Louis François Félix Musnier

Who was Louis François Félix Musnier?

Louis François Félix Musnier de La Converserie became a general officer during the French Revolutionary Wars and led a division during the Napoleonic Wars. He joined the French Royal Army as an officer in 1781 after a spell in military school. Still a lieutenant in 1788, he enjoyed rapid promotion during the French Revolution. After serving as a general's aide, he was assigned to fight rebels in the Vendée. Later, he served as 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, he was sent to command a division in Spain. He fought under Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey and Jean-Andoche Junot. In 1809 Louis Gabriel Suchet 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 1814, he transferred to eastern France to fight the Austrians. Because he rallied to Napoleon Bonaparte during the Hundred Days, he was retired from the army except for a brief period in 1831–1832.