MenuColonel Louis Bro
Born: August 17, 1781
Place of Birth: Paris, Paris, France
Died: December 8, 1844
Place of Death: Armentières, France
Pronunciation:
The son of a lawyer, Louis Bro enlisted in the 1st Hussars in October of 1801. The next year he joined the guard of General Leclerc and he took part in the expedition to Saint-Domingue. That July Bro was commissioned as a sous-lieutenant and then in October of 1803 he was promoted to lieutenant. The next month he served at the combat of Haut-Cap where he was wounded by a shot to the chest and another to the right arm. At the end of November he was taken prisoner by the British.
Released on parole in July of 1803, in 1804 Bro was named an aide-de-camp to Augereau. When in 1805 the Grande Armée marched out to face the Third Coalition, Bro continued to serve as aide-de-camp and he also served on the staff of Marshal Augereau's VII Corps. He took part in the campaigns of 1805 and 1806 and in January of 1807 he was promoted to capitaine in the 7th Hussars. Bro then went on to take part in the campaigns of 1807. In 1809 he served on the Danube campaign and at the Battle of Wagram where he was wounded by a saber blow to the head. After the conclusion of the campaign, Bro became an aide-de-camp to General Colbert.
In 1810 Bro was named a Knight of the Empire and he served in Holland and Germany from 1810 to 1811. At the end of 1811 he joined the Chasseurs à Cheval of the Imperial Guard. Bro went on to take part in the campaign in Russia in 1812 and then the campaigns in Saxony in 1813. In June of 1813 he was appointed a major in the light cavalry. Bro distinguished himself during the campaign in France of 1814 and on April 5th he was promoted to adjudant commandant. However, the restored Bourbons put him on non-activity as a major.
During the Hundred Days of 1815, Bro was named colonel of the 4th Lancers. He took part in the campaign in Belgium in June and at the Battle of Waterloo he distinguished himself by a famous charge against the British brigade of General Ponsoby. He was also wounded by two saber blows during the battle. In 1816 Bro was put on non-activity and he was not employed again until the July Monarchy of 1830. In August of 1830 he was named colonel of the 1st Lancers and then in 1831 and 1832 he served in Belgium and at the siege of Antwerp. After this Bro was named a Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold of Belgium. At the end of 1832 Bro was sent to Algeria to command a brigade and then he was recalled to France at the end of 1837. He was appointed commander of the département of Hérault in 1838 and commander of the département of Dordogne in 1839. In 1840 Bro was named an inspector general of cavalry for the 4th arrondissement and in 1841 he commanded a brigade of cavalry at Lille. Promoted to lieutenant general in 1843, he died the following year.
Bibliography
Updated August 2024
© Nathan D. Jensen