General François Marie Clément de la Roncière

Joining the army during the French Revolution, François Maire Clément de la Roncière enlisted in 13th Chasseurs in March of 1793. Before the year was over he had received promotions to sous-lieutenant and lieutenant. Clément de la Roncière served with the Army of the North and then the Army of the Sambre and Meuse and in 1795 he was promoted to capitaine. For a period of time he served in General Lefebvre's staff before returning to his regiment in June of 1796. Clément de la Roncière next went to the Army of Italy in 1797 where he was promoted to chef d'escadrons. In 1798 he served with the Army of Rome and then in 1799 he served with the Army of Naples. That year Clément de la Roncière served at the combat of Modena and he also fought at the Battle of the Trebbia where he was wounded by a shot to the left leg. On June 19th, the third day of the battle, he was promoted to chef de brigade serving with the 19th Chasseurs à Cheval. The next month Clément de la Roncière took command of the 16th Dragoons. In 1800 Clément de la Roncière joined the French-Dutch army in Holland, and in December of that year he served at the combat of Nuremberg under Treillard.

In 1803 Clément de la Roncière served at the camp of Compiègne and then in 1804 he was sent to the garrison at Soissons. When the Grande Armée marched out in 1805 to confront the Third Coalition, Clément de la Roncière served in Beaumont's 3rd Dragoon Division. He served on the campaign that fall and then in 1806 he took part in the campaign against Prussia. On December 31st, 1806 Clément de la Roncière was promoted to général de brigade and assigned to Saint-Sulpice's 2nd Heavy Cavalry Division.

In 1808 Clément de la Roncière joined the Army of the Rhine and he was named a Baron of the Empire. When in 1809 the army was reorganized into the Army of Germany to fight off the Austrian attacks, he formed part of that army. Clément de la Roncière fought at the Battle of Eckmühl where he was wounded by eleven sabre blows to various parts of his body and a shot to the left arm. The shot proved to be the worst, as the wound necessitated the amputation of his left arm. Two months later Clément de la Roncière was promoted to général de division in recognition of his services. In August of 1809 he was appointed commander of the cavalry school of Saumur and he held this position for the next three years. Next in his career, in September of 1812 he took command of the 27th military division.

After the Bourbon Restoration, Clément de la Roncière was sent to command in Piedmont and he was named a Knight of Saint Louis. He retired in October of 1815 and he later returned to service in 1831.

Bibliography

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