François, marquis de Chasseloup-Laubat

Who was François, marquis de Chasseloup-Laubat?

François, marquis de Chasseloup-Laubat, French general and military engineer, was born at Saint-Sernin, of a noble family, and entered the French engineers in 1774.

He was still a subaltern at the outbreak of the Revolution, becoming captain in 1791. His ability as a military engineer was recognized in the campaigns of 1792 and 1793. In the following year he won distinction in various actions and was promoted successively chef de bataillon and colonel. He was chief of engineers at the siege of Mainz in 1793, after which he was sent to Italy. He there commanded the positions and lines of advance of the army of Bonaparte. He was promoted brigadier-general before the close of the campaign, and was subsequently employed in fortifying the new Rhine frontier of France.

His work as chief of engineers in the army of Italy was conspicuously successful,and after the battle of Novi he was made general of division. When Napoleon took the field in 1800 to retrieve the disasters of 1799, he again selected Chasseloup as his engineer general.