General Jacques-Antoine, baron de Chambarlhac de Laubespin, 1754-1826

General Jacques-Antoine, baron de Chambarlhac de Laubespin (1754-1826) was a French general best known for his performance in Italy under Napoleon.

Chambarlhac de Laubespin joined the French Royal Army, and continued his career after the Revolution. He served in the Army of the Alps in 1792.

He fought under Napoleon during his first Italian campaign, and was promoted to général de brigade on the battlefield at Arcola (15–17 November 1796).

In 1799 he was sent to the west of France to deal with the last phase of the Chouannerie Royalist revolt and inflicted a defeat on them near Mortagne.

He commanded a division in Victor's corps at Marengo in 1800. On the day before the main battle his division took part in the combat of Marengo (13 June 1800), in which the French captured a bridge in Marengo village, disrupting the Austrian plans for the next day. His performance at the battle of Marengo itself is somewhat controversial - the author Jean-Roch Coignet, then serving as a ranker in the 96th demi-brigade claimed that the general disappeared after his orderly was killed and didn't reappear until after the end of the battle, at which point the 96th fired a volley towards him.

He was promoted to général-de-division in 1803 and was given a series of staff appointments. He was appointed commandant of Tortona, and later commanded at Mainz. On 15 August 1806 he was made a Commander of the Legion of Honour. He was given a barony in 1811.

Chambarlhac de Laubespin wasn't employed by the Bourbons, but he was created a Knight of St. Louis by Louis XVIII on 21 August 1814.

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How to cite this article: Rickard, J (12 February 2016), General Jacques-Antoine, baron de Chambarlhac de Laubespin, 1754-1826 , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_chambarlhac_de_laubespin.html

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