Jean-Chrysostôme Bruneteau de Sainte-Suzanne
Encyclopedia
Jean-Chrysostôme Bruneteau de Sainte-Suzanne (4 March 1773, Poivres
- 2 August 1830 Clermont-Ferrand
) was a French
Empire
baron and general.
, he took part with Custine in the capture of Speyer
and Mainz
in 1792. He rose to captain on 18 October 1793, taking part in the sieges of Dunkirk and Maubeuge
, and in several skirmishes in the region.
Bruneteau was relieved of duty on 14 February 1794, during the Reign of Terror
, for being nobility. He was reinstated at the Thermidorian Reaction
.
In 1796, he joined the Army of Italy, taking part in the Battle of the Bridge of Arcole
and in the Battle of Rivoli
.
In 1798, he was transferred to the Army of the West, before returning to Italy. He took part in the Battle of Cassano
and in the Battle of Novi on 15 August 1799, where he received a battlefield promotion
to chef de bataillon (major
). The rank was confirmed on 2 May 1800. He was then transferred to the Army of the Rhine, where he took part in several skirmishes.
In 1802, he took part in several skirmishes with the flotilla of Boulogne
.
On 28 February 1803, he departed for India, arriving at Île de France
in August. From 1803 to 1805, he headed the infantry of the expeditionary corps in India.
on 8 July 1810. Bruneteau fought the 7000 men of the invasion force with 300 line infantrymen and 300 mobile National guards, the militia being dispersed over the island. He surrendered after Saint-Denis
was half under the control of the British.
Bruneteau returned to France in November 1810. An enquiry deemed the capitulation of Île Bonaparte to be "most honourable", and he received the command of an infantry regiment.
In 1812, he took part in the French invasion of Russia
, notably fighting at Smolensk
and at the Battle of Berezina
, where he was captured by the Russians. He was back in France on 26 June 1814, having been made a Baron of Empire on 8 April 1813.
, a position which he held from 11 December 1814 to 30 March 1815.
During the Hundred Days
, Bruneteau rallied to Napoléon, and was promoted to brigade general
in the imperial decree of 10 June 1815. He took command of the fortress of Sélestat
on 4 May, with a 4000-strong garrison. He was besieged by 9000 men during two months. Refusing to surrender to foreign troops, he repelled two direct assaults, and managed to conquer the headquarter of the besiegers, before surrendering to Louis XVIII
on 1 October.
At the second Restauration, Bruneteau was suspended from the Army. He headed the department of Corrèze
, from 26 June to 18 August 1816, and again from 25 December 1816 to 12 November 1817. He then headed the subdivisions of the 19th military division.
Bruneteau committed suicide by pistol shot to the head on 2 August 1830, after the July Revolution
.
p.304 BRUNETEAU DE SAINTE-SUZANNE (Jean Chrysostôme) Chrysostome Bruneteau de SAINTE-SUZANNE
Poivres
Poivres is a commune in the Aube department in north-central France.-Population:...
- 2 August 1830 Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of 140,700 . Its metropolitan area had 409,558 inhabitants at the 1999 census. It is the prefecture of the Puy-de-Dôme department...
) was a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Empire
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
baron and general.
Biography
Jean-Chrysostôme Bruneteau de Sainte-Suzanne was born to Gilles-Joseph-Martin Bruneteau, in a family of officers of the low nobility.First Republic
He joined the Army on 10 July 1789 in the Anjou infantry regiment. He was promoted to sous-lieutenant on 16 September 1791, and to lieutenant on 12 October. Serving the Armée du RhinArmée du Rhin
The Army of the Rhine is the overall name for one of the main French Revolutionary armies, that operated in the German theater along the River Rhine...
, he took part with Custine in the capture of Speyer
Speyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
and Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
in 1792. He rose to captain on 18 October 1793, taking part in the sieges of Dunkirk and Maubeuge
Maubeuge
Maubeuge is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It is situated on both banks of the Sambre , east of Valenciennes and about from the Belgian border.-History:...
, and in several skirmishes in the region.
Bruneteau was relieved of duty on 14 February 1794, during the Reign of Terror
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror , also known simply as The Terror , was a period of violence that occurred after the onset of the French Revolution, incited by conflict between rival political factions, the Girondins and the Jacobins, and marked by mass executions of "enemies of...
, for being nobility. He was reinstated at the Thermidorian Reaction
Thermidorian Reaction
The Thermidorian Reaction was a revolt in the French Revolution against the excesses of the Reign of Terror. It was triggered by a vote of the Committee of Public Safety to execute Maximilien Robespierre, Antoine Louis Léon de Saint-Just de Richebourg and several other leading members of the Terror...
.
In 1796, he joined the Army of Italy, taking part in the Battle of the Bridge of Arcole
Battle of the Bridge of Arcole
The Battle of Arcole, or Battle of Arcola saw a bold manœuvre by Napoleon Bonaparte's French Army of Italy to outflank the Austrian army under József Alvinczi and cut its line of retreat...
and in the Battle of Rivoli
Battle of Rivoli
The Battle of Rivoli was a key victory in the French campaign in Italy against Austria. Napoleon Bonaparte's 23,000 Frenchmen defeated an attack of 28,000 Austrians under Feldzeugmeister Jozsef Alvinczi, ending Austria's fourth and final attempt to relieve the Siege of Mantua...
.
In 1798, he was transferred to the Army of the West, before returning to Italy. He took part in the Battle of Cassano
Battle of Cassano (1799)
The Battle of Cassano d'Adda was fought on 27 April 1799 near Cassano d'Adda, about 28 km ENE of Milan. It resulted in a victory for the Austrians and Russians under Alexander Suvorov over Jean Moreau's French army...
and in the Battle of Novi on 15 August 1799, where he received a battlefield promotion
Battlefield promotion
A battlefield promotion is an advancement in military rank that occurs while deployed in combat. A standard field promotion is advancement from current rank to the next higher rank; a 'jump-step' promotion is advancement from current rank to a rank above the next highest.-United States:A...
to chef de bataillon (major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
). The rank was confirmed on 2 May 1800. He was then transferred to the Army of the Rhine, where he took part in several skirmishes.
In 1802, he took part in several skirmishes with the flotilla of Boulogne
Napoleon's invasion of England
Napoleon's planned invasion of the United Kingdom at the start of the War of the Third Coalition, although never carried out, was a major influence on British naval strategy and the fortification of the coast of south-east England. French attempts to invade Ireland in order to destabilise the...
.
On 28 February 1803, he departed for India, arriving at Île de France
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
in August. From 1803 to 1805, he headed the infantry of the expeditionary corps in India.
First Empire
On 24 August 1805, he was promoted to colonel. He was made governor of Île Bonaparte on 9 October 1809, a position he held until the Invasion of Île BonaparteInvasion of Île Bonaparte
The Invasion of Île Bonaparte was an amphibious operation in 1810 that formed an important part of the British campaign to blockade and capture the French Indian Ocean territories of Île Bonaparte and Île de France during the Napoleonic Wars...
on 8 July 1810. Bruneteau fought the 7000 men of the invasion force with 300 line infantrymen and 300 mobile National guards, the militia being dispersed over the island. He surrendered after Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis, Réunion
Saint-Denis is the préfecture of the French overseas region and department of Réunion, in the Indian Ocean. It is located at the island's northernmost point, close to the mouth of the Rivière Saint-Denis....
was half under the control of the British.
Bruneteau returned to France in November 1810. An enquiry deemed the capitulation of Île Bonaparte to be "most honourable", and he received the command of an infantry regiment.
In 1812, he took part in the French invasion of Russia
French invasion of Russia
The French invasion of Russia of 1812 was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. It reduced the French and allied invasion forces to a tiny fraction of their initial strength and triggered a major shift in European politics as it dramatically weakened French hegemony in Europe...
, notably fighting at Smolensk
Battle of Smolensk (1812)
The Battle of Smolensk, the first major battle of the French invasion of Russia took place on August 16–18, 1812, between 175,000 men of the Grande Armée under Napoleon Bonaparte and 130,000 Russians under Barclay de Tolly, though only about 50,000 and 60,000 respectively were actually engaged...
and at the Battle of Berezina
Battle of Berezina
The Battle of Berezina took place November 26–29, 1812 between the French army of Napoleon, retreating after his invasion of Russia and crossing the Berezina , and the Russian armies under Mikhail Kutuzov, Peter Wittgenstein and Admiral Pavel Chichagov. The battle ended with a mixed outcome...
, where he was captured by the Russians. He was back in France on 26 June 1814, having been made a Baron of Empire on 8 April 1813.
Restauration
After the Bourbon Restauration, on 6 September 1814, he was promoted to maréchal de camp, and he received the command of the fortress of LandauLandau
Landau or Landau in der Pfalz is an autonomous city surrounded by the Südliche Weinstraße district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a university town , a long-standing cultural centre, and a market and shopping town, surrounded by vineyards and wine-growing villages of the...
, a position which he held from 11 December 1814 to 30 March 1815.
During the Hundred Days
Hundred Days
The Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
, Bruneteau rallied to Napoléon, and was promoted to brigade general
Brigade General
Brigade General is a rank used in many armies to denote the lowest rank of general, corresponding to command of a brigade. The rank is mostly used in countries where it is used as a modern alternative to a previous older rank of Brigadier or Brigadier General...
in the imperial decree of 10 June 1815. He took command of the fortress of Sélestat
Sélestat
Sélestat is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.In 2006, Sélestat had a total population of 19,459. The Communauté de communes de Sélestat et environs had a total population of 35,397.-Geography:...
on 4 May, with a 4000-strong garrison. He was besieged by 9000 men during two months. Refusing to surrender to foreign troops, he repelled two direct assaults, and managed to conquer the headquarter of the besiegers, before surrendering to Louis XVIII
Louis XVIII of France
Louis XVIII , known as "the Unavoidable", was King of France and of Navarre from 1814 to 1824, omitting the Hundred Days in 1815...
on 1 October.
At the second Restauration, Bruneteau was suspended from the Army. He headed the department of Corrèze
Corrèze
Corrèze is a department in south central France, named after the Corrèze River.The inhabitants of the department are called Corréziens or Corréziennes according to gender.-History:...
, from 26 June to 18 August 1816, and again from 25 December 1816 to 12 November 1817. He then headed the subdivisions of the 19th military division.
Bruneteau committed suicide by pistol shot to the head on 2 August 1830, after the July Revolution
July Revolution
The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution or in French, saw the overthrow of King Charles X of France, the French Bourbon monarch, and the ascent of his cousin Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, who himself, after 18 precarious years on the throne, would in turn be overthrown...
.
Honours
- Knight of the Legion of Honour on 19 December 1811
- Officier of the Legion of Honour on 4 December 1816
- Commander of the Legion of Honour on 29 October 1826
- Knight of the Order of Saint LouisOrder of Saint LouisThe Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis was a military Order of Chivalry founded on 5 April 1693 by Louis XIV and named after Saint Louis . It was intended as a reward for exceptional officers, and is notable as the first decoration that could be granted to non-nobles...
on 26 October 1814
Sources and references
Dictionnaire historique et biographique des généraux français, depuis le onzième siècle jusqu'en 1821p.304 BRUNETEAU DE SAINTE-SUZANNE (Jean Chrysostôme) Chrysostome Bruneteau de SAINTE-SUZANNE