General Jean François Nicolas Joseph Maucomble

Aide-de-camp to Richepanse and later Walther who went on to serve in the Peninsular War

Born: July 2, 1776

Place of Birth: Charleville, Ardennes, France

Died: May 20, 1850

Place of Death: Paris, France

Arc de Triomphe: MAUCOMBLE on the west pillar

Entering the engineering school of Mézières in February of 1794, Jean François Nicolas Joseph Maucomble was commissioned as a lieutenant in March of 1795. Four months later he was promoted to capitaine and employed at Ypres. In 1797 Maucomble served back at Mézières and in 1799 he served with the Army of Italy. He became chief of the engineers of General Richepanse's division and in March of 1800 he followed Richepanse to the Army of the Rhine. That May Maucomble became an aide-de-camp to Richepanse.

In 1802 Maucomble followed Richepanse to Guadeloupe where he was forced to pick between serving with the engineers or serving as an aide-de-camp. He chose to serve as an aide-de-camp, leaving the engineers, and on May 28th he distinguished himself at Matouba. Sometime later Maucomble returned to France and in December of 1802 he was promoted to chef d'escadrons. The following year he became an aide-de-camp to General Gobert and later General Walther.

In 1805 Maucomble took part in the campaign against the Third Coalition as an aide-de-camp of Walther. That November he was wounded at Amstetten by a sabre blow to the right wrist. Maucomble served on the campaign against Prussia in 1806 and in February of 1807 he served at the Battle of Eylau where he was wounded by multiple sabre blows to the head and face. Promoted to colonel in September of 1808, in 1809 he served under Marshal Kellermann and in 1810 he was made a Baron of the Empire.

Later in 1810 Maucomble was sent to Spain where he took command of the 2nd Chasseurs briefly before being reassigned to the 29th Chasseurs à Cheval. He served in the Peninsular War for the next few years and in June of 1813 he was promoted to général de brigade in Abbé's 3rd Division of the Army of the North. Three months later Maucomble took provisional command of the 3rd Division of infantry in the Army of the Pyrenees, serving under Drouet d'Erlon. In December of 1813 he was fighting near Bayonne when he was wounded by a shot to the head. Maucomble went on to help defend Bayonne and on April 14, 1814 he took part in the sortie.

After Napoleon's abdication, Maucomble was named a Knight of Saint Louis but also put on non-activity. During the Hundred Days of 1815 he served with the tirailleurs of the Parisian National Guard. Afterwards, he continued with his military career.

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Updated July 2021