the 1st Vistula Legion, the 4th Hussars, and two foot artillery batteries. The Siege of Lérida ended with the French capture of the city in mid-May.

Invading Valencia

Siege of Mequinenza lasted less than a month, falling to Suchet on 5 June 1810. Musnier's division was involved in the operation. Its composition was the same as at Lérida plus three battalions of the 121st Line. Musnier was appointed Grand Officer of the

Légion d'Honneur 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 ...

on 28 August 1810. From 16 December 1810 to 2 January 1811, Musnier led his division in the Siege of Tortosa which ended in a Spanish surrender. His division's organization was the same as at Mequinenza except that the 1st Light replaced the 115th Line. Musnier was named

Baron of the Empire As Emperor of the French, Napoleon I created titles in a newly established ' (imperial nobility) to institute a stable elite in the First French Empire, after the instability resulting from the French Revolution. Like many others, both befo ...

on 20 January 1811. Musnier missed the Siege of Tarragona in May and June 1811. A muster roll from 15 July 1811 showed his 1st Division to number 7,689 men in 11 battalions. He fought at the

Battle of Saguntum The Battle of Saguntum (25 October 1811) saw the Imperial French Army of Aragon under Marshal Louis Gabriel Suchet fighting a Spanish army led by Captain General Joaquín Blake. The Spanish attempt to raise the siege of the Sagunto Castle ...

on 25 October. His 4,829-man division consisted of brigades under Louis Benoît Robert and Florentin Ficatier. After the battle, he was briefly responsible for defending Aragon before he rejoined the main army. He led his division at the Siege of Valencia in December 1811 and January 1812. This operation resulted in the capitulation of Blake with 16,270 men and 374 guns. The 1st Division was made up of three battalions each of the 114th and 121st Line and two battalions each of the 1st and 2nd Vistula Legions. At the Battle of Castalla on 13 April 1813, Robert commanded the 1st Division in Musnier's absence. In June 1813, Musnier's division included 4,163 men in seven battalions. This unit missed the

Battle of Ordal The Battle of Ordal on 12 and 13 September 1813 saw a First French Empire corps led by Marshal of France, Marshal Louis Gabriel Suchet make a night assault on a position held by Lieutenant General Lord William Bentinck's smaller Anglo-Allied ...

on 13 September 1813. By late 1813, Musnier's division had shrunk to 3,561 troops in six battalions.Gates (2002), 526

Late Empire

In late 1813 Musnier was recalled to France where he inspected fortresses. On 23 December he was given command of the

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

reserve. In January 1814, he was attached to Marshal

Pierre Augereau Charles Pierre François Augereau, duc de Castiglione (; 21 October 1757 – 12 June 1816) was a French military commander and a Marshal of the Empire who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. After serving in the ...

's command which was based at

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

. On 14 January, Musnier had only 1,200 soldiers and 500 conscripts to defend the city of

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

. His superior Marshal

Pierre Augereau Charles Pierre François Augereau, duc de Castiglione (; 21 October 1757 – 12 June 1816) was a French military commander and a Marshal of the Empire who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. After serving in the ...

left Musnier to cope with the situation and rode to Valence to gather more troops. By 16 January, Austrian patrols were lurking outside the walls of Lyon. Believing his soldiers might run away, Musnier moved them to the west bank of the

Saône The Saône ( , ; ; ) is a river in eastern France (modern Regions of France, region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté). It is a right tributary of the Rhône, rising at Vioménil in the Vosges (department), Vosges Departments of France, department an ...

River on 17 January, evacuating the city. Austrian commander Ferdinand, Graf Bubna von Littitz heard about this and sent an officer to demand Lyon's surrender. When the Austrian parliamentary arrived, a mob formed nearby and began threatening to fling him in the river. Keeping up the bluff, Musnier talked up his strength and exaggerated the fury of the city's residents. Completely fooled, the Austrian officer's report to his superior caused Bubna to pause in his plan to storm the city. Musnier reoccupied Lyon and held it through 18–19 January. Late on the 19th, 1,200 French troops arrived from Valence and drove the Austrians out of the suburbs. Musnier's actions averted the early capture of Lyon and allowed the French to pose a threat to the main Allied armies' supply lines. With 6,000 men, Musnier sparred with Bubna's forces. On 17 February 1814 he fought a skirmish with Joseph Klopstein von Ennsbruck's Austrians. On 11 March, he was defeated at

Mâcon Mâcon (), historically Anglicization, anglicised as Mascon, is a city in east-central France. It is the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Saône-et-Loire in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Mâcon is home t ...

by

Frederick Bianchi, Duke of Casalanza Vinzenz Ferrerius Friedrich Freiherr von Bianchi, Duke of Casalanza (1 February 1768 – 18 August 1855), was an Austrian Feldmarschallleutnant who notably served during the Napoleonic Wars. Early life Born in Vienna, Bianchi studied at the Imp ...

and 8,000 Austrians. His force of 6,000 men included elements of the 32nd Light and 20th, 23rd, and 67th Line Infantry Regiments, 13th Cuirassiers, 12th Hussars, and

National Guard National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. ...

of

Toulon Toulon (, , ; , , ) is a city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the French Riviera and the historical Provence, it is the prefecture of the Var (department), Var department. The Commune of Toulon h ...

. The French lost 800 killed and wounded, plus 500 men and two guns captured. Austrian losses were 450 killed and wounded, and 450 captured. Musnier led his division at the

Battle of Limonest The Battle of Limonest (20 March 1814) saw an army of Austrian Empire, Austrian and Grand Duchy of Hesse, Hessian troops led by General of the Cavalry (Austria), General der Kavallerie Frederick VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg, Prince Frederick ...

on 20 March. When an Austrian brigade advanced from an unexpected direction he found his division outflanked and withdrew. With 56,000 soldiers and 124 cannon, the Austrians enjoyed a large numerical superiority over the French army's 20,786 infantry, 1,976 cavalry and 1,507 gunners with 33 field guns. The French inflicted 3,000 casualties on their enemies while losing only 1,000, but still lost Lyon.

Retirement

Musnier accepted the return of

King 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 ...

who awarded him 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 ...

on 27 June 1814. During 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 ...

he transferred his allegiance to Napoleon, who gave him responsibility for the 10th, 11th, and 20th Military Divisions on 28 May 1815. He was retired from the army in September and remained so for 15 years. He was placed in the reserve on 17 February 1831 and his final retirement occurred on 1 March 1832. He died in Paris on 16 November 1837. MUSNIER is engraved on the Western pillar on Column 37 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

Bibliography

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Musnier, Louis Francois Felix French generals French Republican military leaders of the French Revolutionary Wars Republican military leaders of the War in the Vendée French commanders of the Napoleonic Wars People from Pas-de-Calais Order of Saint Louis recipients 1766 births 1837 deaths Names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe