Raymond-Gaspard de Bonardi comte de Saint-Sulpice (23 October 1761 - 20 June 1835) was a French general of the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted France against Britain, Austria, Prussia ...

and

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

, noted for his actions as a

heavy cavalry Heavy cavalry was a class of cavalry intended to deliver a battlefield charge and also to act as a tactical reserve; they are also often termed '' shock cavalry''. Although their equipment differed greatly depending on the region and histor ...

commander and who became a Peer of France towards the end of his life.Fierro, Alfredo; Palluel-Guillard, André; Tulard, Jean - ''"Histoire et Dictionnaire du Consulat et de l'Empire”'', Éditions Robert Laffont, , p. 1076.

Early life and Revolutionary Wars

A nobleman by birth, Saint-Sulpice joins the army as a sublieutenant in 1777, becoming a

lieutenant-colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colo ...

in 1792 in the Army of the Alps. He is then suspended, from September 1793 to May 1795, because of his aristocratic ascendance. Despite the proclamation of the

French Consulate The Consulate (french: Le Consulat) was the top-level Government of France from the fall of the Directory in the coup of 18 Brumaire on 10 November 1799 until the start of the Napoleonic Empire on 18 May 1804. By extension, the term ''The Co ...

, the career of Saint-Sulpice seems to stagnate until 1803, when he is finally promoted to

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

. With the proclamation of the

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

, Saint-Sulpice gets a position as Écuyer cavalcadour of the Empress Joséphine.

Napoleonic Wars and Bourbon Restoration

With the outbreak of the

, Saint-Sulpice is given the command of a

cuirassier Cuirassiers (; ) were cavalry equipped with a cuirass, sword, and pistols. Cuirassiers first appeared in mid-to-late 16th century Europe as a result of armoured cavalry, such as men-at-arms and demi-lancers, discarding their lances and adop ...

brigade in d'Hautpoul's 2nd heavy cavalry division of the cavalry reserve of the Grande Armée, which he will command between 1805 and 1807. At the

battle of Eylau The Battle of Eylau, or Battle of Preussisch-Eylau, was a bloody and strategically inconclusive battle on 7 and 8 February 1807 between Napoléon's '' Grande Armée'' and the Imperial Russian Army under the command of Levin August von Benn ...

in 1807 Saint-Sulpice is wounded, but a week later, on the 14 of February, he gets promoted to

general of division Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French (Revolutionary) System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army co ...

and takes command of the 2nd heavy cavalry division, replacing d'Hautpoul, who had died of his injuries. Named count of the Empire in 1808, he fights in most of the major engagements of the

Fifth Coalition The War of the Fifth Coalition was a European conflict in 1809 that was part of the Napoleonic Wars and the Coalition Wars. The main conflict took place in central Europe between the Austrian Empire of Francis I and Napoleon's French Empir ...

in 1809: Abensberg, Eckmühl, Ratisbon, Aspern-Essling and

Wagram Deutsch-Wagram (literally "German Wagram", ), often shortened to Wagram, is a village in the Gänserndorf District, in the state of Lower Austria, Austria. It is in the Marchfeld Basin, close to the Vienna city limits, about 15 km (9 mi) northeas ...

. During the French invasion of Russia, Saint-Sulpice is given command of the dragoon regiment of the

Guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

. The next year, in March 1813, he is named governor of the castle of Fontainebleau but then is called to serve in the Grande Armée again for the

War of the Sixth Coalition In the War of the Sixth Coalition (March 1813 – May 1814), sometimes known in Germany as the Wars of Liberation, a coalition of Austria, Prussia, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Sweden, and a number of German States defeated F ...

, fighting in

Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...

. In 1814, as the fighting continued, this time on French soil, Saint-Sulpice is assigned to serve under

Marshal of the Empire Marshal of the Empire (french: Maréchal d'Empire) was a civil dignity during the First French Empire. It was created by '' Sénatus-consulte'' on 18 May 1804 and to a large extent reinstated the formerly abolished title of Marshal of France. Ac ...

Pierre Augereau Charles Pierre François Augereau, 1st Duke of Castiglione (21 October 1757 – 12 June 1816) was a French military commander and a Marshal of the Empire who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. After serving in ...

, whose orders were to defend

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...

against the invading Allied armies. Retiring from active service, he became a Peer of France in 1831. His name appears on the Arc de Triomphe in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint-Sulpice, Raymond-Gaspard De Bonardi De French commanders of the Napoleonic Wars Commanders in the French Imperial Guard 1761 births 1835 deaths Cavalry commanders Peers of France Names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe