8)François-Xavier Donzelot

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François-Xavier Donzelot (né le 7 janvier1764 à Mamirolle, Doubs - mort en 1843) était un militaire français, général de brigade, puis de division dans les armées de la Révolution et de l'Empire.

Une brillante carrière militaire [modifier]

François-Xavier Donzelot, fils de François Donzelot et de Jeanne Baptiste Maire, entre au service en 1785, dans le régiment Royale-La-Marine - formé le 20 décembre 1669 - alors en garnison à l'île de Corse. Quelques années après, il quitta ce régiment pour être attaché à 1'état-major du gouvernement militaire de l'Alsace. Il fut employé au ministère de la guerre, et fut nommé, en 1792, sous-lieutenant au 21e régiment de cavalerie.

En 1793, il rentre dans le service actif et va participer à nombre des campagnes qui ont illustré les armes françaises. Il est lieutenant au 22e chasseurs à cheval, puis adjudant-général chef de bataillon dans la même année, et adjudant-général chef de brigade le 4 juin 1794.

Il fit avec distinction les campagnes de la Révolution française sous Pichegru, son compatriote et son ami, et sous Moreau. Donzelot sert à l'armée du Rhin, fait la campagne d'Allemagne, sous les généraux Desaix et Moreau, et était à la brillante retraite de ce dernier, en en commandant l'aile droite. Il fit, comme adjudant général, la campagne de Hollande, sous les ordres du général Pichegru. En 1797, il fut blessé deux fois à l'attaque du pont d'Huningue.

Nommé chef d'état-major à l'expédition d'Irlande, il fit la campagne d'Égypte, et se signala à la bataille de Sediman, à la bataille d'Héliopolis et au siège du Caire. Dans le dernier conseil de guerre de 1799, il parla contre l'évacuation de l'Égypte et proposa de faire la guerre dans la Haute-Égypte, à la manière des Mamelouks, en attendant des renforts.

Nommé général de brigade le 23 juillet 1799, à son retour en France, il fut adjoint au ministère de la guerre du prince Berthier, puis employé aux camps de Bayonne, de Brest et à l'armée d'Italie en 1804 et 1805. Nommé général de brigade à titre provisoire le 23 juin 1799, le comte Donzelot le devient officiellement le 29 mars 1801.

Il va mener une brillante carrière dans les armées de Napoléon. Compagnon de Desaix, avec lequel il s'est illustré au cours de la Campagne d'Égypte. Il fit sous Masséna les campagnes de 1806 à 1807 et s'illustrera encore à l'armée de Naples, au siège de Gaète (1806). L'adjudant général Donzelot prit part à presque toutes les affaires et s'y distingua par son courage et son sang-froid.

Le 6 décembre 1807, François-Xavier Donzelot devient général de division.

Gouverneur des îles Ioniennes (1808-1814) [modifier]

Reconnu comme étant le meilleur spécialiste du service de l’État-major de son temps et pour ses qualités de gestionnaire, il occupa des responsabilités en tant que gouverneur des îles Ioniennes (1808-1814). L'habileté que le général Donzelot avait montrée dans les différents postes qu'il avait occupés, et son caractère ferme et intègre avaient été les motifs de cette nomination.

Il était sous les ordres du maréchal Masséna, lorsqu'il fut envoyé dans l’île de Corfou après l'occupation par la France de la République des Sept-Îles. D'abord principal adjoint du général Berthier, le frère du Maréchal, il le remplace le 28 mars 1808. Son autorité dans les îles Ioniennes fut pleine de sagesse et de modération

10)Col Charles Philippe de Bosset (collector; Swiss; Male; 1773 - 1845)

Bibliography

www.snl.ch (Swiss National Library)

Biography

Born 29 July 1773 in Neuenburg. Died (suicide) 15 March 1845 in Neuenburg. Son of Charles Abel and Philippine Regine de Sandoz. Married Fildesley Holmes, in South Kensington, in 1822. In British service 1796-1818. Governor of Cephalonia, 1810-14. Excavated on Cephalonia and Ithaca: his collections are now in the British Museum and the Musee cantonale d'archeologie, Stadt Neuenburg (incl. Mycenaean vases). Inspector of the Ionian Islands, 1816-18. On his return he promoted the work of the optician Pierre Louis Guinand in England, and in 1827 founded a glove factory in Fleurier. Order of the Bath.

Also Known As

Bosset, Charles Philippe de

9)John Oswald (British Army officer)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

General Sir John Oswald, GCB, GCMG (2 October 1771 – 8 June 1840) was a prominent British Army officer during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars whose service was conducted in seven different theatres of war. Oswald was born in Fife and educated in France, which gave him both excellent command of the French language and close connections with the French aristocracy. The excesses of the French Revolution gave him a hatred of the French Republic and later Empire, and his exemplary service in the West Indies, the Netherlands, Malta, Italy, Egypt, the Adriatic and finally the Peninsular War demonstrated both his keen tactical and strategic understanding his and personal courage.

Highly commended for his war service, Oswald later took an interest in politics, unsuccessfully attempting to enter parliament but using his influence in the army to support the Conservatives. He married twice and had several children, and was invested in two knightly orders following his retirement from the army in recognition of his service. He died in 1840 at his family estate in Fife.

Early life

John Oswald was born in 1771 in Fife, the son of James Townsend Oswald. In approximately 1785 he was sent to school in France, the prestigious military academy at Brienne-le-Château, where he formed a lasting friendship with Louis-Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne, future secretary to Napoleon. Oswald spent many school holidays with his friends in Paris and developed an affection for France and the French language that he retained throughout his life. Oswald returned to Britain in 1788 and purchased a commission as a second lieutenant in the 23rd Regiment of Foot, he was promoted first lieutenant on transfer to the 7th Regiment of Foot the following year. In 1790 he was with his regiment when they were stationed at Gibraltar and in 1791 was given an independent company as a temporary captain, an appointment confirmed two months later accompanied by a transfer to the 35th Regiment of Foot.

The French Revolution and the consequent Reign of Terror resulted in the deaths of many of Oswald's school friends, creating in Oswald a lifelong hatred of the French Republic and the principles it was based on. At the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars, the 35th was ordered to the West Indies, Oswald resigning his appointment as a staff officer (brigade major) to accompany them. A few months later, Oswald was serving in the Caribbean with a detachment of local troops with the temporary rank of major. In this role he participated in the capture of Martinique, St Lucia and Guadeloupe and the invasion of San Domingo, before being sent back to Britain in 1795 to at as a recruiting officer. He was promoted to the regimental rank of major on 22 September 1795, and on 1 April 1797, Oswald purchased the rank of lieutenant colonel and command of the 35th.[7]

Military service

In 1799, Oswald and his regiment participated in the failed invasion of the Netherlands, where Oswald was seriously wounded at the Battle of Bergen and transported home. In 1800 the regiment was attached to the force under Richard Pigott that operated against Malta from Minorca. Oswald was present at the invasion of Malta and the successful siege of Valletta. He took over official command of the regiment in the aftermath of this operation and remained in the Mediterranean until the Peace of Amiens in 1802.

When the Napoleonic Wars broke out in 1803, Oswald returned to Malta to rejoin his regiment. In 1805, the 35th was attached to General Sir James Craig's force that landed in Sicily and Oswald took part the following year in the invasion of Calabria under Sir John Stuart, fighting at the Battle of Maida and besieging Scylla Castle and forcing its surrender. On his return to Sicily, Oswald was appointed brigadier-general. He was promoted colonel on 2 November 1805.

In 1807, Oswald and the 35th were sent to Egypt under Alexander Mackenzie-Fraser participating in the Alexandria expedition of 1807 against the Ottoman Empire. Oswald was particularly noted for his actions in the storming of a Turkish trench line that forced the Ottoman troops to retreat into Alexandria's city walls. After the surrender of the city, Oswald advanced to Rosetta and there fought a running battle for fifteen days against superior Turkish forces before being ordered to withdraw. Returning to Sicily in 1808, Oswald was detached from his regiment and took command of a brigade, participating in raids on the Italian coast and commanding at first Augusta and subsequently Procida, which he had helped capture.[1][10] In 1809, Oswald was given command of the force sent to invade the Ionian Islands, capturing Zante, Ithaca, Cephalonia and Cerigo.

In 1810, still in the Adriatic, Oswald gathered 2,000 British and Greeks soldiers and invaded Santa Maura, capturing the island in eight days despite some heavy fighting. For these exploits Oswald was made governor of the islands, simultaneously allowing the Greek population its first measure of independence, maintaining British rule and forming good diplomatic relations with the Turkish governors of mainland Greece