David-Maurice-Joseph Mathieu de La Redorte

Who was David-Maurice-Joseph Mathieu de La Redorte?

David-Maurice-Joseph Mathieu de Saint-Maurice de La Redorte or Maurice Mathieu became a division commander in the armies of Napoleon. He was born into a French noble family and entered the French Royal Army as an Officer cadet in 1783. During the French Revolution he became an aide de camp to a general and subsequently served in several armies of the First French Republic. He was appointed a general officer in 1798 and fought against the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies that year and the next. During the campaign he was badly wounded in the right arm and had to leave the army.

In 1805 campaign, Mathieu was named to command the 2nd Division of the VII Corps under Marshal Pierre Augereau. From 1806 to 1807 he served King Joseph Napoleon in the puppet Napoleonic Kingdom of Naples. In 1808 he was appointed to command the 1st Division of the III Corps in Spain. He fought at Tudela in November 1808. He transferred to Marshal Michel Ney's VI Corps in 1809 and was present at Alba de Tormes. From 1811 to 1813, he commanded a division in the Army of Catalonia, leading his troops at Fort Monjuich, Montserrat, Altafulla, and Tarragona.