General Léonard Huard de Saint-Aubin

Général de brigade who was killed at Borodino

Born: January 11, 1770

Place of Birth: Villedieu-les-Poëles, Manche, France

Died: September 7, 1812

Cause of Death: Killed in action

Place of Death: Borodino, Russia

Arc de Triomphe: HUARD on the north pillar

Pronunciation:

Volunteering during the Revolution, Léonard Huard de Saint-Aubin joined the 4th Battalion of Manche in August of 1792 and was quickly elected a capitaine. A month later he was chosen as the lieutenant colonel of his battalion, and he and his men joined the Army of the North. Over the next year he would serve with the Army of the Center and the Moselle. In 1794 Huard de Saint-Aubin served in the Army of the Rhine as a chef de bataillon in the 26th demi-brigade.

By 1796 Huard de Saint-Aubin was with the 10th Ligne in the Army of the Sambre and Meuse. In 1798 he served with the Army of Mainz and in 1799 with the Army of the Danube. That October Huard de Saint-Aubin was with the Army of Switzerland when he was wounded in the left arm and taken prisoner at Muottathal. He was released and returned to France in March of the next year. July of 1800 saw Huard de Saint-Aubin promoted to chef de brigade of the the 42nd Ligne and he led them into action that December at Hohenlinden.

Next Colonel Huard de Saint-Aubin served in Switzerland under Ney from 1802 to 1803. Afterwards he joined the Army of Naples where he stayed until 1806. At the end of 1806 he fought at the siege of Amantea, and then in 1807 he received a promotion to général de brigade. General Huard de Saint-Aubin continued to serve in Italy, and in 1808 he was rewarded as a Commander of the Order of Two Sicilies. In 1809 he took command of the 1st Brigade of Lamarque's division in the Army of Italy, and he fought at Wagram where he was wounded. Afterwards, he was named a Commander of the Legion of Honor and in 1810 he became a Baron of the Empire.

In 1811 General Huard de Saint-Aubin took command of the 1st Brigade of Delzons' division in Italy, which became the IV Corps of the Grande Armée in 1812 for the campaign in Russia. Huard de Saint-Aubin went on the campaign and distinguished himself at Ostrowno in July before being killed at the Battle of Borodino.

Bibliography

Six, Georges. Dictionnaire Biographique des Généraux & Amiraux Français de la Révolution et de l'Empire (1792-1814). 2 vols. Paris: Gaston Saffroy, 2003.

Updated May 2014